Helmut,
alcohol fixation is not optimal path for Clausiliids and other small shells
which has plates and teeth into the aperture, becouse usually this is a very
important for determination. In case with alcohol, dry body stored in shell
and closed some plates and teeth. I would recommend solution of KOH or NaOH;
but in this case periostracum will destroyed; also, one may kill molluscs in
cold water, without  access of air (about 12 hour) and story dead mollusc in
this water up to begin decay procession (about three days for small shells).
After you can extract body under jet of water or any other method.
Regards, Roma
 
At 07:02 PM 5/8/98 PDT, you wrote:
>from Helmut Nisters
>Innsbruck-Austria
>e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
>Larger and quite solid land-snails you can put for a moment in
>really hot and boiling water (less than a minute), than you can
>pick out the animal with a needle and then you can clean the
>interiot of the shell with jetn of water. Then let it dry.
>For smaller species as Vertiginidae and so on you can
>put them first in alcolhol (at about 70%) for two days and then
>let them dry.
>Clausiliidae. For Clausiliidae you have to wait until they have
>retired in their shell. Then the same procedding as with small
>shells. Put them in alcohol for two days and later let them drying.
>
>Bye bye yours Helmut
>
>----------
>> In a message dated 98-05-08 08:13:54 EDT, you write:
>>