Paul,

Here's what I wrote in the Conchologists of America Bulletin, March
1981, No. 23, pg.10-11  ...

"...Winner of the COA Grand Trophy at the 17th Annual Broward Shell
Show was Neil Hepler with his exhibit entitled "Janthina - The Violet
Snails and Its Pelagic Associates."  Neil entered his exhibit in the
Educational category where it also won a Blue Ribbon.

The exhibit consists of five cases with a display length of 14
feet.  Emphasis in the display is on the Oviviporus and Viviporus
recognized species of the genus, and includes information on the
history, distribution, propagation, eggs, egg capsules, color, food,
feeding, predators, survival, bubble float, and pelagic associates.

Neil's exhibit also won Blue Ribbons in the Educational Categories at
the Greater Miami, Palm Beach and Sanibel Shell Shows this year ,
along with other special honors.  He is also a past recipient of a
COA Grand Trophy in 1979 for his highly praised exhibit, "The
Chambered Nautilus," which now resides at the Delaware Museum of
Natural History.  ..."

The article goes on to quote Neil about how he got started collecting
shells.  A photo of Neil standing by the exhibit at Broward by
William McGee also appears with the article.

Being that the exhibit won numerous awards in 1981, one might have to
assume it was the year he inaugurated the exhibit.  Let me know if
you need a scan of the article.

Rich
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
www.worldwideconchology.com
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At 02:33 PM 9/25/2009, you wrote:
>Folks,
>
>Two headscratchers for the Conch-L Geezers on the Bench:
>
>1) I have been sorting out some Nautilus specimens and find that
>many of them bear a pair of puncture marks, one on each side of the
>body chamber. These are about 1 or 2 mm across, and often slightly
>square or diamond-shaped. They go right through the shell, though
>there is no cracking or spalling, suggesting that the critter was in
>there and providing some support at the time. Some specimens show
>signs of having healed previous such holes. "Fish bites" I thought;
>perhaps something with a small number of opposed teeth like a
>Napoleon Wrasse? Someone suggested they might be marks from traps of
>some kind, though, so I thought I'd see if anyone can enlighten
>me/us, preferably with reference to literature.
>
>2) We are spiffing up Neil Hepler's great Janthina exhibit for this
>year's Philadelphia Shell Show. Does anyone remember seeing it the
>first time round, probably in the 1970s? If so, could you tell me
>when, and (for ten more points) where?
>
>PC.
>
>
>Paul Callomon
>Collections Manager
>Malacology, Invertebrate Paleontology and General Invertebrates
>Department of Malacology
>Academy of Natural Sciences
>1900 Parkway, Philadelphia PA 19103-1195, USA
>Tel 215-405-5096
>Fax 215-299-1170

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