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Crafts
Crafts [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.
Crafts The first, which I shall call form (a) (Fig. 1) resembles Cribraria cumingii Sowerby, 1832 – (Fig. 2). The second, form (b) (Fig. 3) resembles the more shortened shape of the Cribraria catholicorum Schilder and Schilder, 1938, – (Fig. 4). The following are the characteristics of these two forms:
Form (a) - 13(54) 21:21
Shape pyriform, elongate. Dorsum yellowish ornamented with white spots generally circular. Dorsal line obsolete. Sides spotted with dark brown. Extremities produced. Right side and posterior extremity margined. Base white and convex. Labial teeth coarse and prominent. Columellar teeth confined to aperture. Aperture narrow and regular. Fossula entirely ribbed, moderately concave. Specimen taken alive under coral rock at MALAPOA POINT, VATE, NEW HEBRIDES by M. R. Durand.
Form (b) - 16(59) 21:18
More ovate. Spots on the dorsum less white and smaller. Clear narrow dorsal line. Extremities less produced. Right side and posterior extremities not very margined. Other specifications as form (a). All specimens found dead on PANGO BEACH, VATE, NEW HEBRIDES by myself and my wife.
It should be noted that form (a) is much more rare than form (b).
Professor F. A. SCHILDER, to whom I addressed these two specimens some months ago, confirmed to me that these were definitely Cribraria fischeri Vayssière 1910.
If the form (a) is typical, this is not the case for the form (b). In fact certain variations of shape and of marking in particular cause the specimens to strangely resemble Cribraria catholicorum Schilder and Schilder 1938 which one also finds on PANGO BEACH. Form (a) which recalls Cribraria cumingii can certainly not be confused with this because two essential characteristics are very different. The labial teeth in particular of the Cribraria cumingii are more numerous and much finer, than those of the Cribraria fischeri. Also, the outer lip in front of Cribraria cumingii is declivous whereas in Cribraria fischeri it is constricted. Finally, the spots of Cribraria cumingii are moderately ringed.
Recently two rare and unusual sea shells taken from the stomachs of fish were received for identification by our widely recognized Cypraea authority, Dr. C. M. (Pat) Burgess. The original owner of these shells was Mr. Romeo M. Lumawig, Boac, Marinduque, Philippine Islands. Lumawig's name is quite familiar to Philippine Shell readers as he advertises regularly in the Society's Shell News and has provided many fine specimens for the collections of Philippine Shell members.
The first of the two shells received by Pat Burgess for identification was Cypraea (Erronea) gladiadusta katsuae Kuroda. It was found in the stomach of a Philippine coral fish caught on the Palawan Reef, on June 10, 1969. The small but very beautiful cowry measured 20.5mm x 12.0mm x 10.2mm. Only a limited number of this shell have ever been found and only in the waters adjacent to Japan and the Philippines. This specimen has been purchased by Mr. Phil Clover for his personal collection.
The second ex-pisce shell, from the stomach of a deep-water fish caught by a fisherman in Manila Bay, has defied preliminary identification. It is a pure white Ovula-type shell. Dr. Burgess is currently engaged in further research and considers that this semi-cowry might be a new species.
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