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Shell fashion
Bert entered his labrolineata in the recent Shell Fair where it was runner-up for "Shell Of The Show" and won a "Special
Awards" ribbon.
An additional Philippine record was supplied by Ursula Wade when she appeared at the Shell Fair with a nice dead labrolineata
that she had found on the beach near the breakwater at Haleiwa on October 12, 1965. Her shell is the 3rd known specimen to be
found in Philippine waters.
A description of the Chamberlin shell follows: Length 20.85 mm., diameter 12.45 mm., height 10.20 mm., number of labial teeth
17, number of columellar teeth 16. Dorsum a dark olive green covered with small bluish-white dots. A row of 23 brown spots
runs just above the right margin, (see fig. 2). Just below these spots is a line of about 18 pit-like depressions. On the
left margin (fig. 3) are a few scattered spots. Base of shell is white.
I may add that the holotype of [Cypraea] Mauritia eglantina var. couturieri Vayssière (1905, Journ. de Concyl., 53:13, pl. 1,
Fig. 3), which shows three pallid zones crossing the dorsum, also may be an artifact; I could produce similar specimens by
using a hot iron.
Photos - Hayes --- not to scale
Figs. 1, 2;
two aspects of van Eck's
C. guttata from Talwat Village;
length 68mm.
Figs. 3, 4;
a juvenile specimen from Tavui;
length 59mm.
Figs. 5, 6;
a 51mm guttata from
the Korere district.
Rabaul, the township on the Gazelle Peninsula of New Britain in the Trust Territory of New Guinea, achieved some degree of
fame among shell collectors during 1963 when Mrs. Anne Appleton found a Conus gloriamaris. The subsequent discovery of an
additional seven of the much sought after shells in the Rabaul area during the following twelve months, highlighted the
possibility of other rare shells coming to light in these and surrounding waters. In fact five more C. gloriamaris were to
come up from the neighboring islands of Bougainville, New Ireland, and the coastal region of the New Guinea mainland.
With the accent on shells, and their value (Hoerler specimen of C. gloriamaris selling for $2000 after having been purchased
for a few shillings) all 25,000 coastal natives in the Gazelle Peninsula are conducting an almost feverish hunt for shells.
The result is that interesting specimens can be purchased by collectors in the native market and other places.
One such collector is Carl van Eck, a Health Inspector with the Papua and New Guinea Department of Health. In the course of
his work van Eck travels extensively in the Gazelle Peninsula, and his interest and knowledge of shells is well known to the
local natives. Consequently he recognized immediately a Cypraea guttata when it was produced with other shells at Talwat
Village, about 4 miles from Rabaul. The shell was purchased with other less rare shells from a native woman for a small sum,
and van Eck returned to Rabaul, certain that he had a C. guttata but at the same time heading for the nearest reference
books. The drawing in Tucker Abbott's Sea Shells of the World confirmed his hopes. The shell had a puncture hole in one side,
was fairly dull in gloss and measured approx. 68mm in length.
A few days later van Eck was near Tavui, about six miles on the other side of Rabaul, when he was again offered a C. guttata.
This shell was not full formed, had a good gloss, and had some smell of decaying mollusk in it when purchased for a shilling
or so. It measured about 59mm in length.
During the course of the next week he was again offered a third C. guttata in neighboring Korere district. This shell was
well formed, though only about 51mm in length, and was dullish in color.
To date his extreme good fortune has not been extended though he lives in hopes that more will come his way. All shells are
extremely light in weight, and bear the characteristic fawn brown color with conspicuous white spots of varying size on the
dorsum. Teeth extend across the base, sometimes forked, and over the sides in bright red ridges.
van Eck can give no information to support the claim made that a C. guttata found off Malaita in the British Solomon Islands
during 1963 was found in the stomach of a fish. Certainly no information was volunteered to him by the sellers of these rare
shells, and in his excitement to acquire them, it did not occur to him to ask the natives. It is very doubtful that the
original finders could be located and that they would give the correct information the local Tolai native has a habit of
giving the answer he thinks will most please you.
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