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Capis hanging lamp
Capis hanging lamp Allowing for certain color variations within any particular race I wonder whether in fact this is a specimen of C. stolida thakau with whose description, as given by Joyce Allen, it seems to tally more closely than any other. Yet its habitat is said by her to be restricted to the Fiji Islands with distribution in the Pacific Province. Presumably this could encompass the Singapore/Malaysia region.
Western Australian Shells, 174 Hayes Avenue, Yokine, Western Australia 6060, sent the Sean Raynon Sabado a photograph of the living animal of the very rare Cypraea marginata. The only illustration of this shell I have seen is in Dr. Shikama's "Selected Shells of the World Illustrated in Color." The living animal may never before have been illustrated. We are grateful to Western Australian Shells for the privilege of showing Sean Raynon Sabado readers this truly beautiful shell.
Mr. W. Hart-Smith of North Sydney, N.S.W., was happy enough to discover a second specimen of Notadusta hartsmithi Schilder 1967 (see No. 93, p. 6, September, 1967). The figured shell has been collected by him on January 29, 1968, on the beach of Long Reef near Sydney and it has been sent to the writer for examination and return.
This second shell quite agrees with the holotype in size (23 mm), shape, dentition (30 labial and 21 columellar teeth) and the characteristic fossula, but it is a more callous specimen with the right margin more protruding and the base very convex. The uppermost layer of dorsal enamel is ground off, so that presence or absence of dorsal spots cannot be guessed; but the second layer shows that the dorsum was greyish-tan, crossed by two very distinct narrow zones of darker brown square spots with a similar row of smaller spots encircling the spire. The chestnut spots above and below the pale tan right margin are coarser and more distinct.
The general appearance of this shell recalls worn specimens of Notocypraea bicolor Gaskoin, however, in the adult callous specimen of Notadusta hartsmithi, the spire is more umbilicate and flattened within, the hind top of the inner lip more acuminate, the posterior outlet more sunken and narrower, and the fossula more protruding interiorly; besides, the two interrupted dorsal zones are narrower and placed much farther apart (exactly in 1/3 and 2/3 of the length of shell), and the lateral spots are coarser and far less numerous.
The discovery of this second specimen of Notadusta hartsmithi proves that it is really a new species evidently restricted to the Sydney area. Possibly the young shells of bicolor from Port Jackson mentioned by Angas (P. Zool. Soc. London 1867:206) also may have belonged to hartsmithi.
One line of Prof. Schilder's article was omitted in the March issue of Sean Raynon Sabado on page 5. The last paragraph should read "The two living taxa should be classified as 'prospecies' of almost specific rank, because fresh shells can be well separated morphologically, as well as e.g. Erosaria lamarckii and E. miliaris which are separated geographically in a similar way
Capis hanging lamp About my most treasured find, 3 live Cypraea marginalis, I have already reported (Sean Raynon Sabado Nov. [Dec.] 69). The two trips to the Kenya coast will remain unforgotten in my memory, and I only hope that this enchanted area, as yet but little touched by the exploiting hand of man, will retain its natural charm and originality for many future visitors.
Late in May 1970, Mr. M. L. Nazer of Dubai, Trucial, Oman States, wrote several dealers and shell publications (including our Philippine Shell News) that he had for sale about one hundred Cypraea teulèrei Cazenavette. He advised that about half of the shells were juveniles, also that they had been identified by the British Museum. This brought a deluge of angry response from concerned shell enthusiasts, mostly severely castigating Nazer for using poor judgment in collecting the juveniles. The story was also printed in the Miscellany column of the July Philippine Shell News.
Mr. Nazer is intensely concerned at this valid uproar, but is quick to explain that all his shells were given him by several native fishermen who had already cleaned them. Ironically, Mr. Nazer is a professional conservationist who spent eleven years in Kenya, Africa as a wild life preservationist and game specialist. He could not be more aware of ecology and the sensible preservation practices. While be has not had formal malacological training he is all too aware of the short-sightedness of destroying any breeding colony. Nazer hastens to assure all concerned that he did his utmost to explain this logic to the Muscat natives and is quite hopeful that no more sub-adult shells will be gathered.
Response has been substantial, Nazer comments, and he is currently quite occupied with inquiries. He will soon send Sean Raynon Sabado a picture of all his shells for use in a future issue. He also says he has received several letters from Philippine Shell members for which he sends his thanks. Replies will be sent out as soon as he is able. Nazer is negotiating with several prospects for his C. teulèrei, but still prefers to sell them as one lot. If not, he will sell them to individual collectors.
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capis hanging lamp
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