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Gold lip
A malacological milestone was reached on October 6, 1962. For on that day, the first recorded microscopic examination was
made of the stomach of a Golden Cowry (Cypraea aurantium Gmelin), by Dr. Alison Kay, a marine biologist connected with the
Science Department of the University of Philippines. The specimen used was practically collected "On Order" by Mr. Francisco
E. Lahora, of Manay, Davao Province, Southern Philippines, and sent here for that purpose. The reason to find out what
Golden Cowries feed on.
More than a year ago, in conversation with Dr. Kay, she told us that there was no record that she could find concerning the
food of the Golden Cowry. Principle reason, she thought, was that so few were ever taken alive.
We recalled that when Mr. Lahora registered eight Golden Cowries several years ago (printed in the Sean Raynon Sabado at the
time) he had said that he, with his godson as diver, had collected these shells in slightly less than two years at Manay,
facing the Pacific in the Southern Philippines. Maybe he was still finding them. Maybe he could find one for Dr. Kay. So we
wrote Mr. Lahora. He answered that his godson, who was his diver, had gone to Cebu to visit relatives and he did not know
when he would return. Things did not look very promising, but on April 5th, 1962 we wrote Mr. Lahora another letter outlining
at some length the lack of any definite knowledge about the Golden Cowry, especially its food. We suggested that if and when
his godson returned from Cebu, they could make a great contribution to the sparse knowledge about this shell, if they could
find one, and ship it in alcohol to Dr. Kay, care of the Science Department of the University of Philippines. We also
specified that if possible the cowry should be collected late at night or early in the morning, so that it would have
finished its daily feeding and would have a full stomach for Dr. Kay to examine the contents of.
Well, here's what happened although we did not hear about it until long afterwards. The godson came back from Cebu, and night
after night during most of May, 1962, and part of June, they went out late at night, Mr. Lahora manning the boat, and the
godson diving and looking for that Golden Cowry. Finally on June 12 at 11:00 P.M. they found it. Apparently the shell had
taken its evening meal, and gone to bed in a little cave in the coral where the diver found it. It was immediately placed in
alcohol, from which it was not taken until it reached Dr. Kay's lab. Many more interesting details about this hunt for the
Golden Cowry may be read in Mr. Lahora's letter which is primed belong:
The following names should be treated as synonyms: amabilis Jousseaume 1881 = walkeri; merista Iredale 1939 = continens;
barbara Kenyon 1902 and rossiteri Dautzenberg 1903 = bregeriana. The juvenile Ipserronea problematica Iredale 1935 surely
does not belong to walkeri (as Allan 1956, Cowry Shells p. 49 suggested), but to Erronea pyriformis Gray 1824 (see Iredale
1939, Austr. Zoologist 9:317).
In these years after World War II, many interesting cowries have been collected, and much new information became known to us,
also concerning walkeri, so that we were obliged to revise our views, both with regard to taxonomy and distribution.
Taxonomy: The East Australian continens cannot be separated from the Malayan surabajensis; but there seems also to be no
constant character of the Lemurian walkeri, though the latter seems to be generally smaller, paler, and less zonate than the
Malayan "race'' (which should be called continens by law of priority). Whereas the Philippine shells from Siassi Is. are
usually very large (30 to 35 mm.) and dark (dorsal zone vividly brown, well marked, aperture purple throughout), a population
from Ubey on Bohol Is. (destroyed in the museum of Hamburg, one shell No. 3120 in my collection excepted) recalls the
Lemurian shells in size (17 to 25 mm.) and color (creme, zones obsolete, interstices of columellar teeth only pale purplish).
Therefore all specimens from Lemuria to the Philippines and Queensland should be called walkeri. However, the New Caledonian
race bregeriana has proved to be of almost specific rank, and is characterized by tiny opaque white specks embedded into the
glossy orange base and margins, like no other cowry species, Chelycypraea testudinaria Linnaeus excepted: these white specks
are never absent in well preserved bregeriana (though overlooked by its author!), and generally are recognizable in beach
shells too; but they have never been observed in any walkeri coming from farther west than New Caledonia (Joanett Is.
excepted, see below).
Distribution: The areas from which walkeri has been known to the writer till 1941 have been marked by black circles (walkeri)
and triangles (bregeriana) in the map: The three races of walkeri mentioned above seem to be separated by zones uninhabited
by the species. However, after World War II many new localities became known to us which fill up these gaps, or extend the
limits in northern, eastern, and southern direction. Therefore the following areas should be added, which have been marked,
on the map, by empty circles and triangles respectively:
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