The only think that got us was a species of black urchin.
Sharp and thin spines.  I had a large 'plater' of old reef
to turn over and in the process it slipped - I reached and was
stabbed (I did it not the urchin) and my right hand was
paralyzed for days afterwards.  Picking the barb like chunks
out of me wasn't fun either.

We never tangled with cones - had textiles and Geography and more.
Maybe they were better fed or we just were cautious enough.

Martin

Ellen Bulger wrote:
> Yeah, my plastic jar was on a cord, and I held it AWAY from my body.
>
> You can find pretty nifty lightweight hinged-lid food storage jars at
> various kitchen-supply stores. I have at 'em with a hot nail to make
> small holes for water and air so they neither float, nor implode and
> so that they rapidly become much lighter when you bring them to the
> surface. It's a pretty nifty set up for all kinds of things, and you
> can even keep very nice delicate things like sea urchin tests intact.
>
> On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 10:15 PM, Sid Sneidar
> <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
>
>     Martin "picvk up by the big end" is a basesd on a false premise;
>     that the
>     'stinger' cannot reach that far back. While in Guam years ago, my
>     shelling
>     buddy and I brought back a C.textile to his house and drpped it in
>     a shallow
>     saucer of sea water. As it roamed around my buddy put the lighted
>     end of a
>     cigarette 1" away from it's big end. Its's proboscis immediately
>     came out,
>     seeked the source of the heat and reached the end of the
>     cigarette. We heard
>     the  hiss as it 'stung' the cigarette. After that we wore heavy
>     gloves while
>     picking up the cones.
>
>     I keep shells in a large screw top jar attached to my wrist with
>     nylon cord.
>
>     Regards, Sid Sneidar
>
>
>     ----- Original Message -----
>     From: "Martin H. Eastburn" <[log in to unmask]
>     <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
>     To: <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
>     Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 7:34 AM
>     Subject: Re: [CONCH-L] Cone Shells
>
>
>
>         1. pick up a cone only by the 'big end'.  easy term to
>         understand by
>         Elementary grade siblings.
>         2. if selected - put it carefully into a bag, and then into an
>         outer
>         pouch, not one against the body.
>
>
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--
Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
TSRA, Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.
http://lufkinced.com/

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