THREE RARE SHELLS FROM 
CRAY-POTS 
By W. G. BUICK 
It is worth recording that Mr. J. J. Turn- 
hull has recently obtained two specimens of 
one of our rarest shells. Altivasum j Under si , 
from Mr. Hitter, who collected them from cray- 
pots submerged out from Corny Point. Only 10 
specimens have been recorded previously. 
(See South Australian Naturalist, 24-1. 13 
(Sept.. 1946)), and as one of the present 
specimens is larger than any of these its 
dimensions are given here: Length. 145 mm.: 
width, 88 mm. It is a perfect specimen and. 
while not taken alive, it had obviously not 
been dead long. In colour it is a rich apri- 
cot shade with subsidiary green which ap- 
pears to he a natural colour of the shell and 
not due to superficial algal growth. A thickly 
crenulated golden periostraeum, or skin, is 
present in places on the exterior. 
The other specimen, from the same locality, 
is one of our volutes, Cottonia dannevigi. 
Very few specimens are known. This one is 
typical, having a uniformly deep orange 
colour except for a single pale narrow spiral 
band. This volute differs from the other 
South Australian members of the family by 
its very large globular protoconch, or em- 
bryonic shell. As far as is known all speci- 
mens of this shell in collections have no pro- 
toconch. It has been suggested that this is 
deciduous. This new specimen also has the 
protoconch missing but. although the upper- 
most whorl has been sealed with shelly 
material by the animal, it appears that the 
protoconch has been destroyed by accident 
rather than by any process in the life cycle 
of the animal. Enough of it remains to in- 
dicate the size and shape and that the 
nucleus is lateral. 
BOOK REVIEW 
Collecting Butterflies and Moths 
By IAN HARMAN 
Our copy is from the publishers, Williams 
and Norgate. Price, 7/6. It has been placed 
in the Section’s library. 
This is an admirable book for young 
British collectors and it is not without value 
for Australians — especially beginners. 
From an English point of view the illus- 
trations and calendar are very helpful, but as 
the species and seasons are different here, a 
local collector will not profit much from 
them. The technical information about the 
life-cycles of the Lepidoptera is easily ab- 
sorbed and makes interesting reading for any 
naturalist. The large sections of the book 
devoted to collecting, breeding and preparing 
specimens not only of moths and butterflies, 
but also their eggs, larvae and pupae, are of 
special interest. The attention paid to the 
living animal, as distinct from the museum 
specimen, is praiseworthy. 
W. G. BUICK. 
Page Thirty-six 
