Harry G. Lee wrote:
"On 9/30/99 you posted a missive from Prof. Verhecken on ConchL.  In it he
cited a work by an "Austrian scholar" in four volumes "Ein Beitrag zur
Purpurkunde" Mayer and Muller, Berlin (1898, 1906, 1908, and 1911).  I am
unable to find the author's name (and thus a complete citation of this
"rare work") in any of Verhecken's sentinel works.  How can we fill in this
niche?  Is this another phantom like the trivalve?"

With pleasure, Harry, I quote a later message by André Verhecken, in which
he gave this very information.

Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama

+++++++++++++++
Dear Dr Rindsberg,

only now I remarked that, in my mail to you, I forgot the name of the
author of "Ein Beitrag zur Purpurkunde" : it is Alexander Dedekind.  He was
rather obsessed by the subject: in his mind, the study of purple in its
complete context (also archeology, history, philology, ethnography, etc.)
was to become one of the main scientific disciplines !
In spite of his extreme viewpoint, his work is very valuable since he
reproduced in extenso many old texts that are very hard to find elsewhere.
Unfortunately, I have only volume 4 of his series in my library.

Sincerley,

André Verhecken