Hi Lynn,
The albinistic cyp cribraria is in fact  melwardi in its various forms
going from full pattern to pure white some are even pinkish white, I have
shelled on that island some 30 years ago,  shared it with my husband and
two of my children plus 1000birds on school holiday I believe it is now
protected by marine authority. I did find cyp felina there but none
rostrate or melanistic, but did find melanistic and rostrate cyp felina in
the Keppel islands, this is a group of islands off the central Queensland
coast due east of Rockhampton and Yepoon the latter being a fishing come
tourist town, this is the area where all the melanistics are found. I think
the area given as Tryon Island may be a little suspect.A few melinistic cyp
gracilis have been found further up the coast toward Mackay.
Cheers Dawn----------
> From: Lynn Scheu <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: melanism
> Date: Wednesday, April 14, 1999 1:14 PM
>
> Hi Dawn,
>
> I was the one who mentioned the nickel mines. But what you tell us about
> the only Cowries found on Tryon Island being albinistic C. cribraria
> confuses me, since I have several Cypraea felina from that locality which
> are melanistic and slightly rostrate. And I know of some others, I think.
> I'll check tomorrow in a friend's collection. In any event, is this
another
> case of getting a misleading locality like Emilio Power was talking about
> for Cypraea eludens the other day?
>
> Also, are the albinistic Cypraea cribraria you mentioned the variety
called
> Cypraea cribraria melwardi? I've seen some completely white specimens of
> those. If I hadn't seen others collected in the same area with vestiges
of
> cribraria markings on them, I'd hardly believe they were C. cribraria.
And
> do they come from elsewhere besides Tryon Island?  Interesting. And where
> else  (or where) are the Queensland melanistics you mention from?
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Lynn Scheu
> [log in to unmask]
>
> >Hi Nora,
> >Answer to your question re nickel mines there are large smelting plants
on
> >the coast of Townsville Queensland but no record of any melanistic or
> >rostrations occuring in any shells from that area, also there are no
mines
> >or smelters in the area where the Queensland melanistics are found.The
> >cypraea found on Tryon Island are albinistic cribraria.
> >Cheers Dawn
> >
> >