Dear Conch-Lers: I had a great time visiting the event yesterday & was
especially impressed with Peggy Williams exhibit of microshells
collected from the high tide line near the pier @ Sanibel Island. It was
such a wonder to see how many species she identified from such a small
amount of sand & shell collected. I'm interested in knowing what
reference guides deal with identifying microshells & what power
microscopes/loupes are recommended for studying these often overlooked
shells. I was in the jewelry business & have a 10x loupe & identified
exotic fruit flies with the Medfly Emergency Program with the USDA and
have a 15x hand lens from that program. Please advise me about this
fascinating realm of conchology/malacology if you have any ideas to
share. Christopher Stalder, email:[log in to unmask]