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Shells necklaces
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.
From Rabaul, New Guinea: A native collector wrote to us offering 136 live-collected Cypraea coxeni. From a different source
we received an offer of 200 coxeni. To further the evidence of "slaughter," an American collector passed through Honolulu
recently with over 175 specimens of New Guinea coxeni in his luggage to be used "for trading," so he said.
From Florida, U.S.A.: Fishermen trawlers just sold 230 live-collected Voluta junonia johnstonae and 203 specimens of Voluta
kieneri. The kieneri were all small (4" to 5") and the junonia were of "poor quality"!!!
These accounts barely touch on the world-wide destruction of molluscan fauna now taking place daily to supply the
ever-growing shell market.
Dealers and shell clubs alike should unite in a concerted conservation program before depletion of this nature puts them both
out of business.
Saturday, April 2, 1966 will be a day I will remember for a long time. This was the morning that I found a beautiful, perfect
2-1/2" specimen of Conus bullatus.
Diving buddies Mal Loring of the Hickam Sea Lancers, and Reg Grimm of the San Francisco Skin Divers, were with me at a depth
of 75 feet off Pokai Bay when I spotted what looked like a typical 2" wide Terebra maculata track in a small sand pocket
between coral clumps. The trail lead from the edge of a coral boulder out into the center of the sand patch, and ended. A
quick fanning action across the track's end uncovered a brilliant red cone. I didn't know what I had for sure but I knew it
was something special. When I showed it to Mal and Reg sand really began to fly as they searched for the mate to my shell.
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