CHAPTER L: THE PHEASANT SHELLS 



Family Phasianellid^ 

 Genus PHASIANELLA, Lam. 



Shell spiral, with tapering apex and inflated body whorl, 

 polished, ornamented with bright colours in elaborate pattern, 

 not pearly within; operculum thick, convex and white without; 

 head with long tentacles and notched veil between them; foot 

 long, narrow, grooved in the centre. 



Nobody will be surprised to read that the home of this 

 genus is in the Philippines and Australia. No pheasant's plumage 

 exhibits more variety of colours, more intricacy of pattern than 

 the polished surfaces of these shells. Even the northern species, 

 though very small, exhibit wonderful beauty of decoration. The 

 dark rich colours almost cover the pale ground colour, but leave 

 enough showing for effective contrast. 



These mollusks are distinguished by a peculiarity of gait 

 shared with certain top shells. They move one side of the foot 

 at a time in gliding, one side remaining stationary with each 

 "step." To most people "a snail's pace" is a metaphor, meaning 

 a rate rather than a method of progress. The pheasant's gait is a 

 pace, quite within the technical definition of the most exacting 

 turfman. Without seeing it, we may imagine it a peculiar 

 system of tacking from left to right, alternately, for the creature 

 has but one foot, and the contractions must wag the head, if not 

 the whole body, from side to side. 



The Australian Pheasant Shell (P. Ausiralis, Gmel.) 

 is the largest of its family, 2 to 4 inches long and i to 2 inches 

 in greatest diameter. Great variety of colouring exists within 

 the species. Under the rich, dark bands and within the oval 

 aperture shows the white china-like under-stratum. 



European and North American pheasants are seen with great- 

 est satisfaction under a microscope. P. pulla, Linn., less than 

 ^ inch long, occurs from England to the Azores and on Mediter- 



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