Swollen Pheasant Shell or Painted Lady

Phasianella ventricosa (cf. www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/species-bank/sbank-treatme... )

This attractive shell with its great diversity of colour patterns (this specimen looks like painted porcelain) has fascinated European artists and scientists from the very European exploration of Australia. An early watercolour of a specimen was done by Thomas Watling during the First Fleet time (between 1792 and 1797). It is kept in the collections of the Natural History Museum, London:
www.nhm.ac.uk/jdsml/nature-online/first-fleet/nathist.dsm...

Explore, highest position: 334 on Tuesday, January 29, 2008