An image of a couple of Timmerman's Busycon can be seen at
http://www.jaxshells.org/bncar.htm  The two pictured, and
all of the other specimens I've examined, are extremely heavy even
for a Whelk.

An image of Busycon laestomum can be found at
http://www.jaxshells.org/laeostom.htm

with more details at
http://www.jaxshells.org/blaeosto.htm

All of the specimens of B. laeostomum that I've seen were
obtained from fisherman by Sue Hobbs.

Bill F.
www.jaxshells.org

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Kirsh" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, July 13, 2002 10:51 PM
Subject: Re: sinister but righteous?


> Thanks, gentlemen, for your even-handed approach to this problem.
>
> Speaking of Shackelford, it just so happens that that is where I picked up
a
> live, sinistral Busycon yesterday. I scanned it, just out of my freezer.
No,
> I'm afraid it's not a living fossil; doesn't have the character of John
> Timmerman's Shackelford beasts. This is typical sinistrum.
>
> The thing I noticed was its yellow aperture with contrasting violet
stripe,
> unlike Phil's description of a generally white aperture.
>
> I'll send a jpeg of the scans to Bill and Phil and to anyone who would
like
> to see.
>
> (What's B. laeostomum look like? You surprised me once again--with a new
> Atlantic whelk species in my old neighborhood, Harry.)
>
> David