Dear Brad,
  Pectens are all members of the Scallop family of shells. They are highly
edible and fished extensively throughout the world for food. Some of them are
shaped like the shell oil company sign, some are like those seen at Bonnet
House.
  If you come to the Broward Shell Club meetings, you will find out more about
these beautiful shells and other shell families as well.
  Andrew Dickson will be giving the program at Broward Shell Club on  May 13
on the Scaphella family of Volutes and diving St. Vincent.
  For all you others out there, join your local shell club if you are lucky
enough to have one nearby. You will see and learn a lot from other members and
from the programs that the program chairperson works so hard to obtain.
  Anyone lucky enough to be in the Ft. Lauderdale area between now and May 25,
I encourage you to visit the main library on the corner of Broward Blvd and
Andrews Ave.
 Wayne Harland has an exhibit of rare and old shell books along with some
selected shells to compliment the plates in the books. The library and Wayne
have done a very tasteful and  impressive exhibit and it is well worth seeing.
             Carole M