Hello Doug -
Since I'm very interested in Melo shells I'm curious - what is the
species? (is it "aethiopica"?).  Do you have a picture of the melon
available?  I might be able to help verify whether the info is correct.
I've been collecting them for some time and have come across some
interesting variations as well as some from localities they shouldn't be
from.  The "Shells of the Philippines" book I do like in general, but
not for melons - there are some inaccuracies and misidentifications, so
I wouldn't rely on that to determine whether yours is Philippines.
If it does turn out that the data are inaccurate, maybe you could
contact the seller and politely mention your concerns.  Most sellers I
dealt with back when I used to do Ebay were happy to make good, whether
it was buying the specimen back, giving a refund, or a replacement
specimen (if one broke).  It might turn out that the seller obtained the
specimen with an erroneous label and didn't know (some of the specimens
I purchase especially from older collections have this problem) - so it
may have been innocent.  Sometimes mistakes are made.  For melons,
though, I have come across (but did not buy) specimens of M. amphora for
sale with labels that said Thailand (not in its range), and apparently
that was a result of people from that country doing the collecting.  Of
course, if it turns out to be a deliberate misrepresentation (which
personally I'd consider only as a last resort) you could always leave
negative feedback on Ebay and/or warn other collectors, or you could let
it go (it's a learning experience) and if you don't want it you could
donate the specimen to a club for auction or to a new collector to help
get their collection started.
- Rick Batt
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