Ellen:

As others have said, it is a good idea to put collected cones in a
plastic container.  I always use a string through the container cover
attached through the bottom of the container and connect the string to
my weight belt by a snap.

I pick up cones from the dorsal side and near the spire.  There isn't
much probability of getting stung unless you hold them in your hand, but
be aware that the proboscis can reach as far as the spire.

There isn't much likelyhood of finding a C. geographus in Hawaii as they
don't live here.  Conus mamoreus, textile, penaceus, striatus, cattus
and obscurus are the main poisonous cones here.  While C. obscurus is
small, its venom is fairly strong and more people have been stung by
them than other species to my knowledge, probably because they don't
appear dangerous.  I don't know of any deaths from cones in Hawaii, but
have heard from several people who were stung by C. obscurus.  The main
result is some difficulty breathing for some hours.  All instances have
been due to doing something very foolish like putting the obscurus in
their gloves (while wearing them) or in a wool hat on their head.  I
doubt you will be doing that.
--
                     Aloha from Wesley M. Thorsson
Editor of Internet Hawaiian Shell News, a monthly Internet Publication
           122 Waialeale St, Honolulu, HI  96825-2020,  U.S.A
       http://www.hits.net/~hsn/index.html   or
        http://home.att.net/~w.thorsson/index.html