Ross Mayhew wrote:
 
>    I do not know how rare it is, but sometimes a portion or even the
entirity of a specimen is covered by a thick, heavy "callus", resulting in
interesting shapes and extremely  heavy specimens.  I have one, for
example, which weighs about 200g (nearly half a pound!), yet is only 82mm
long ( a normal specimen this size would weigh only 75g!).
>
 
Ross, and others,
 
My old friend John, the art editor and designer of many "Escher-esque"
covers for American Conchologist, loves large, odd or freak shells. He used
to absolutely lust after something he was having a lot of trouble
obtaining, a shell popularly called a "Potato Cowry" from off East Africa
(and his love may languish unrequited still!).  I never knew what he was
talking about, but he said it was a Tiger Cowry that was extremely heavy
and lumpy like a (you guessed it!)  potato. Could this be the same thing?
Has anyone else ever heard of a Potato Cowry?
 
Lynn Scheu
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Louisville, KY
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