Shells are colourful keepsakes

Press, 24 April 1979, Page 24

Shells are colourful keepsakes

If you are a shell collector, or want a colourful decoration for your mantlepiece, then pay a visit to the Suva market. A good range of different species of Cowry shells are available there. For instance, the money cowry, pearl and yellow, and up to 38mm in length; the hump-back cowry, broad and heavy, with a choco-late-brown base and lighter brown top with roundish, pale markings, and the egg cowry, the largest of the pure white cowries, although only 40mm in length. But it was --discovering the rare goiden cowry, one of the most handsome of all shells, a perfect example of size, .symmetry, polish, and colouring, that I con sidered the highlight of my visit to Fiji. The back of the shell and its “teeth" are a bright orange (sometimes pale). In strong contrast, the sides are pure white. If you want something with which to revive memories of a Fijian holiday, the popular Tiger cowries are also plentiful and are frequently seen on display in homes around the world. —W. BRUCE HOOPER. 60 Flesher Ave, Christchurch.