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Volutes and Melon — Part 2

The island of Sanibel, a reef on the west coast of Florida, is classic ground for conchologists, so large is the number of molluscan genera and species represented. It seems to be the meeting ground of the Atlantic and Panama faunas, suggesting that far off time when no intervening land separated these now dissevered regions.

On Sanibel one may confidently look for Junonias. They are supposed to live in water off shore, but dredges are not effective tools to capture rock-loving mollusks. When the northwester comes down across the Gulf, churning the sea to its rocky depths, a Junonia may be unexpectedly flung ashore, and buried in sand. The morning after such a storm the Floridians and the conchological aliens in their midst go forth to gather the spoils of the gale. The sophisticated native digs in the sand drift on a shore line which has faced the storm, and he is oftenest and best rewarded. The ordinary beach-combing methods may recover a dull, worn Junonia, but a bright, fresh one is rarely to be found in the debris on the sand.

Have you "confidently looked for Junonias" on the beach at Sanibel? Discouraged friend, so did I, and neither did I. But a friend gave me a fair specimen that a friend of hers had found on the beach at Marco, farther south. Cheer up! Sanibel is too popular; too faithfully are her beaches scanned. Try new places facing the Gulf between Key West and Tampa. Your disappointment if you fail will be lessened by the large collection of other species you are sure to make.

There is a volute whose position seems to be intermediate between Voluta and Cymbium. This is the large V. mamilla, Gray, whose rounded whorls culminate in a knob-like apex, the nucleus bent to a lateral position and quite hidden from sight. In its juvenile stages this apical whorl is disproportionately large, a huge bulb, which led early conchologists to consider the young shell a monstrosity.

The thin outer lip of this shell flares, the body whorl is deeply concave, and the columella is drawn away, forming a deep aperture. The lining is orange, the columellar folds and the lip margin have the brighest colour. Length, 6 to 10 inches.

Habitat.--Australia.

Genus LYRIA, Gray

The beautiful L. Delessertiana, Petit, represents a small genus half way between the mitres and the volutes. The shell is ovately spindle-shaped, with elegantly tapering spire. The solid whorls are deeply cut with longitudinal grooves. The aperture is narrowly ovate; the columella has numerous cross folds, the lowest two much larger than the rest. This shell looks like a handsome piece of carved ivory. Colour, orange, banded with white. Length, 1 to 2 inches.

Habitat.--Madagascar.