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Nassa
Fiji:
Mr. W. O. Cernohorsky has quoted walkeri bregeriana from New Caledonia and Fiji, in his recently published Catalogue of
Living Cypraeidae (Frankfurt-Main 1963). In fact, since 1962 at least eight bregeriana have been collected in Fiji, all off
the West Coast (Nadi and Momi) facing towards the chief habitat of bregeriana, New Caledonia; especially Mr. A. Jennings has
dredged, at the islands Wading, Akuilau, and Namotu (20 miles off Nadi) several dead and living specimens, one oliviform
shell included of which I could examine the radula (Mr. Cernohorsky presented me a shell from Momi, coll. Schilder No. 17154,
which is 17 mm. long). All specimens show the typical orange base, often darker brown in the center of the inner lip, and the
peculiar white specks on base and margins, but they are much smaller (16 to 21 mm., mean 18 mm.) than typical bregeriana from
New Caledonia (20 to 33 mm., mean 25 mm.). These shells look like a population displaced far from its original habitat in New
Caledonia, where bregeriana is less rare, to an area with less favorable environments, as it is in the two dwarf Erosaria
ocellata Linnaeus from Tjilanat Eureun, South West Java widely separated from their Indian relations (see 1938, Prodrome, p.
138).
South East New Guinea:
If bregeriana could spread from New Caledonia to Fiji, it probably also could spread to North West: therefore I now do not
doubt its occurrence in Joanett Is., Louisiade Archipelago, from which locality Smith (1888, Journ. de Conchyl. 36:313) has
described three bregeriana of 21 to 22 mm.
The indications of habitat: Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Victoria, New Zealand, and Tahiti evidently are erroneous.
Erronea walkeri Sowerby is a rather uncommon cowry species so that it is absent in many collections (Schilder 1940, Arch.
Mollusk. 72:168) and the limits of its distribution are inaccurately known. In our Prodrome (1938, Proc.Malac. Soc. 23:151)
and in my catalogue of all living and fossil Cypraeacea (1941, Arch. Mollusk. 73:96) four "geographical races" have been
distinguished, characterized chiefly by the color of the shell (1952, Mem. Inst. Belgique (2) 45:125); the geographical
distribution of these four races comprised the following areas: walkeri Sowerby 1832: Seychelles, Cargados, Maldives;
surabajensis Schilder 1937: Philippines, Cochinchina to Lombok and Eastern Indonesia (holotype in lower Pleistocene beds of
Modjokerto, Java); continens Iredale 1935: Torres Strait to Moreton Bay; bregeriana Crosse 1868: New Caledonia (and Louisiade
Archipelago?).
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).
After an hour of surface decompression, our meter was at a safe reading. Over the side we went, each hoping to find something
better than the others. We were working on a sand and mud bottom with a few scattered rocks. On the bottom, we found a
fragile type of purple coral that crumbled when picked up. Also, a greenish-white type of coral was found that resembled
oatmeal when it was broken up. In this rubble and under the rocks, we found all of the shells collected. On the last dive,
some of this rubble was brought to the surface in bags to be sorted through at our leisure. It is just as interesting to go
through this rubble as it is to dive for the shells. The second dive was not as long as the first because everyone was
working harder. Also, each diver was not sure his shells would be in his glass jar in the boat if he came up last. We are an
honest group but we are collectors. After everyone was back in the boat, a count of the shells taken was made. A total of 28
Cypraea gaskoini, 3 C. chinensis, 2 C. rashleighana, 1 Cymatium clandestina, 7 Vitularia, 3 Cymatium echo, 4 Conus pertusus
and a wide variety of Mitra and other Conus species were in our collecting jars.
So ended this, a truly record day!
John H. Roberts, Jr. offers the following Helpful Hint:
I often find myself deluged with questions regarding methods I employ in cleaning shells. My latest method, and most
successful, is the use of Pineoleum[tm], a household disinfectant. I use Pineoleum[tm] full strength and soak my shells (all
types) for several days before removing for cleaning. There is no etching or discoloration of the shell soaked in this
solution. For Cypraea, this is the finest yet. In most cleaning preparations, there is corrosive acid action. However, with
the oil base in Pineoleum[tm], a thin film of oil covers the shell, preventing any etching or discoloration. When the
interior of the shell is cleaned out, just wipe the external surface with a dry cloth and the Cypraea is just as it was when
found. There is no need for livening up a shell's coloring by use of silicon grease. This, I am told, is employed by some of
our Honolulu collectors.
L. chiragra, etc., or the violet spots of Cypraea chinensis will fade through boiling. Especially if the shells were not
washed and rinsed before, so that the boiling water does not contains salt, mucus or decomposed animal matter. So better
avoid boiling these shells. Some bivalves, especially such which come from muddy bottom, may change their colours through
boiling. Some Aplysiidae, who have a delicate, internal shell, shrivel and contract through boiling and this usually results
in a crushed shell. But cone shells, Mitra, Oliva, Terebra and most Cypraea can be boiled without harm to the colour.]
It is a pity that collectors nowadays strive only to possess the largest shells of each species and thus neglect the small
ones. Formerly, collectors would boast that they possessed both the largest end the smallest shells of a species. You will
see, for instance, that a dwarf Cypraea tigris of about 40 mm compared to one of about 150 mm is a surprising contrast worthy
to be exhibited in any collection.
The reason for my complaint is that by this preference for giants, scientific research is handicapped in defining the mean
size of a species from a certain region or from all parts of the world where the species occurs. As most local collectors
keep the rare, large shells for their own collections, the abundant medium sized and the rare, small shells are not
preserved. Then the local collectors pretend that the scientist is wrong when he indicates smaller figures for the average
size.
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