VOL.35 NO.2 OCTOBER 2OO5 - British Shell Collectors' Club

VOL.35 NO.2 OCTOBER 2OO5

Page 2 PALLIDULA 

COVER PHOTOGRAPH 

Nesiocypraea hirasei (Roberts, 1913) – “The Rhino” 

I chose this particular specimen of Nesiocypraea hirasei as I thought it would make an interesting front cover 

picture. It does not require much in the way of imagination to work out the perfectly natural image of the head and 

neck of a rhinoceros on the dorsum of the shell. 

In the book “Cowries of the World” by C. M. Burgess, the author mentions on page 171 that he has a specimen of N. 

hirasei with an outline map of the USA, including Florida, the Texas bulge and the Great Lakes. 

Our cover specimen was obtained from a dealer in the Philippines, and was taken from tangle nets set at 120 meters 

off Mindanao, Balut Island, September, 2004.

PALLIDULA Page 3 

Shells in Unusual Places 

This summer on a holiday I went on a tour of 

the Royal Yacht Britannia which is moored on 

the River Forth at Leith, nr. Edinburgh. It is a 

beautiful ship and still maintained in pristine 

condition and well worth a visit. In one of the 

alcoves in the State Dining Room hanging on 

the wall I photographed this splendid specimen 

of a Cassis madagascariensis which had been 

given to the queen on a visit to the West 

Indies. The small plaque says “Conch Shell, 

Caribbean 1966”. 

Daphne Howlett


THE BSCC TROPHIES 

by Tom Walker 

The Club awards several trophies at its annual Shell Shows, and usually the names of the winners are published in 

the next issue of Pallidula. However, no comprehensive list of winners seems to have been kept, and some years the 

names have been omitted from Pallidula. I thought it time that this was rectified, and the list below gives all the 

winners since each trophy was first awarded. 

Members may also like to know why we have these awards, and why they are so named. The newest cup – the John 

Fisher Trophy – is not included here, having been first awarded in 2004, won by Christopher Wilkins; full details 

about this cup were published in the October 2004 edition of Pallidula. Also not listed here is the new Scotia Shield 

which is to be awarded for the first time this year; for further details see page 6. 

The first Shell Show was held in May 1976, but competitive entries were not introduced until the following year. It 

seems that in the early years of the Club there was an additional award, the Du Pont Trophy, for the Outstanding 

Exhibit, but there is mention of only one winner; Ken Wye won it in 1977 for “Exhibit 38 in Class 10: Visual Beauty – 

Shape”. 

Conchologists of America Plaque 

The COA is the premier shell organisation in America, with well over 1000 members worldwide, the majority living in 

the US. The BSCC is a club member, and, to my knowledge, there are nine UK individual members. 

The COA strongly supports the educational and research aspects of conchology, and each year makes many grants 

to further this aim; in 2004 they awarded $14,583 to 11 workers, most of whom are students, but some professionals 

also receive grants. 

They are very active in supporting local shell clubs throughout the world, and show their support by donating a Plaque 

to member clubs for “a single scientific (vs. artistic) exhibit which best advances the interest in shells and shell 

collecting” (wording taken directly from their guidelines.) It may only be given to a first prize winner in any class, and 

cannot be awarded to a dealer unless the exhibit consists entirely of self-collected shells, nor to any professional 

malacologist. 

The BSCC is extremely grateful to the COA for donating this Plaque every year since 1979. To date it has been won 

by 16 different Club members, of whom six have won it more than once. The clear ‘winner’ is Stanley Francis who 

has received this award no fewer than five times. 

The Peter Oliver Cup 

Peter Oliver was born in 1918 and died in 1984, following which the BSCC Committee decided to award a Cup in his 

memory. His interest in shells began in 1960 when he was working as a public relations officer for the Shell Oil 

Company in Singapore and Malaya, being a founder member of the local malacological society. He returned to 

England in 1966. 

He accumulated an extensive collection of marine gastropods, concentrating mainly on Cypraeidae, Volutidae and 

Conidae. He was a Fellow of the Linnaean and Zoological Societies of London, and an active member of the 

Conchological Society. He joined the British Shell Collectors’ Club early in 1973, only a few months after it was 

formed, and was its second President, from 1977 to 1979. 

He was the author of The Hamlyn Guide to Shells of the World; first published in 1975 it remained in print for many 

years and was translated into numerous different languages. 

The Peter Oliver Cup was first awarded in 1985 for “The Best Educational Exhibit” at the annual Shell Show and until 

2004 was the only award which has the winner’s name engraved on it. The Cup has been won by 13 different 

members, only two of whom have won it more than once; Kevin Brown is obviously our leading educationalist, having 

his name recorded six times on the Cup plinth. 

The Walter Karo Trophy 

Walter Karo was a very regular exhibitor at BSCC Shell Shows, and was noted for the outstanding quality of the shells 

he showed – always the best that was possible to obtain; I recall a stunning exhibit of Pleurotomariidae soon after I 

joined the Club. It is probable that his interest in shells was stimulated by his close business association with Mr 

Mayer, the founder of the Eaton’s Seashells shop.


Following Walter’s death in 1990 his family offered his collection to the Natural History Museum in London, and this 

now forms the majority of the molluscan exhibition in the Museum – well worth a visit for those who haven’t seen it. 

In 1991 the Club Committee decided that “an award in memory of the late Walter Karo will be given for a specimen of 

outstanding beauty”; the plaque has a mounted Cymbiola aulica on it. Perhaps one attraction of this award is that it is 

not possible to plan an exhibit with this Trophy in mind – it really only depends on the opinion of the judges on the 

day. However, that does not make its winning any the less attractive, there having been 9 different winners over the 

14 years since this Trophy was first awarded. 

CONCHOLOGISTS OF AMERICA 

PLAQUE 

PETER OLIVER CUP WALTER KARO TROPHY 

1979 Peter Sheasby 

Spiral of Murex 

1980 Fed Pinn 

Gastropods of Pondicherry, South India 

1981 Geoff Cox 

Bivalves - Veneridae 

1982 Walter Karo 

Volutes 

1983 Alex Arthur 

Trochidae in the Mediterranean Sea 

1984 Jenny Hogenard 

Shells from Obhor Creek, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 

1985 John Llewellyn-Jones 

Kevin Brown 

Mother-of-pearl 

“Why is the shell that funny shape?” 

1986 Stanley Francis (joint) 

Colin Narbeth 

Chlamys opercularis 

Kevin Brown (joint) 

Penny plain two pence coloured 

Chinese money cowries 

1987 Tom Walker 

Kevin Brown 

Jamaican shells 

“An open or shut case” 

1988 Stanley Francis 

Koen Fraussen 

European Pectinidae 

Freshwater mussels 

1989 Alan Seccombe 

Geoff Cox 

Worldwide Cassidae 

British marine shells 

1990 Andy Wakefield 

Kevin Brown 

Worldwide Marginellidae 

“Teredo: the most expensive shell in 

the world” 

1991 Noel Gregory 

Kevin Brown 

Tom Pain 

Chicoreus 

“Gmelin 1791” 

Skirocus macrum (ammonite) 


Mike Dixon 

Geoff Cox 

Victims of the Florida Crab Traps 

Guide to Naticidae 

Harpa costata 


Kevin Brown 

Geoff Cox 

Mediterranean Muricidae 

Worldwide Neritidae 

Ericusa sowerbyi 

1994 Dick Plester 

Stanley Francis 

Geoff Cox 

Mitrinae 

The Mollusca – forerunners of our 

Modern Civilisation 

Buccinum undatum 

1995 Peter Sheasby 

Peter Sheasby 

Fred Pinn 

“Murex in the Pink – or is it in the Orange?” Molluscs and egg cases 

Chicoreus spectrum 


Fred Pinn 

Geoff Cox 

Costellariidae 

The Sacred Chank of India 

Cassis tuberosa 


Kevin Brown 

Tom Walker 

Colourful British Marine Shells 

Astrea heliotropum 

Cassis madagascariensis 


Geoff Cox 

John Whicher 

Shells Alive 

The Algorithmic Beauty of Shells Vasum horridum 

1999 Kevin Brown 

Terry Wimbleton 

Dominic Rawlinson-Plant 

Millennium musing on Molluscs 

Helix aspersa 

Cypraea tessellata 


Terry Wimbleton 

Dominic Rawlinson-Plant 

Genus Haliotis 

British marine molluscs 

Harpa goodwini 

2001 John Llewellyn-Jones 

Deborah Hicklin 

Selina Wilkins 

Mother of pearl buttons 

Shells from Brittany 

Smaragdia viridis 

2002 Karen Hicklin 

Karen Hicklin 

Tom Walker 

Helcion pellucida 

Helcion pellucida 

Forcartia buehleri 


Selina Wilkins 

Carl & Craig Ruscoe 

African shells with stamps 

Mya arenaria 

Aporrhais pesgallinae 

2004 Mike Dixon 

Sharon Crichton 

Mike Dixon 

Australian Top Shells 

Studland Bay Shells 

Clanculus undatus occidus


A Twelfth Century Cowry 

by Julian Joseph 

Introduction 

The base of a cowry shell was found in a 12 th – 14 th century archaeological site near Cambridge. There was 

also a fragment of cowry shell, and a piece of an oyster shell which it has not been possible to identify. 

The feature from which the shell came contained a partial human skeleton. The individual was estimated to be 

approximately 15 years old at time of death, but the sex of the remains could not be determined. Some of the 

bones were missing and were described as disarticulated when recovered, suggesting that this was a reburial. 

In addition to the shells, a spindle whorl, a pierced coin and a bead were found in the feature. 

The company responsible for investigating the site, Archaeological Solutions, asked the BSCC to find someone 

to write a report about the cowry fragment. The following is the result. 

A brief overview of the cowries 

The cowries are a group of approximately 230 living species of marine gastropod molluscs. They belong to the 

superfamily Cypraeacea, which includes 3 main families: Ovulidae (egg shells) Triviidae (includes the British 

“cowries”) and Cypraeidae (the “true” cowries). The family has a worldwide distribution between the latitudes of 

approximately 40° north and 40° south. The majority of species inhabit warm, shallow water in the Pacific and 

Indian Oceans; there are a few species in the Caribbean Sea, and a number of species in the cooler waters of 

the Mediterranean, southern Africa and southern Australia. 

The shell 

The shell of a cowry is typically domed, with a flat base and almost bilaterally symmetrical. It is usually solid and 

glossy, and often very colourful. They range in size from approximately 10-150mm., depending on the species. 

The spire, usually prominent in gastropod shells, is small and completely, or almost completely hidden in adult 

specimens of most species. The aperture is reduced to a narrow slit, usually with teeth along both edges. 

Like all shells, that of a cowry is made of a combination of needle-like crystals of calcite and aragonite (both 

forms of calcium carbonate) and a fibrous protein component. In cowries, the crystals are arranged in layers, 

with crystals in different layers aligned in different directions, thus preventing fractures from spreading across 

the shell when it is stressed. The protein surrounds the crystals, giving extra strength. The outermost layer is 

usually highly polished. 

Shell terminology 

The following diagram shows the parts of a cowry shell as viewed from the base:


Habitat and biology 

Most cowry species live in association with coral reefs in tropical and subtropical regions, in depths of less than 

25m. Some deeper or cooler water species live in association with sponges or among sea grass. Some species 

are herbivorous, feeding on seaweed; most, however, are predators, often feeding on sponges, or scavengers. 

Description of the specimen 

The specimen consists of the basal part of a cowry shell. It measures 72.8mm. in length, and 42.8mm. in width 

at its widest surviving part. The columellar side is somewhat flat. 

Basal view of the specimen Top view of the specimen 

Within the aperture, the fossula and columella are broken away, leaving a length of fossula about 5mm. wide 

and making the aperture appear wider than it should be. The white outer layer of the shell is present anteriorly, 

but lost on the posterior two thirds. 19 columellar teeth remain on the white area, the rest being broken away. 

There are 23 labial teeth. There appear to be traces of calcareous worm tubes over the teeth and in the spaces 

between them. This indicates that the shell must have been empty when it was collected. The top of the shell 

is broken off and missing. The broken edge is rough, so it is unlikely to have been cut off. It is more likely to 

have been found in this condition. 

Identification of the specimen 

Examination of the small fragment shows it is the lower edge of the 

fossula. It appears to have broken off recently, perhaps during 

excavation, as the break appears clean and new. It fits onto the 

corresponding broken edge of the fossula. The break is visible at the 

far left of the photograph (left). 

Identification was based mainly on the size of the specimen and the structure of the surviving teeth. The midcolumellar 

teeth are quite long, extending slightly over the base, and are plicate, i.e. they extend as long folds. 

This occurs in only one species of comparable size: Cypraea pantherina Solander, 1876. The general shape of 

the specimen is also consistent with this species. 

The surface is unusually flat for the species. This suggests that it could be the rarer northern subspecies 

rasnasraniensis Heiman, 2002, which has an almost flat base. However the shell does not seem sufficiently 

broad in comparison with its height. The ratio of width to length for rasnasraniensis is 0.61, and that for height 

to length is fairly constant at 0.52 1 . The ratio of width to length for the specimen in question is 0.588. However 

the widest part is missing, so this figure is slightly low. Width to length ratios for specimens of the nominate 

subspecies in my collection range from 0.57 to 0.596. That of the specimen in question is within the range for 

the nominate subspecies, but is slightly too narrow for the northern subspecies. Since the top part of the 

specimen in question is missing, the height to length ratio, which would give a more definitive indication of the 

subspecies, cannot be determined. Thus the subspecies cannot be determined with certainty. 

Approximate age at death 

The specimen seems to be an adult shell, in that all the surviving teeth appear to be fully developed. However 

the extremities appear to be slightly shorter than those of fully adult shells of the same species. This suggests it 

1 Heiman, 2002. Cowries of East Sinai, pages 43-4.


is a young adult, so it was probably approximately 7-12 months old 2 at the time of death. Size is not affected by 

age. When the animal reaches maturity, the outer lip of the shell turns in so that the aperture becomes a slit, 

and growth ceases except for a thickening of the shell, especially at the margins and extremities. 

Characteristics of the species 

The average length of an adult shell of Cyprarea pantherina is in the range 56-74mm. The shape is somewhat 

elongate-pyriform. The sides and base are white; the teeth are fine, the columellar teeth are plicate and extend 

over base. The upper surface is very variable in colour, from whitish to chestnut red, with numerous blackish 

brown spots, with a pattern similar to that of the well known “tiger cowry”, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, 1758. 

Cypraea pantherina is closely related to C. tigris, which is heavier and less elongate, with fewer, coarser teeth 

and marbled sides in mature specimens. C. tigris is distributed throughout the Indian and Pacific oceans, but 

does not overlap with C. pantherina. 

Variations in Cypraea pantherina, upper row: dorsal view, lower row: basal view. All specimens are in the 

collection of the author. 

Cypraea pantherina, dark 

red, rostrate form, Jeddah, 

Red Sea. 

68.4 x 38.7 mm. 

Cypraea pantherina, 

Dahlak Is, Red Sea. 

59.1 x 35.0 mm. 

2 Dr. Felix Lorenz, personal communication. 


Elat, Northern Red Sea. 

67.3 x 39.6 mm. 


pale specimen, no locality 

data. 

64.1 x 38.0 mm.


Cypraea tigris, Sabah, East 

Malaysia. 85 x 59.3mm. 

Left: dorsal view, right: basal 

view. 

Specimen in the collection of the 

author. 

Habitat, distribution and biology 

Cypraea pantherina is endemic to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. It has been found near Massawa in 3m. 

or more of clear water in areas of abundant coral. It is usually found under slabs or in crevices on hard coral 

reefs, in 0.1-1.5m. of water. It is mainly active at night, but also moves about during the day. C. pantherina 

rasnasraniensis Heiman, 2002, the northern subspecies, is restricted to the east coast of the Sinai peninsula 

and the extreme northern part of the Red Sea. 

Little seems to be known about the biology of Cypraea pantherina. Specimens in captivity have been observed 

to feed on bivalve molluscs. They may also feed on dead organic matter. 

Uses of cowries 

Cowries have been put to many uses in various parts of the world at different times. The most common of these 

are as money and as charms. 

Money 

Small species, mostly Erosaria moneta (Linnaeus, 1758) and E. annulus (Linnaeus, 1758), served as currency 

in ancient China (during the Shang (1600 – 1100 BC) and Zhou (1100 – 221 BC) Dynasties). More recently, 

they were used as money in India and in parts of Africa. They are said to have been used in some remote parts 

of Africa as late as the 20 th century. 

Charms 

In many cultures around the world cowries were believed to confer fertility, protection against evil spirits and 

good luck in general. Pliny said cowries were consecrated to Venus, and specimens have been found in 

Pompeii. Cowries were carried when hunting, and were attached to fishing nets to act not only as weights but 

also to bring good luck for fishing. 

Other uses 

Large cowry species such as Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, 1758 have in the past been eaten in a number of islands 

in the Indian and Pacific oceans, for example Hawaii (boiled) and the Philippines (dried then fried). The large 

and attractive “Golden cowry” Lyncina aurantium (Gmelin, 1791) was used as a badge of rank by chiefs in Fiji. 

In ancient Athens, cowries were used as ballot balls for voting. In Italy they were used for burnishing paper. 

Cowries are said to have been carried far and wide by Gipsies. They were shipped to Europe in large quantities 

in the 19 th century. 

Occurrence of cowries in European graves 

Cowries have been found in early graves in England, France and Germany with other personal objects buried 

with women, some pierced for suspension as pendants, some resting on the skeleton in pairs, suggesting 

attachment to garments. Several have been found in Saxon women’s graves in Kent and Somerset. In one of 

these, in Somerset, possibly 7 th century, a C. pantherina, pierced at one end, was found with a piece of chalk 

cut into the shape of a heart, a large boar tusk, a thick iron pin 2.5” long, a flint scraper and a Roman coin


beside the skeletons of a woman and a 7 month old child. Cowries were believed to ensure life and 

resurrection 3 . 

Dr. Felix Lorenz (personal communication) said C. pantherina was also found in 5 th century Merowingan graves 

in Southern Germany. Only wealthy women had them in their graves. He was of the opinion that they came 

from the Yemen area. 

Conclusion 

The base of a cowry shell found in a 12 th -14 th grave near Cambridge appears to be from a shell of Cypraea 

pantherina. Specimens of the same species have been found in other early English and European graves. It 

was probably intended as a charm rather than as an ornament. Its presence suggests that the human skeleton 

with which it was found was probably that of a woman. 

Aperture 

The opening of a shell. 

Glossary 

Columella The central axis of a coiled shell, formed by the inner wall of the whorls and 

often forming a thickened inner lip. 

Columellar teeth Teeth along the columellar (inner) lip. 

Fossula A spoon-shaped depression at the anterior end of the columellar lip of a cowry 

shell. 

Gastropod A mollusc with a single shell. The shell is usually coiled (spiral). 

Labial teeth Teeth along the outer lip. 

Nominate 

subspecies 

The subspecies that represents the species as originally named, e.g. Cypraea 

pantherina pantherina. 

Pyriform Pear-shaped. 

Rostrate With produced, beak-line extremities. 

Spire The coils of a gastropod shell. In cowries, this is very small and often not 

visible. 

Subspecies A population of individuals differing significantly from other populations of the 

same species. 

Teeth Ridges that run along both edges of the aperture of a cowry shell. 

References 

Allan, J. 1956. Cowry Shells of World Seas (Georgian House, Melbourne) 

Burgess, C. M. 1985. Cowries of the World (A. S. Barnes & Co., New York) 

Heiman, E. L. 2002. Cowries of East Sinai (Keterpress Enterprises, Jerusalem) 

Lorenz, F., 2002. New Worldwide Cowries (Conchbooks, Hackenheim, Germany) 

Lorenz, F. and Hubert, A. 2 nd ed., 2000. A Guide to Worldwide Cowries (Conchbooks, Hackenheim, Germany) 

Naerbeth, C. November, 2004. The Cowry Shell as Money, in Mollusc World Issue 6 (Conchological Society of 

Great Britain and Ireland) 

Taylor, J. and Walls, J. G. 1975. Cowries (T. F. H. Publications, New Jersey) 

Acknowledgements 

Thanks are due to John Batt for assistance with identification and with the determination of the degree of 

maturity of the shell, and for reviewing the final draft. I would also like to express my gratitude to Dr. Felix 

Lorenz for information on the longevity of C. pantherina and on its occurrence in early German graves, and to 

Archaeological Solutions for permission to reproduce this article in Pallidula. 

3 Allan, J. 1956. Cowry Shells of World Seas, page 6.


SHELLING ON SHELL ISLAND, WALES – APRIL 2005 

by David Hutchinson 

For anyone with an interest in marine shells of the UK, Shell 

Island is a place to visit. It is situated near Harlech on the 

A496 Barmouth to Harlech Road, then follow the signs at 

Llanbedr for Shell Island. 

Being an island one must check the local tides as Shell Island 

is connected to the mainland by a causeway which is flooded 

every day at high tide. One can usually drive onto the island 

around lunchtime, but times vary with the time of year, and 

leave early evening before the road becomes flooded again. 

There is a charge to enter Shell Island of around five pounds 

per car but this is very cheap for the wide variety of shells one 

can collect. 

With a listed total of around 200 species one cannot fail to find 

interesting shells for ones collection. I have concentrated on 

the main beach which is opposite the main entrance. Thousands of common shells litter the beach 

and my best results were to find a large pile of these shells and brush them away until you reach the 

sandy beach, then look in the sand and you may find the three spot cowry Trivia monacha, never in 

large amounts but quite common, all are in perfect gem condition. In the same sand one can find 

Dentalium vulgare, the tusk shell, again in good condition. 

Further along the beach I found Acteon tornatilis, 

hard to find in good condition and not common, 

always in grit at the top of the beach. Gari fervensis 

was common on the central beach (shown on the left) 

on the surface but very dirty and rarely complete but 

with a lovely pink colour. Donax vittatus is a very 

common shell all along the central beach with some 

lovely colour forms including deep yellow, many 

shells being complete. The large shell Dosinia 

exoleta can be picked up easily often in perfect 

condition; this is one of my favourite shells. Ensis 

siliqua is scattered all over the beach, in very good condition with nice purple bands. A number of 

Cardium species litter the beach never complete and none worth collecting. Cardium echinatum was 

seen only in single valves and I never found one complete specimen; the same applies to Cardium 

edule. My next find was Lutraria lutraria, a very large 

shell resting on the sand. In a rock pool (shown on the 

right) I found a very large Natica catena. These were 

much smaller on the main beach and rather worn but 

very common. 

After searching all day I found only three specimens of 

Aporrhais pes-pelecani, one in gem condition. Shell 

Island is also the home of the common Tellina fabula in 

a lovely red shade. Another interesting find on the 

main beach was Turritella communis, two large shells 

together buried in sand. Clathrus clathrus also occurs


on the main beach in large numbers but is hard to find in good condition. All in all I collected 34 

species on the central beach. 

After a break for tea I spent the rest of the day searching the rock pools and the large rocks near the 

sea. In the pools I found many Nucella lapillus, some very large, along with a number of nice micro 

shells (none of which I can identify, help required), one with black vertical lines and very pretty; also in 

the pools were Trivia monacha again in large numbers. My next find were some large Littorina 

littorea, these shells are always small where they are collected in large numbers for food. On the 

large rocks were some lovely forms of Littorina saxatilis, many with bands and some nice orange 

forms. Also on the rocks were many forms of Littorina littoralis including orange and green with 

banded forms being less common. Monodonta lineata were in hundreds on the rocks, all large and in 

good condition. 

Having spent two days on Shell Island it was time for me to return home with many shells for my 

collection. 

Useful contacts are:- Shell island information centre – tel. 01341-241453 or www.shellisland.co.uk. 

Tide charts are available at Barmouth Angling Shop or ask at Shell Island main entrance for latest 

leaving times in the evening. Opening times are March 1st until November 30 th . One can camp on 

the island and food is available in the island shop and café. Best collecting times are March and April, 

avoid summer months, then again in October and November. 

Many thanks to Carl Ruscoe for help with collecting sites on the island. The main beach is very rocky 

at the sea edge and good strong waterproof shoes are required to explore the rock pools and a hat to 

avoid sunburn. With Harlech Castle in the distance and views of Lleyn Penninsular, Shell Island is a 

wonderful place to visit either camping or staying at Barmouth just ten minutes away. 

Below is a photograph of some of the specimens collected on Shell Island. 

1. Natica catena (da Costa, 1778) 

2. Gari fervensis (Gmelin, 1791) 

3. Aporrhaispes-pelecani (L., 1758) 

4. Chlamys opercularis (L, 1758) 

5. Turritella communis Risso,1826 

6. Trivia monacha (da Costa,1778) 

7. Clathrus clathrus (L., 1758) 

8. Donax vittatus (da Costa, 1778) 

9. Cardium echinatum (L., 1758) 

10. Dosinia exoleta (L., 1758) 

11. Tellina fabula - red Gmelin, 1791 

12. Acteon tornatilis (L., 1758)


A NEW CONUS SPECIES FROM THE PHILIPPINES 

by Mike Filmer 

Late last year fellow member Alistair Moncur showed me five specimens of a large cone shell, which he had 

acquired from local Filipino collectors. My first impression was that these specimens were an unusual form of 

the very common Conus litteratus. I then spent some time studying them and came to the conclusion that they 

most likely represented a new species. I prepared a paper naming this new species after Alistair as Conus 

moncuri. The paper was published in the magazine "Of Sea and Shore" Volume 27, No. 1 in May 2005. 

In addition to the magazine the full description can also be found on the Of Sea and Shore website 

www.ofseaandshore.com and on Alistair Moncur's website www.aulica.com 

I hesitated for some time to describe a new cone of this size, so similar to C. litteratus and from the well shelled 

Philippine Islands. Also I would have preferred to have more detail about the range and habitat of this shell. 

However I found what I considered enough differences to justify naming a new species. No doubt some will not 

accept this new species status but others will and time will tell who is right. Since publication Alistair has 

obtained two more specimens from the Sulu Sea and Bohol. A very good friend of mine Jon Singleton of 

Western Australia discovered that he had a very nice specimen, which he obtained from a collection of shells 

from Papua New Guinea. At the recent Conchologists of America Show Victor Dan had, on display, a specimen 

also from the Philippines. 

It is most likely that other collections contain specimens and I suggest you take another look at your C. litteratus 

to see if you also have this species hidden among your litteratus. 

Conus moncuri – Holotype Conus moncuri – Paratype 1 

size: 98.5 x 54 mm. size 181 x 92 mm. 

Conus moncuri – Paratype 3 Conus moncuri – Paratype 5 

size: 145 x 75 mm. size: 110 x 59 mm.


Shell Club Members’ Get Together In The Summer 

This year there have again been two successful extra events for Club Members. On the weekend of 

25 th /26 th June over 40 members made their way to Rockland St Mary in Norfolk at the invitation of 

Daphne and Derek Howlett. Here they were able to talk shells, exchange shells, buy shells, sell 

shells etc, as well as admire the extensive Howlett collection. Their wide open garden is ideal for the 

marquee to house the “dealer” element of the members and their shells, whilst nearer the bungalow 

we could just sit in the sun, talk, and enjoy each other’s company. 

The highlight this year was a superb 

barbecue, the centre-piece being a 

delicious lamb which had been 

expertly spit-roasted over 6½ hours by 

our Club Secretary / Chef, Tom 

Walker. 

Many members travelled here for the 

day from Essex to Birmingham, whilst 

those who come from further afield 

have now made a habit of staying in 

local bed and breakfast 

accommodation to make the most of 

the weekend. It is also a good 

opportunity for new members to meet 

with the old hands and we were 

pleased to welcome Debra and 

Russell Walker, and Sally, Matt, Laura 

and Sam Ashdown all of whom are our newest members. 

On the 6 th August John and Goga Batt were once again the hosts at their home in Yateley, 

Hampshire. Twenty-seven members came to enjoy a “surfeit of shells”, plus the chance to see John’s 

great collection of the world’s cowries. 

Both Alistair Moncur and Mike Filmer were present and had bought along the Holotype and 

Paratype’s of the new Conus moncuri to show and discuss with fellow members. 

With good company and good 

food a super day was had by all. 

Funny how “shellers” all enjoy 

their food! 

These get-togethers give all of 

us the time to get to know one 

another, our families and our 

individual interests. 

Unfortunately there is never time 

to indulge in this at the Shell 

Shows in April and October. If 

you’ve never been to one of 

these events, why not put the 

dates for 2006 into your diary, 

and come and enjoy a different 

aspect of the Club.


Spurn Head 

by David Hutchinson 

Spurn Head is located at the mouth of the Humber estuary near Hull. Being a well known nature 

reserve it is popular with birdwatchers and walkers. Spurn Head is a long narrow strip of sand with a 

road running down the centre taking you to the lighthouse at the top of the point, where there is a 

large beach and some very large sand dunes. For the shell collector there are both land snails and 

marine shells which both occur on the main estuary beach. Strong cross winds blow the land snails 

off the dunes and leave them on the beach with the 

marine shells which I find quite unusual. The main 

feature on the estuary beach is large amounts of sea coal 

which the locals used to collect for use on their fires 

when coal was expensive and in short supply after the 

Second World War. 

Starting with the land snails, Cernuella virgata is a 

common shell on the beach, and both mature and 

juvenile specimens occur together making identification 

quite difficult. The next land snail to be found in large 

numbers was the very common Helix aspersa but in a 

very pretty white banded form. This common garden species is more often brown and quite drab but 

the shells at Spurn Head are very attractive with thick white bands over a brown background. My next 

find were some really nice Cepaea nemoralis; again I had problems with identification of a number of 

brown unbanded shells which were just extremes of a normally banded species. I also found some 

lovely yellow unbanded shells which were again the same species. 

The typical Cepaea nemoralis occurred in a range of pretty forms including pink with brown stripes. A 

local species of fly uses the dead snail shells in which they lay their eggs, I discovered this some time 

of putting the shells into sealed bags when a number of flies had emerged and were trapped in the 

bag. I find it very unusual that a fly should use dead snail shells in such a way. I suppose that there 

must have been some of the dead mollusc left in the shell and this was sufficient for the maggots to 

live on. 

My last snail find was the freshwater snail, Anisus vortex. This was again found on the beach in a 

rock pool, a strange place to find a freshwater species. I am sure that many more species occur on 

the dunes, but with limited time I spent most of the day on the estuary beach looking for marine shells. 

All of my collecting was restricted to the first two hundred yards of the estuary beach; parking my car 

just after the entrance it is very easy to walk onto the beach. Further down, the dunes become very 

high and one must drive down to the very end, park and walk back along the beach. 

My first find in a rock pool was hundreds of large Hydrobia ulvae; for a common micro these shells 

were true giants. Because there are very few rocks on the beach the shells found washed up by the 

tide are in very good condition. 

Cerastoderma edule littered the beach in their hundreds all in perfect pairs. I find this species difficult 

to collect in good condition so I gathered some really nice specimens for my collection. The next 

species found were Nucella lapillus and Macoma balthica which covered the beach in a whole range 

of colour forms including pink, white and yellow. Some really interesting shell finds were some 

unusual Littorina littorea, having a thick white band at the base of the shell. I also found many 

juveniles of Littorina saxatilis which looked just like micro shell species. 

At this point I decided to look in the grit on the beach which was mixed with fine coal grains. With 

sieve in hand and plastic bags at the ready I found the two common estuary species, Abra abra and 

Abra tenuis in large numbers. These are both pretty white shells that can be collected in most 

estuaries. My next find was the very delicate Retusa obtusa. This is a very small micro living in


estuaries, not rare but a nice find. The grit was full of Hydrobia ulvae in a range of sizes along with 

tiny juvenile specimens of Cerastoderma edule; these are really cute. 

With rain starting to come down I walked back to the car having enjoyed a nice day collecting some 

lovely shells for my collection. I am sure there are many more snail and marine species for me to 

collect at Spurn Head and I hope to return in the near future. Being a nature reserve, however, only 

dead shells should be collected. 

Spurn Head Point, low tide – Boats going into Hull 

Being an estuary one can only expect to 

collect species that live in the estuary, but all 

of the shells are in such good condition due 

to the lack of rocks that it is well worth a 

visit. 

I must thank Carl Ruscoe and Derek Howlett 

for all their help with identification of shells 

and hope other collectors will enjoy a day 

collecting at Spurn Head.

VOL.35 NO.2 OCTOBER 2OO5 - British Shell Collectors' Club

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