I measure all of my shells to .00 of a mm with a digital caliper, and write
this info on the data slip.
Even in large lots of a single species I have not found any shells to be
exactly the same size.

Cheers

Rick

At 10:15 AM 5/8/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>All I'll say about not numbering loose shells ......don't drop the specimen
>tray!  Or move it (or the cabinet) too vigorously as shells can develop a
>nasty habit of jumping from one container to another.....
>
>One alternative is to place each lot (one species from one locality
>collected at the same time) in a plastic vial or bag which is numbered...
>
>Kurtles
>
>Mr. Kurt Auffenberg
>Senior Biological Scientist
>Exhibits & Public Programs
>University of Florida
>Hull Road & SW 34th Street
>Powell Hall, P.O. Box 112710
>Gainesville, Florida 32611-2710
>
>Telephone: 352-846-2000, ext. 253
>Fax:  352-846-0253