Re the "angel wing":

Put your finger in the hole. If this is an angel wing, the hole will go
straight down and be perfectly round, with smooth sides. The shell itself
doesn't move in the burrow - it has a very long siphon which call pull
almost all the way down into the shell so it seems like the shell is digging
down. The siphon, when you see it at the edge of the hole, has two openings
in it.

Here in Florida we dig by hand (you end up on your knees, with your elbow in
water), keeping a finger in the hole while digging with the other hand
(forget fingernails after this!). When you feel the sharp tip of the shell,
begin digging around it until you can get your hand under it, then gently
lift it out. If you feel you've broken it, leave it there. Be careful not to
cut your fingers on the shell.

I wrap the shell in a washcloth before boiling or using the microwave to
kill the animal.

Peggy

            Visit my website at http://www.shelltrips.com
                                  Peggy Williams
                                   Shell Elegant
                                    PO Box 575
                                Tallevast FL 34270
                                   (941) 355-2291
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