message as well titles corrected
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jan" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2001 9:25 AM
Subject: Really good books on Bivalvia??


> Hi folks,
>
> I've visited the Philippines just recently (during Christmas holidays),
> and have found a lot of shells (of course). Coming home, I thought I'd
> be able to identify just about everything I had in my bag, with the book
> "Shells of the Philippines". I had no problems with Gastropoda, but to
> my surprise, this book is very poor in its overview of Bivalves, and
> that is a remark I have to repeat for almost every shell-book I know of
> (and I know a lot of shell books as a marine librarian, believe me!).
> The only families that are treated with reasonable respect  are
> Pectinidae, Spondylidae, and to a lesser degree Veneridae, and the only
> title which is sufficiently complete in it's overview is Bivalve of
> Australia (the 2 volumes together), by Lamprell & Whitehead.
>
> Now I'd like to know if this is a real problem to collectors or that I'm
> missing some publications that I'm not aware of? I do know I can find
> sufficient information in scientific literature, but these sources are
> of no use to amateur collectors, interested in the odd bivalve shell
> they are likely to find on any tropical beach around the world. Any
> comments?
>
> Best greetings,
>
> Jan
>
>
> Jan Haspeslagh
> bibliothecaris/librarian VLIZ
>
> email : [log in to unmask]
>
> VLIZ
> Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee vzw
> Flanders Marine Institute
> Victorialaan 3 - B-8400 Oostende, Belgium
> Tel. +32-(0)59-34 21 30
> Fax +32-(0)59-34 21 31
> http :www.vliz.be
>