Dear Lynn and Conch-ler:
I'm sorry for the Vita Marina, but I'm an American Conchologist's
new reader, when I browse through the Vol. 28, I find it's a good
publication. I agree your "One can't cuddle up for a good read
with a computer screen. Nor can one take it to the breakfast table with
a good cup." Also I thinking a Publication the material is more important
for it's long life, and the interesting illustration will be attract the subscriber
always like to see it, or want to hold it, so it can still and in the strong live.
I like doing something for the American Conchologist, if I can. I was got
some images with my Digital camera, they are maybe ordinary, are for I
build a webpage, but before put them on, I like to ask if you interest some
for the publication? One I more interest, a specimen find it at just passed
the Christmas day. A "Dragon shell" (not Worm shell!) I say so because
it's so big, I have no see or hear before (or maybe I need more experience)
anyway it's not so often can see it. At the location it was about 280mm in
length, 12mm and 3.7mm in diameter at two ends, shell pure white, thin,
hard and very fragile. It was stick on a piece long wood under side, that
wood hard like ston, it's float on shallow water at a small and quiet cove,
after turnover the wood then I saw it, the body about 11", the head deep
down into the wood's center. I had do my best job try to taking it out but
it still break, only obtain two  big pieces one is tail 110mm; other one is part
of body 135mm and some  small pieces. The end of the tail is open and a
small notch at front,  much  thick and strong more than body shell. The
soft part was full length with the shell. I'd took some live images but only
select three, two before work:side with  a hammer, and one is after shell
break show inside soft part, and of course some home works.
So, if you interest please let me know, and I need somebody  tell me
what's this species name. Any advice are grateful.

Best wishes, and good luck for all in the new year!

Deng Y. Zhang
P. O. Box 3092
St. John's Antigua
West Indiea



----- Original Message -----
From: Lynn Scheu <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2000 7:42 AM
Subject: Re: Vita Marina


> Dear Gijs and Conch-L all,
>
> Pardon the length of this. I have a lot to cover.
>
> It must be repeated that the Vita Marina publication is going to be a
> serious loss to shell collectors everywhere.  Gijs, don't think we are
> not desolate! It's only that this comes at a very busy time...lots of us
> are away, distracted, or otherwise "not all here." I just now noticed,
> catching up on things, and am so very saddened! I hope, as do all of us
> familiar with this fine publication, that something can be done to save
> it. But I also, like Gijs, don't see how it can live on without the
> support and the input of many more interested shellers. Some of the
> realities associated with paper publishing need to be better understood
> by subscribers.
>
> As longtime editor of American Conchologist, I can tell you quickly that
> the financial realities are pretty staggering! I do not know how Vita
> Marina has made a go of it so far!  Without the membership dues of COA
> members worldwide, our publishing venture would not work. Our total
> publishing costs are nearly $7000 per issue and then one must add about
> $1500 in mailing fees and associated costs. Multiply that sum by 4
> issues and divide by the number of members COA has (somewhere around
> 1300) and you can see that membership dues don't cover the costs. Even
> the advertising doesn't quite bring the income up to the expenses. But
> COA has the luxury of being a membership organization that offers other
> incentives, and also, we are tax exempt as of 1999.
>
> This sum does not include the contributions of time and money from our
> dedicated volunteers. Contributors bear the cost of their own photos and
> slides, postage, etc. Ross Gundersen and Jim Miller have contributed
> immense amounts of their time and talent. Assistant editor Charlotte
> Lloyd gives unfailingly generously of her time. Kevan Sunderland has for
> many years contributed the centerfold photos and associated costs. The
> Coltros continue to contribute interesting columns and lovely photos of
> shells and collecting localities in South America. Paul Monfils, Tom
> Eichhorst, Kurt Auffenberg and others contribute regular columns and
> more. And who can forget Gary Rosenberg and his fine Conchatenations
> column? Or "Henry A. Martens" and his superb landshell collecting
> expeditions? Or the work Rich Goldberg did for many years?  And then
> there are Bret Raines and "Tall One" Betty Jean Piech who raised money
> at auction for a scanner for our use. And Lori Schroeder (preceded by
> Bobbie Houchin, Howard Roux, Glen Deuel and Walter Sage in their time)
> does a quality job managing advertising. Our Editorial Board (Harry Lee,
> Jose Leal, Emilio Garcia, Emily Vokes, Tom Watters, Don Dan, Gary
> Rosenberg and Don Shasky) are always there for us. And, lastly, the
> editor works long hours at the expense of sleep and family relations.
> These names are just the tip of the iceberg on which our publication
> floats! Many names should be mentioned here! This is a great time to say
> thanks, here at the end of the year and the Millennium. Thanks to all.
> But that's not my (primary) purpose at this time.
>
> My intent in the above listing is to say that without massive support it
> wouldn't go.  And that is my true purpose here. Vita Marina is also
> amply and very capably staffed. But paper publication of periodicals for
> shell collectors is increasingly difficult to fund. Even with all the
> desktop publishing aids, and the computer preparation of photos, the
> printing companies keep escalating their costs (to keep their earnings
> up, I sometimes think). In spite of the increasing interest in shell
> collecting because of increasing ease of travel, wider publicity of the
> hobby online and increasing disposable income, obtaining quality
> material for publication is difficult.
>
> Also, web publishing is undoubtedly hurting the paper publishing effort
> as much as it is helping. Note that the first thought Helmut expressed
> after his regrets at the loss of Vita Marina was his concern that the
> website continue. We tend to think of the web as our everything when it
> comes to shell collecting resources, references and enrichment. But what
> happens when the list goes down or our computers fail us? Crashes and
> data losses are common disasters. Are we willing to give up the paper?
> Most of us will undoubtedly cry "No Way!!!" Note the continued influx of
> new shell books. And they sell. Ask Guido, Patty, Maria and the
> Janowskys. One can't cuddle up for a good read with a computer screen
> and a keyboard. Nor can one take it to the breakfast table with a good
> cup of coffee and a roll. Coffee tends to get real cold while one stares
> into the big square eye, and rolls turn to rock.
>
>  I'd guess that if we saw the periodical publications issue by issue,
> we'd buy them all in a flash! Yet they don't come that way. We have to
> subscribe, put all our money out front. So we squawk about costs and
> don't do it. Yet, really, the cost of a good publication is less than a
> lot of shells we buy every month.  But folks, it is as simple as this!
> If we don't support the publications we love, we won't have them. Among
> others: gone is Hawaiian Shell News; there used to be a great New
> Caledonian pub called Rossiniana;  Tom Rice and his Of Sea and Shore
> have struggled in the past; Steve Long and his Opisthobranch Newsletter
> died for lack of financial support. What else? Apex/Arion has recently
> scaled back. And several worthy club publications would never dare go
> larger.
>
> Yes, what Gijs says is true...Americans are not as aware of the
> excellence of Vita Marina as they could be. And this is undoubtedly part
> of the problem. I have tried in the past to make readers of American
> Conchologist aware of this fine publication, but have not kept up with
> this PR job as well as I could wish.
>
> So permit me, in a second post to the list, to run through some of the
> beautifully illustrated and excellently written articles it has featured
> in the past few years! Just so you'll know what you are going to miss.
>
> A suggestion for someone out there: Conch-L is a super medium for
> reviews of the malacological and conchological journals. It would do the
> publications good and it would do us a world of good. Anyone willing to
> take the job on?
>
> Another suggestion: if you don't subscribe to Vita Marina/Spirula, give
> some really quick thought to doing so and put your money where your
> heart is! Write Jean Paul and Gijs. Show support.
>
> Lynn Scheu
> Editor, American Conchologist since 1987
> Conchologists of America
> Louisville, KY