Hi, Vivian! Glad to have you on board.

Each of your questions is a good one. So good, in fact, that they have been
discussed at length at least twice before on Conch-L. Check out the
Archives -- You'll find them a wealth of information.

And be sure to keep those meticulous labels, and all other old labels. I
even save the ones that become separated from their shells, since they can
sometimes be reunited with a fair degree of accuracy. For example, if you
have only one Strombus in the collection and only one label saying
"Strombus", and you have good reason to think that the collection is
complete, then they may belong together. Of course, you can never be sure,
so I note the reunification down too. Of course it's nitpicky, but then
again, I deal with a research collection where accuracy is important.

Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama