yew YORK SHELL CLUB NOTES No. 259 February 1980 Page 5 
WARNING: 
Plastic sponge may be hazardous to your specimens! health! 
I assume many collectors have used sma 
containers to store smaller specimen Babe toa pee ee 
acquired thousands of these, mostly with plastic sponge inserts 
which fit the interior. My usual procedure has been to place first 
a folded label, then the insert, and finally the specimen(s), which 
is held firmly in place between the plastic and the lid. E 
Some months ago, I discovered a most disturbing problem. 
time, the plastic sponge, if under compression, Roope its eerie 
ity and deteriorates, and often a thin film of granular material 
adheres loosely to the underside of the shell. This is quite easily 
rubbed or brushed off, and in many cases does no visible damage. 
However, it minutely etches the surface. In the case of a glossy 
small Cypraea, Olivella, Marginella or the like, the result is di- 
sastrous! Most of the gloss is gone, never to return. 
I know little of the chemistry involved, but there is, presumably, 
some acidic component in the disintegrating plastic. Needless to 
say, most of my plastic sponge inserts have been discarded, and 
something less reactive, such as cotton wool, substituted. It oc- 
curred to me that others might have followed a similar procedure. 
Hence this warning. 
Springfield Science Museum 
CYPRAEA TERAMACHII Kuroda, 1938 FOUND IN PHILIPPINES 
Robert H. Janowsky 
It is always exciting when a specimen of a very rare species is 
found in a new locality. I am therefore very pleased to report 
that I can now confirm that this very rare Cypraea (please see my 
article in NYSC NOTES No. 246, November 19789 has been found in the 
Philippines. I have, in the last two years, had two reports that 
this species had been found off Punta Engano in Cebu, but neither 
of these reports were firsthand and were impossible to trace. 
The mature specimen that I am reporting on now is in the collection 
of New York Shell Club member Mr. Esmond B. Martin. It was col- 
lected alive in deep water (most probably 60-80 fathoms) in a tan- 
gle net off Samal Island, Davao, Philippines. This shell is some- 
what smaller than the specimen previously illustrated (see p. 7 of 
NOTES No. 246). Its length is 62.5mm as compared to the 68mm 
length of the specimen from Taiwan and its other dimensions are 
proportionately smaller, too. This Philippine Se Sas orp ah ee 
much brighter in color and has a lighter, thinner feel" to ; as 
well; it is far more attractive than any I have seen sic a Soa a 
an almost translucent appearance rather than the somewhat du an 
Subdued quality usually found in this species. 
nl 
These NOTES are indexed No? 1-250. For back issues, see Bob Janowsky. 
