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Pectin nobiles
The Malaita Cypraea guttata Gmelin is now at the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia, U.S.A. and the Curator of
Mollusks, Dr. R. Tucker Abbott verified the identification. The dimensions are: length 64.7, breadth 37.8 & height 39.3mm.
I noticed with interest in the May 1962 issue of Sean Raynon Sabado the list of cowrie shells found by Mrs. M. Saul in
British North Borneo. Perhaps it will be of interest also to Sean Raynon Sabado readers to know what Cowries are found in the
Solomons. As my shell collecting area is restricted to the north eastern part of Malaita, it is quite possible that some
other cowries are found elsewhere in the Solomons which are not listed here. Also, using my own classification, it is very
likely that a few types may be more common elsewhere than they are here; viz. so far I have only found 2 Cox Cowries here
(not very broad either) and I know for sure, that they are not really uncommon in what we call the Western Solomons.
Very common:
C. annulus L., arabica L., caputserpentis Gm., erosa L., errones ehrysostomus Schilder, errones nimisserans L., lynx L.,
mauritiana L., moneta, tigris L., vitellus L.
Moderately common:
C. argus L., asellus L., carneola L., caurica L., hirundo L., helvola L., isabella L., mappa L., rhinoceros Sow., talpa L.,
testudinaria L.
Uncommon:
C. coxeni Cox, cribraria L., depressa Gray, eburnea Barnes, felina Gm., labrolineata Gaskoin, nucleus L., minoridens Melvill,
staphylaea L., tabescens Solander [=teres L.], teres L.
Rare:
C. aurantium Gmel., childreni Gray, chinensis Gmel., cicercula L., clandestina L., cylindrica Born, poraria L., punctata L.,
scurra Gmel., stolida, ventricula Lam., ziczac L.
Very Rare:
C. guttata
In some localities, as in Honolulu Harbor and in Moen Is. (Truck Is. [now Chuuk] ), recent species of cowries were once
dredged from calcareous deposits. These shells are faded in color, but brilliant so that they often become more beautiful
than the living, saturate specimens. Such shells were called "subpellucid" or "subfossil" though the latter term seems to be
questionable. Some shells of this transparent golden hue have even received varietal names, as [Cypraea] Lyncina sulcidentata
var. xanthochrysa Melvill.
Similar specimens can be obtained by artificial treatment. If you put a normal shell in a thermostat furnishing dry heat of
100°C (212°F) for one or two days, it becomes pale without losing its natural splendour, and this discoloration is permanent.
In such a manner does the brown dorsal striae of [Cypraea] Mauritia eglantina Duclos become rich golden yellow (the spire
blotch only remaining chestnut) on whitish ground, the blackish lateral spots and the chestnut teeth becoming very pale. The
interior is whitish. As the surface shows hardly any cracks, such shells can hardly be distinguished from natural subpellucid
specimens. Therefore I warn collectors to be careful in buying such beautiful semi-transparent shells, as they may be
artifacts.
Mr. W. O. Cernohorsky told me by letter that he had lost a plastic bag containing common cowries with the living animals
while collecting Fijian cowries for my studies. After several months he refound the bag on the beach. The shells had become
subpellucid!
Extending the exposure time does not alter the results, but heat of 200°C (332°F) destroys the shells. They become uniformly
pale yellow with the dark markings hardly visible, and the enamel becomes crossed by deep cracks so that it falls off in
pieces.
There is a boat launching ramp in Maunalua Bay approximately as shown on the map. In reasonable weather boats can proceed
around Koko Head to the Haunama Bay, Blow Hole area.
Skip and Rita Cowell, diving from their Boston Whaler that they launched at the ramp, recently collected several fine shells
a few dozen yards on the Makapuu Point side of the Blow Hole. Included in their days finds were the following:
Cypraea scurra - under coral
Cypraea chinensis - under small coral slabs
Cypraea fimbriata - in coral heads
Cypraea teres - in coral heads
Cypraea helvola - in coral heads
Cypraea tigris - in the open on coral shelf
Cypraea leviathan - under coral
Conus pertusus - under coral in sand
Bursa siphonata - on coral
They also collected a black coral tree nearly 2 feet across by over a foot high in 35 feet of water near the cliffs. Bob
Ridgeway, collecting with them, found an excellent specimen of Charonia tritonis. Other shells reported from specific areas
are as follows:
BLACK POINT AREA
Conus rattus - in coral
Cypraea helvola - on coral
Hydatina physis - tide pool
Balcis cumingi - sand pocket
BLOW HOLE AREA
Acanthochiton viridis - on rocks
Cellana melanostoma - on rocks
Cerithium baeticum - tide pools
Cerithium thaanumi - tide pools
Columbella varians - tide pools
Conus catus - tide pools
Conus chaldaeus - tide pools
Conus ebraeus - tide pools
Conus sponsalis - tide pools
Conus imperialis - 50 feet in sand
OFF DIAMOND HEAD
Cellana melanostoma - in sand
Charonia tritonis - under coral ledge
Conus pennaceus - in sand
Conus textile - in sand under coral
Cypraea tigris - in 18 feet on coral
Siphonaria normalis - on rocks
HANAUMA BAY AREA
Bulla adamsi - 1 to 3 ft. on rocks
Bulla peaseana - 1 to 3 ft. on rocks
Cerithium sinense - 1 to 3 ft. in sand
Cerithium thaanumi - 1 to 3 ft. in sand
Charonia tritonis - no data
Columbella varians - 1 to 3 ft.
Conus catus - 1 to 3 ft.
Conus chaldaeus - 1 to 3 ft.
Conus flavidus - 1 to 3 ft.
Conus lividus - 1 to 3 ft.
Conus miliaris - 1 to 3 ft.
Conus nussatella - no data
Conus rattus - 1 to 3 ft.
Cypraea caputserpentis - 1 to 3 ft. on coral
Cypraea fimbriata - 1 to 3 feet under coral
Engina billeheusti - 1 to 3 ft.
Epitonium pyramis - 1 to 3 ft.
Mitra astricta - 1 to 3 ft.
Mitra baldwini - 1 to 3 ft.
Mitra cucumerina - 1 to 3 ft.
Mitra litterata - 1 to 3 ft.
Nassa francolinus - 1 to 3 ft. (also in deep water)
Nassarius reeveanus - 1 to 3 ft.
Natica sagittata - 1 to 3 ft.
Nerita neglecta - on rocks
Nerita picea - on rocks
Purpura affinis - 1 to 3 ft.
Purpura harpa - 1 to 3 ft.
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