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Shell jewelry
The photograph reproduced above represents the holotype of Gisortia gisortiana pterophora SCHILDER (1927) from the Middle
Eocene of northern France (Boisgeloup near Gisors); it is 26 cm. long (about 10.4 inches). The curious lateral appendices and
the dilatation of the posterior beak are absent in Gisortia gisortiana PASSY, the length of which varies from 22 to 29 cm.,
so that the unusual characters of pterophora may be interpreted as a sign of beginning degeneration. The photograph was been
made by Mr. V. J. Stanek (Prague) in 1928; an exact drawing of three views of this specimen has been published by the writer
in 1930 (Proc. Malac. Soc. London vol. 19, pl. 11, fig. 14-16). But Gisortia gisortiana is not the largest cowry: the last
representative of the group destined to become extinct is Gisortia hoernesi LEFEVRE from the Upper Eocene (Priabonian) of
northern Italy of which inner casts only are preserved: but the shell must have been at least 35 cm. long (14 inches).
There is still another group of fossil cowries which tend to gigantism, and are even more interesting to malacologists
studying living species only: for it is geologically younger than the Gisortiinae, and it is closely allied to a living group
of species . Zoila (Gigantocypraea) gigas McCOY lived in Middle Miocene (Balcombian) times (about 20 million years ago) in
about the same area (Victoria) as the recent Zoila (Zoila) thersites GASKOIN lives (south Australia), which is closely allied
to gigas so that the two species can be separated subgenerically at most. But while thersites becomes at most 92 mm. long
(coll. SUMMERS), the largest gigas measures 215 mm. (British Museum): it is a well preserved shell showing the total
reduction of columellar teeth as it is in Gisortia, too. In Zoila, the giant members with obsolete dentition also became
extinct, whereas the smaller, more denticulate species survived.
It will be observed, that the largest living cowry species, Macrocypraea cervus shows similar tendencies as the dying
Gisortia and Gigantocypraea though yet in a lesser degree: gigantism, wide aperture, flattened fossula, and irregularities in
columellar dentition. Possibly it may be the next living cowry to become extinct.
It was a somewhat frustrated group of adventurers that gathered at the jetty at Lumut on the first day of the Chinese New
Year. They included Jack Fisher, Stephen Chum, Alan and Mrs. Tideman and their rugged three year old son David plus two
aqualungs, ten large air cylinders, and other underwater equipment. Five days of holidays lay ahead, and now; the Captain had
orders that the boat could now only take us to Pankor Laut. Originally it was to have taken us to the Sembelans, a group of
nine islands, ten miles out beyond the Pankors and their silty water. This island we had thoroughly investigated last
November. Telephone calls to Telok Anson in Penang were in vain as all the Harbor officers were taking advantage of the long
holiday. It seemed that my 500 mile journey from Singapore, Jack and Stephen's 300 mile trip from Kuala Lumpar and Alan and
my family's 300 mile run down from Penang were to be virtually wasted, the next five days were to be spent going over ground
we had already covered without much success.
"From all I can learn, the Golden Cowries taken from this section, Manay, Davao Province alone, are around 20. Eleven for me
with this one reserved for you; four to a certain Mrs. Tajanlangit, a public school teacher who is no longer with us; and
about four or five to a certain engineer of a commercial boat who paid $30.00 each and later sold them in Davao to other
shell collectors; Mrs. Sarenas was able to get two; Mrs. Joaquin, one or two, and one or two went to others whom I do not
know. The said engineer traded each at $100.00. Of the eleven I got, I am still the proud possessor of six of them which are
registered in the Children's Museum of Honolulu.
"I am already in the thick of my promised article about the occurrence of the Golden Cowry in this part of the Philippines,
but I have certain doubts about my English as I am just an amateur in this rich language and I do not command it really.
Besides, as an amateur collector I do not want to create an atmosphere of controversial opinion in view of my meager
knowledge of the subject matter. I am fully convinced though that the Golden Cowry is a shallow water shell and can only be
taken at night time by experienced divers. If some were taken in deep water in the past, it is my humble opinion they were
dead specimens which had sunk to deeper levels and were then found by divers.
"It might also be possible that the natives of Fiji, over-jealous of their find and just to keep it secret, would tell all
and sundry that it is a deep water shell. What is true in this place might also be true in other places, don't you think so?
"We are still looking for other Golden Cowries which might turn up any moment. As a matter of fact, everybody seems eager to
have one in his or her collection. For this reason I am now receiving lots of letters and inquiries about this already famous
shell. So much for this item.
[signed,] "Lahora"
Evidence concerning the finding of the Golden Cowry in other localities in the Philippines is very meager. Donald Dan, of
Manila, while in Honolulu during July of 1962, was asked this question. He replied that he had been told that they had been
found, but very rarely, in the Province of Suragao. "About once a year I hear these reports," he said, but gave no further
information. Suragao is a long string bean-like province, also on the eastern coast of the Island of Mindanao just north of
Mr. Lahora's Davao Province, and all of it within ten degrees north of the equator. We did not have the address of any shell
collector in this province, so we did not pursue this lead any further.
Apparently then, the Pacific shore of the southernmost island of the Philippines may well be regarded as near the western
limit of the range of this shell. Dr. Alison Kay, who looked up the record when she was in London, says the British Museum
has a record of one being collected on the Island of Java. But for all practical purposes it may be said that the 120
meridian East may be considered the western limits of the Golden Cowry's range. There is no record of any every having been
found in the Indian Ocean.
As to the eastern limits of the shell's range Dr. Kay reports that three have been found in the Tuamotus, according to
records in the British Museum. Our investigations did not confirm this, but we do have well authenticated cases of three
being collected in the Society Islands (French Polynesia), These islands are immediately west of the Tuamotus and include
Tahiti. Our information was obtained from Mr. G. Tourres, a very active and well informed shell collector, who lived there
for several years. He is now living in Noumea, New Caledonia. Below is the pertinent part of Mr. Tourres' letter:
"This is an answer to your inquiry about Cypraea aurantium. I have no personal experience about this fine shell, but I can
tell you a few places where they were collected. "Two years ago, in 1960, while I was still in French Polynesia, three live
C. aurantium were collected in less than a year at the following localities: One at Tahaa (an island five miles away from
Raiatea, Leeward Group, Society Islands). This island of Tahaa is situated inside of the same barrier reef as Raiatea. This
beautiful specimen was collected outside of the barrier reef in about 20 feet of water. It was hidden at the bottom of a
narrow crevice and the native who found the shell had to dive about 15 times before he could pinch the shell between the
barbs of his spear. In the process he about ruined the shell as he scratched it all over on the barbs of his spear. I saw
that shell in Tahiti a week later and it was really a beauty, about the size of a medium size Tiger cowry.
"Then, two more were collected during two weeks interval in the district of Avera on the North Coast of Raiatea. These two
were collected inside the barrier reef. That is not in the lagoon, but close to the reef edge in about six feet of water.
These were also alive, but smaller than the first specimen mentioned. One was sold for 6,000 Tahitian francs ($70.00). I do
not know what became of the third."
(To be continued.)
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