Dear All,


	A very interesting topic indeed these Taxonomic changes. Best available is WORMS, it becomes better as time goes.

With our database of 600 000 shells shown, we have a major problem and it is impossible to keep updated while we have only like a day a week to work on that, between me and Sheila. 

Our own tools combine extensive databases, home made, based on Vaught, Shileyko, Bouchet & Rocroi, Bieler etc...with ingredients from Thiele, Wenz and the like.  When put all together, to give an idea: 25 % of the genera have changed name of genus or family out of a total of roughly 17500 (I don't have the exact number now, I'm not in the office). This is since 1976 - a period of a little more than a third of century.

No museum can keep the collections updated on this level, unless they get proper staff and materials. With a situation where they can neither buy the books or the shells, it's not looking better for the near future.

Worms is a little right: the Conidae are definitely not stable as yet. Much change to expect. For collectors, many keep registers by alphabet, so we made a button in the Encyclopedia where you look at the shells either by alphabet or by genus.

Emails for amelioration and pointing out mistakes we get regularly, at least one or two a week, they all are welcome and we update usually in a few days. Our members also get an update with the new taxonomy every year, so their collections have at least a pdf with the most modern - but far from perfect  - nomenclature. And this gets better as time goes.

One frustration we have is the lack of variants or forms - a feature science neglects for the moment. It is hard to talk about nature with a nomenclature without variant names for species such as for example Corculum cardissa. It's an empty name without variant names or color descriptions.

So far for tonight. The topic is quite endless and can fill an evening until the morning.

Wish all of you great conchological times, Guido.

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