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Brown lip
Brown lip The recently described cowry E. rabaulensis (Schilder, 1964, Arch. Moll., 93:141-144, fig.1) has been recorded only from New Britain and is known from less than a dozen specimens.
Mr. Mick Laurent collected a specimen of E. rabaulensis in 2 feet of water on Lilisiana reef, Malaita, Solomons, and forwarded the shell including the preserved animal for examination through Mr. 1. Gower. The shell measured 19.2 mm in length, 9.6 mm in width, labial teeth numbered 20, columellar ones 19. The shell is creamy-fawn with 4 narrow, brownish, interrupted and somewhat obsolete transverse zones, small spots and a dilacerated dark brown dorsal blotch; extremities have a pair of blackish-brown terminal blotches and teeth are dull and short. The radula shows that the species would be more properly assigned to the genus Erronea Tröschel, instead [of] Notadusta Schilder.
The recently described Erronea stohleri Cate & Schilder, 1968 (The Veliger, 10:382-383, pl. 54) bears a great resemblance to the Solomon Island rabaulensis. Erronea stohleri is said to differ from rabaulensis in characters of coarser anterior columellar teeth and a dorsum which is not zonate but has a central dorsal blotch which according to the authors has not been observed in species of Notadusta. The Solomon Island rabaulensis does show a dilacerated dorsal blotch, and the presence or absence of dorsal blotches or zones in cowry species appears to be a variable feature. Erronea errones (Linnaeus) or E. subviridis (Reeve), both occur with or without a dorsal blotch, and Notadusta species may prove to be just as variable in this feature once more specimens become known.
Although encountering a consistent westerly set, limited veliger distribution from the periodically proximal counter-equatorial current distinguishes the Phoenix Group as a western limit for most Indo-Pacific shell species. Oceanographic separation apparently prevents introduction of South American and Eastern Pacific species. Situated in the midst of the Phoenix Group, McKean Island lies approximately one hundred miles from its nearest neighbor, Gardner Island. Isolation by distance is perhaps not so significant as that imposed by the great depth of surrounding water, averaging 2800 fathoms on all sides. Idealized current flow and consistent dry climate characterize this isolation geologically. Ecologically, such forms of natural isolation create boundaries to various marine life, thus providing other marine life forms the opportunity to develop and interact in a unique environment the influence of which is emphasized by uniformity. Consequently, the prevalence, distribution and evolution of an established species can be studied with greater validity when these three variables are regarded as a sole function of a particular isolated environment; usually produced artificially by the restriction of scientific method, but in the case of McKean Island, more perfectly imposed by natural forces.
Amongst the coral rubble 278 Cypraea depressa, 87 Conus ebraeus, and 62 Cypraea caputserpentis were collected in one hour from the study area. Scarcity of live specimens on adjacent reef platform offers the following explanations of study area beach shell abundances: 1. location leeward of trades, current and heavy surf, 2. narrowing of barren coralline platform with increased occurrence of deep sand-filled channels, and 3. gradual slope of sand beach steepening north and south where a 17 foot continuous coral shingle land rim intervenes, rising directly from the platform.
Brown lip [Transcriber's Note: The images were originally published in horizontal rows. Here, file size and the vertical format are pressing concerns. The images have been arranged vertically. Following are the original captions to the images.]
Photo below illustrates, top row, the dorsal view of Cypraea rashleighana and, bottom, C. teres. Both photos slightly enlarged.
Aperture view of same shells.
Top C. rashleighana, bottom, C. teres. Note brown dots in upper row of shells covering one-third to one-half lateral margin of base.
Cypraea subteres have fine labial teeth. sharp,
thin labial margin, and a more pronounced
posterior extremity. Slightly enlarged.
The world of philately has, since the inception of the world's first postage stamp, been bothered by forgeries and fakes of early and rare postage stamps. Man's handiwork could easily be duplicated, nature's creation may be imitated but never duplicated. That is what I thought until the day I saw my first malacological forgery.
The city of Suva (Fiji) has a market in the close vicinity of the wharf where natives sell their vegetables, fish, handicrafts and shells. Tourist business is brisk and the shell-stalls owned by Indians make a good trade on days of arrival of passenger liners. I happened to be strolling through the market keeping a look-out for the smaller and rare species of shells which usually sell at 6 cents each if you are lucky enough to spot a decent specimen. That is how I spotted the large cowry prominently displayed on the stall. A shell I had never seen before, except possibly in my dreams.
As soon as I showed interest in the shell, I had the vendor at my side, giving me some glib sales talk and mistaking me for a tourist. He stressed the fact that the shell was from extremely deep water, very rare and further volunteered information that it was called a "Tapa Cowry." He assured me that in this case he will make an exception, bear the loss and let me have the shell just for eight shillings (one dollar). The shell was a rather obvious C. mauritiana calxequina with the first layers of the dorsal enamel buffeted down and artificially repolished. The specimen was a rather crude job as some dorsal spots were still visible at the margins, however, some buffeted C. arabicas were a masterpiece. These sold quickly to tourists for 50 cents a piece (price for untreated C. arabica 6 cents), and I am convinced that many tourists thought that they had the better side of the bargain.
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