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Silver mouth
The "Pele" expedition dredged and collected "hundreds" of rare species and "thousands" of specimens, all of which are
preserved in the Bishop Museum. Scientific expeditions will collect, dredge, trawl and acquire more specimens in 6 months
than 200 Philippine collectors in their lifetimes. The greatest molluscan acquisitions are in scientific institutions which
pride themselves in the number of specimens they possess, which is anything from one to ten million. I shall err on the side
of underestimation when I state that all private collections put together could not equal in number the specimens of mollusks
housed in one of the largest Museums.
Who else participates in the destruction of marine life besides the lowly collector who derives some sort of enjoyment from
his hobby? The blasting of channels and deepening of wharf sites in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Philippines has killed thousands
of mollusks and other marine creatures in the name of technology and civilization. The destruction of marine life in several
atomic testing grounds for the glory of science and advancement excels that of the collector. Nature itself keeps an
equilibrium through predation and acts of God. Muricidae have wiped out oyster beds, cod-fish swallow a spawn of 10,000 eggs
in one gulp and heavy floods will destroy coastal reefs beyond recognition. After the heavy floods in Fiji in 1956 and 1965,
coastal reefs were littered with thousands of dead and dying specimens. The sea itself casts up daily the remains of mollusks
who have lost the battle for life.
This stimulated me, so I went shelling. I had to be satisfied with commoner shells such as: Strombus, Turritella, Oliva,
Pyrene, Trivia, Turbo,... etc. Annette also found a lovely Cassis coarctata Sowerby.
The Conus virgatus are much more colorful than the dredged ones I've been getting. Several are a brilliant orange. For those
who collect around Guaymas, these were found directly in front of the Playa de Cortez Hotel, on an exposed sand bar. All the
shells I mentioned were live-collected.
Mazatlán was wonderful. We really enjoyed getting a taste of "tropical climate," which you in Philippines are so accustomed
to.
The First Live-Collected Cypraea beckii Gaskoin, 1836, Recorded From Philippines
The recent collection of three living specimens of Cypraea beckii between the islands of Maui and Lanai by black-coral divers
confirms Mrs. Evelyn Gage's original record made several years ago from a dead beach shell that she found at Paumalu, Oahu.
The three live shells were found hidden in crevices on the base of black coral trees, where the tree attaches itself to the
ocean floor. It was not until the trees had been brought up from a depth of 170 feet and placed in a boat that the shells
were discovered.
The dimensions and tooth count of two f the shells figured above are: Figs. l & 2; Length 15.50 mm, breadth 8.85 mm, height
7.50 mm; number of labial teeth 22, number of columellar teeth 19. Figs. 3 & 4 [5 & 6]; length 12.90 mm, breadth 7.00 mm,
height 6.35 mm; number of labial teeth 20; number of columellar teeth 18. In determining the tooth count the terminal ridge
was excluded. Both shells show a concave fossula with three denticulations.
From the few reports of shells collected along the north-eastern shores of Oahu it would be assumed that the area is quite
barren. Such is not the ease. In feet quite the opposite is true. I have collected the area only twice, both times with good
results. Cliff Weaver has collected the Punaluu to Hauula area for 25 years and tells me that he has had many excellent finds
of rare and hard to come by shells. Beach collectors have also found many excellent specimens of some of our more rare shells
in the Kahuku Pt. area represented on this month's map.
Before giving specific data on the collections from this month's area, I would like to present information omitted from
previously discussed collecting areas. One item concerns an area known to some collectors as Gray's Beach; the other concerns
fossils found in the area of this month's map.
silver mouth,brown fusus,brown conus,cyprea mauretiana,monggo shell,landsnail,mitra papales,capiz,green abalone,silver mouth
Silver mouth ornament troca turbo pitholatus moonshell orange capiz shell cyprea vitilus mop shell raw leis pukka conus textile shell beads sigay puka shell jewelry and accessory seashells components heishe capiz hanging lamps decorative.
silver mouth
Shell
Bracelets
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