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Polished shells
Description of Pusula (Dolichunis) producta:
Ovate and humped, with broadened, somewhat angled sides and produced extremities. White in colour throughout, with transverse
ribs crossing the dorsum completely and extending over the margins and base onto the columella. The transverse ribs are
white, elevated, sharply cut, and the interstices are broad and crenulate; a dorsal groove is absent and the spire is
covered. Base is flattish, labial lip broad, slightly convex and fairly straight; aperture is of medium width, widening
slightly anteriorly. The posterior outlet is deeply cut, fossula is very broad, concave, ribbed, and extending towards the
labial wall.
Size of illustrated specimen: L: 11.8mm, W: 72%, H: 55%, Lab. teeth: 23, Coll. teeth: 19, Dorsal ribs: 28, Marginal ribs: 41
(The width and height are expressed in the percentage of the length; the dorsal and marginal ribs are counted on both sides
of the shell, the 4 - 5 loop-like, vertical ribs at each extremity have been excluded). Iredale's T. excelsa measures as
follows: L: 18mm, W: 72%. H: 56%. The Australian shell is slightly larger than Fiji specimens of Dolichupis producta 10mm -
15mm but otherwise identical. One of Gaskoin's specimens of D. producta measured about 18mm.)
The first specimen of Dolichupis producta was dredged in 1962 by A. Jennings, in 15 - 16 fathoms off the Momi lighthouse
(West Viti Levu), and a total of 6 specimens have been dredged to date from the same locality. Prior to the Fijian record,
there appeared to be only 6 specimens preserved in collections (Dr. Schilder, in litt.): the holotype in the British Museum,
2 specimens in the Saul collection in Cambridge, and one specimen each in Stockholm and coll. Tomlin and Schilder. Locality
indication on these shells was "Indonesia." The fossil Dolichupis soloensis Schilder, 1937 (Ingen. Ned. Indie, (4) 4:200,
fig. 18) from the Pleistocene of Java, might be a chronological race of the recent form.
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?).
"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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