Dear Marlo,

For me microshells are shells until up to 6 - 8 mm, but both seashells
and inlandshells. So there are families like Scissurellidae, Rissoidae,
Pyramidellidae, Turridae eg. for the seashells and Carychiidae, Vertiginidae, Punctidae, eg. for inlandshells.
Hope this helps
with best microshelling greetings.
Helmut from Innsbruck

Helmut Nisters
Franz-Fischer-Str. 46
A-6020 Innsbruck / Austria / Europe
phone and fax: 0043 / 512 / 57 32 14
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
url: www.netwing.at/nisters/

or

Natural History Department of the
Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum Innsbruck
malacological collection
Feldstr. 11a
A-6020 Innsbruck / Austria / Europe
phone: 0043 / 512 / 58 72 86-37

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Several recent communiqués included senders identifying themselves as collectors of microshells.  On
March 15, 1998, I asked the Conch-Lers:

1.  How big is a "Microshell?"
2.  Is the definition of a microshell limited to the size of mature shells?

Since we have several new members, I 'd like to ask the question again.  If I interpreted their
comments correctly, Art and Ross defined microshells not in terms of "absolute size," rather as
those shells with such fine detail as to require magnification to identify.  So, "a 4mm specimen
which is easily examined without aids" is "simply a small shell," and not a microshell.  I
personally would prefer a more objective convention, such as an absolute size.  No consensus was
reached last time.

Seems it might be nice to have a common understanding as to what is meant when one of us says
"micros are for me."

--
Marlo
Merritt Island, Florida
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