Dear Don,
you are extremely kind!
I have scanned these shells very quickly (with the help of a post-it!) only
to allow Lorenz to look at them! Now that you have said so, I have taken
other pictures in a proper way and in this real moment Roberta is publishing
them on the site

( http://QueenGuinevere.spedia.net , under "shells", then "shellersservice")

and I think you can see them also tonight (italian time: while I'm writing
it's midnight).

I also like punctata: it'a a wonderful shell (which shell is not?)  and I've
been lucky to find one with a really unusual pattern (the last one on the
picture): big spots, etc...

Your hints about punctata are very interesting and tomorrow I'll properly
answer to you (sorry: too late now! ;-).
Ciao
Sandro


> Hello Sandro,
>
> I enjoyed looking at the photos of shells you found
> in Madagascar!  They are very nice.  I especially
> found the photos of C. punctata interesting.  I also
> find different forms of punctata in American Samoa,
> a few like the shorter shell with dark spots, but
> mostly the elongated ones with small spots and red
> teeth.  A third form is very small, inflated, and
> rostrated, and only has a few very small, light brown
> spots.  Since they occur in the same area, they can't
> really be different subspecies.  Do you think they
> are only different forms of the single species?
>
> Cheers,
>
>
>
> Don