To all members of Conch-L, and especially those who attended the party in
Louisville :

- I apologise to all whose evening was crocked by my ranting. As those
present could plainly see, I am not to be allowed out after dark.
Seriously, it was bad manners to attend and disrupt the proceedings like
that, and despite the odd subsequent furtive word of encouragement from
some attendees who shall remain nameless, I suspect the majority were
dismayed. I'm sorry.
- Conch-L is a thing of true splendour, and its creators are to be
congratulated. It's a dangerous forum for the likes of me, however (people
who feel they have to stick their oar in and stir up the sediment), and
it's probably as well there aren't more of them. A forum full of Callomons
would be like a drum can full of weasels on speed over a fire. Thus it is
that I tip my hat, bow and exit again. Feel free to sigh with relief,
mutter good riddance and so on.
- The world of shell collecting is a broad tent indeed, and there's room
for everyone. That this particular corner of the tent was not a good place
for me to pop up in no way casts any aspersions on any of its inhabitants.
I remain contactable by anyone who needs information on the Japanese fauna
and literature, our best-selling soon-to-be-a-movie Catalogue and
Bibliography or anything else with which a semi-literate taxonomist can
help; or indeed by anyone who just likes a good old-fashioned barney and
doesn't mind getting an earful.

Paul Callomon