I learned a good lesson in the process of trying to get the word out
last week about my new Cones and Cowries lists: it is a fairly common
practice for folks to collect a bunch of email addresses of collectors
from "various sources", then to send out mail announcing their wares to
all and sundry - i get such notices all the time, from dealers i have
never heard of. HOWEVER, the large number of irate replies this time
(odd - didn't happen  when i did it last year :--] ), as well as
recieving 113 "undeliverable mail" messages, has convinced me it is not
really such a great idea after all. SO, i do apologise for offending all
those (on conch-l at least!!) who were offended, but didn't take the
time to tell me: i'll do a purge of my mailing list, and will not engage
in "conchological spamming" in the future (even though this one DID
bring in a few new customers!).

Re Oliva porphyria, i understand it is still "locally common", but that
the BIG ones are becomming rare indeed - i know a chap who goes to Baja
every winter, and he says the smaller ones are still  widely available,
but anything over 100mm is "fairly scarce".

57 F and storming hard - enjoy your heat down there!!,
-Ross.

 Schooner Specimen Shells: Http://www.schnr-specimen-shells.com
"We Specialize in the Unusual"
Phone: (902) 876-2241; Fax: (416) - 352- 7415.
But try to find "something for Everyone"!!
Snail Mail: 349 Herring Cove Rd, P.O Box 20005, Halifax, N.S., Canada,
B3R 2K9.