----------
>
> from
> Helmut Nisters
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Dear Paul Monfils,                                Innsbruck, 31. 03. 1998
>
> thank you best for this beautiful and quite large specimen of
> Pleurotomaria westralis. The shell arrived me today in best
> condition as she was packed very well.
> During May and June there will be an exhibition in Innsbruck on the
> occasion of 175 years Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum Innsbruck titled:=
>  "collection-avidity" and we are glad  andproud to present this shell at =
> the exhibition. On this exhibition you can see
> all important objects of the museum from history, culture and
> natural science.
> Pleurotomaria is a new shell for the natural history department
> of the Tiroler  Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum.
> I want to tell something about the museums collection, It contains
> mostly land- and freshwater-shells from Europe and Mediterranean
> species and a few "exotic" species. My mother, Dr. Irmgard
> Nisters, 86 years, former lawyer, and I, 44 years. former chemist,
> we both are working on this collection as honorary collaborators
> of the zoological department of the museum in Innsbruck sinde 1972. The =
> collection is a small one (about 2500 species), but
> quite nice and well sistemated by us. In 1985 the shell collection
> has been damaged in parts by a flood desaster (when she was
> at another place). Since that time we had to revise this collection
> from beginning, had to wash all the specimens and to order in
> new plastic boxes.  We had to rebuild the collection with new
> shells from own excursions and with some donations of friends,
> private collectors and scientists. As the centre of the museums
> collections are European species I got much help from Italy
> in form of Mediterranean sea-shells and inland-molluscs.
> Since 1992 we have now a new place far away from the river.
> which caused the flood desaster, together with the other natural
> history collections of the museum, on the 3rd floor. The collections
> for the moment are not accessible fot the public, but they are
> very good for studying the nature. But anybody, who likes to
> visit the collections, is wellcomed.
> As I want to enlarge the shell collection of the museum, I am dare
> to ask new friends, scientists, privat-collectors and dealers for some =
> donation to the museum of Innsbruck. I am interested into all species, =
> what they can offer me, as well as European species
> as "exotic" species worldwide to complete the collection. If
> you have some shells for the museum again, please let me know.
> I would be thankful and glad for any species, you can offer me.
> Otherwise it is very difficult for us to obtain material, as we are
> honorary collaborators without payment for our work and I am not
> able to make a lot of exchanges, as I don't like to burd the museums
> collection. I hope you are again willing to send me some material.
> Each shell is very wellcomed, as I hope from common ones to
> rarer ones and as I told not important gem, but of sound quality.
> We will your name as promised into the annual report (year-book)
> of the Tiroler Landesmuseum the next one coming out in
> 1999..
> For today I will remain with my best regards, also by mother.
> yours Helmut
>
> always the same adress
>