Dear Conch-Lers and many good friends,

I have not been online with Conch-L for all that long and Helmut has
threatened to quit many times in the past (though he never has). The only
time we were Helmut-less was during the period where he was asked to not
post. (Hint: Threats only work if you actually follow through on them). My
good friends, please let us get our lives and sense of humor together. We
can have a bit of fun, but the list is (for better or worse) called
"Conch-L", which leads me to believe messages should be shell related. For
the past day or so, all we've been doing is bickering and choosing sides.
For those that are not happy with things as they are, they are not required
to stay. I find many of the discussions regarding molluscs quite valuable.
Some contributors always seem to offer us new insights. Hey, I'd love to
tell you about my problems at work (and this pain I have in my right side .
. . ), but as I understand the rules, that is NSR, so I won't. I shall go
elsewhere for that. Meanwhile, to those who have given so much and so
freely of their time and vast knowledge, I can only say "thank you so very
much!"
P.S. If anyone actually wants to hear about my personal problems or to swap
a joke or two, please contact me directly. That's why my e-mail address
appears on the top of the postings.

Now let's move on: I'm still looking for specimens of northern Argopecten
irradians as well as the western form (from Texas), A. irradians
amplicostatas in trade for our northern Gulf species. I'd also be
interested in hearing what type of environment this shell is found in
(sand, grass, etc.). Also, just how common is Gloripallium pallium within
its range? Considering how many pass through gift shops, I guess common as
dirt. Right or wrong?

Respectfully,
Jim

Jim Miller
Tallahassee, Florida
[log in to unmask]