Thanks to all those who replied regarding the curious story of the
emperor's favorite species of shell-bearing mollusc..... i think Fabio
has the answer, although curiously enough i can find no reference to
this practice on the internet!!  Hirihoto apparently wasn't the first
amateur malacologist in the royal line, but was merely expanding upon an
long tradition of  shell-loving emperors!!

Re "shell-spam", i should think that if you asked the vast majority of
reputable shell dealers to remove your email from their mailing lists,
this request would be  promptly honored: who wants to become known as
the Shell-Spammer?? (or the Junk Mail Dealer :-=])

 From a NOT so frosty Friday in the wilderness of New Scotland,
ross mayhew.


Subject:
Re: Japanese emperor's shell??
From:
Wiggers <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 1 Jun 2007 10:47:58 -0300


Ross,

I have also heard of such a story. I is said that Pleurotomaria hirasei
was the emperor shell, and up to the XV century no one but the emperor
could posses one.
Don't know if the tale is true.

Regards
Fabio W.

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