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Wallet
Wallet The rather rare allied cowry Pellasinia deflexa (Sowerby 1832), was first collected by Mr. Neville M. Jennings in North Queensland in December, 1967. Since then other specimens have been collected offering Neville the opportunity to study and photograph this interesting group. The shells range from about 15mm to nearly 25mm in length. There is considerable color variation with the shells ranging from white through shades of blue to an almost violet hue with some shades of rose and light brown - (See photo 1, 2 & 3... [right].) The mantle is nearly transparent with tinges of color along the fringes and in the tentacles. (see photo 1... [right].)
A more common Indo-Pacific allied cowry, Volva brevirostris, (Photo 4... [right]), is also collected in the North Queensland area with a near record size of 2-1/4" length being recorded. V. birostris is known from Japan and other areas. It is usually a dark brown color.
A sudden trip Down Under to Fiji, New Zealand and Australia came my lucky way recently. What a time I've had sight-seeing, making friends and especially shell collecting!
At the end of August seven of us left for Sydney to attend the 6th World Orchid Conference. Our first stop was at Nandi, Fiji, where we landed in the very cool A.M. – 4: 15 to be exact. We were met by an Indian driver who took us over a roller coaster washboard road to the small island of Yanuca.
Yanuca Island (pronounced Yanutha) has a horseshoe-shaped white sand beach of about six miles and the shelling seems unlimited. It's a favorite sport of the hotel guests and you can even rent shoes to shell in. A week before we arrived, one guest had found a live Golden Cowry [Cypraea aurantium] during a low tide and the hotel gave a real swinging party to celebrate.
As the sun came up I changed into beach clothes and went shelling. It was high tide but even so in fifteen minutes I picked up beach specimen of Cypraea moneta, C. cylindrica and C. carneola. Also Conus generalis, C. ebraeus, C. pulicarius, an unidentified Terebra, good Strombus maculatus, Oliva erythrostoma, black rose-mouthed Murex, countless bivalves including Cardium, also specimens of Natica and Turbo.
Wallet An asterisk (*) indicates fragments of shell of that species. All other specimens were complete or nearly complete shells. An inspection of the above table reveals common shells of today were also the most common in the geological period when the fossil area was formed. At least two previously unreported fossil species were collected. Specimens of a Cypraea species as yet undetermined were also collected. The fossil deposits in the area of the Campbell Industrial Park barge harbor have been worked by collectors, mostly members of the Philippine Shell, for several years. Many fine specimens of shells have been collected. Cypraea tessellata and C. cicercula have been found in fair numbers. After the seventy or so members collected fossils during the first day of the fossil survey (Saturday, Sept. 19) it was feared there would be slim pickings the following day. Such was not the case and many fine specimens, several of them rare species, were found on the second day of the survey. The shells listed in the table do not represent the total number of shells, or of species, collected. They are simply those reported to the editor prior to press time. It is felt that the list is representative of the species present and the abundance of those reported. It is hoped a future fossil collecting survey can be conducted to determine just how far inland conditions were suitable for molluscan fauna during the time of high water. It is known no fossil shells are present in most of the quarry area about half a mile inland of the barge harbor. It would be interesting to determine just where, and perhaps why, the edge of the mollusk deposits is located.
Andy Butler and Tom Richert joined a group of shellers on Molokai and Lanai Islands recently. They all had good finds but Andy lost all of his collection when a big wave hit their boat and washed everything off of the deck. Losses included a giant Cypraea sulcidentata. Tom found a C. cicercula in 40' off Lanai, however, to prove that they had been diving.
Mike Scaggs found a dead but nice Strombus hawaiensis off Waianae at 80' and Ted Bryant found a live Cymatium clandestinum at Makua at 35'.
George Cook found a Cyp. rashleighana at Makaha in 60' of water and it is a real gem.
Pete Hirsch collected two C. chinensis under a rock at Fort Kam in 8' of water and Robert Dellar found two beautiful C. gaskoini at 45' off Moanalua Bay.
Father and Son, Thomas and Gilbert Ching both found Bursa bufonia at Kahuku in a few inches of water. Gilbert is a member of the Junior Shell Club. Another Junior Shell Club member, Wendell Hino, found an Umbraculum sinicum at Moanalua Bay in a few feet of water which he displayed, live, at the Shell Show.
Steve Quirk hit the Cypraea jackpot with a C. rashleighana, 4 C. chinensis, 2 C. vitellus and 3 C. gaskoini from Haleiwa, Kaneohe Bay, Ala Moana Reef and Chinaman's Hat Beach and Kaneohe Bay, respectively.
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