Salting mines was a pastime in the old west.
It is a bit different, but life is rich of stuff like this.

Martin

John Timmerman wrote:
>
> Sometimes people return unwanted shells they have to a beach rather
> than toss them in a trash can. I have done so myself but am very
> careful to return shells to their appropriate beach/region of origin.
> In recent years giving them away at shows is a much better way to
> dispose of duplicates.
>
>
>
> Had a man who brought to me to ID a Conus figulinus. He found it
> partially buried in a beach in SE North Carolina, USA. The lip was
> even trimmed!
>
>
>
> Our club had a "stump the experts" several years ago and had several
> Indo-Pacific shells show up that had been found on NC beaches.
>
>
>
> Walter Sage once had  a person bring a shell to AMNH for him to ID.
> She found it on a beach along Long Island. It was a Eustrombus gigas.
> She insisted she found it there to which he replied he believed her
> but that in life the animal had lived elsewhere.
>
>
>
> Recall that some years ago there was scavenger hunt for a COA
> convention in Florida that involved shells planted on a local beach
> which got snared by an unsuspecting tourist who thought she was simply
> finding pretty shells - many of which were not from Florida.
> Conventioneers educated her about what she was finding and let her
> keep her prizes.
>
>
>
> Heard of a man from a good friend who planted a shell he bought
> locally on beach for his wife to find. He felt sorry for her failed
> effort to find such while on a family vacation. Unfortunately the
> shell was a Cassis cornuta and the beach was here in North Carolina.
> He knew it was shell not from here. She found the prize and was
> thrilled. He kept his secret for many years. He had to let the cat out
> of the bag when she heard of our shell show and wanted to bring her
> shell for us to ID which she had never been able to identify herself
> with any shell guides. She reasoned we would surely know what it was
> despite his first effort to tell her we likely would not give her the
> time of day.
>
>
>
> Can't remember where I heard that people enrich beaches for the
> pleasure of their guests. Urban legend?
>
> John Timmerman
>
> Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
>
>
>
>     -------------- Original message from Michael Blied
>     <[log in to unmask]>: --------------
>
>     I've heard people speculate about the placing of shells by resorts
>     to make the guests happy, but never saw any actual evidence until
>     my trip to Sanibel in January, where out of the Gulf I dug a
>     slightly worn Babylonia.  There almost has to be another
>     explaination because A: There is no need to plant shells on
>     Sanibel, and B: I would think the resort owners there would be a
>     little more knowledgable about what they are planting.
>
>         ----- Original Message -----
>         *From:* John Timmerman <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>         *To:* [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>         *Sent:* Sunday, February 17, 2008 3:02 PM
>         *Subject:* Re: [CONCH-L] Daytona Beach Commercial
>
>         That's even better than flipped negatives, which are all too
>         common. Thought that was what it was leading up to.
>
>
>
>         Or, was he picking up a shell that had been placed there by an
>         ocean front hotel owner to make their guests happy.
>
>
>
>          I get it. It was a prop. Too bad they didn't use something
>         vaguely believable, like a Junonia!
>
>
>
>         John Timmerman
>
>         Wilmington, North Carolina
>
>             -------------- Original message from Lyle Therriault
>             <[log in to unmask]>: --------------
>
>             Hello Listers,
>
>             Have any of you seen this newest commercial for Daytona
>             Beach ( FL. ) tourism?
>
>             You have the perfect woman and perfect man joyfully
>             strutting down the beach, waves in the background, and he
>             reaches down to pick an African land snail shell (
>             Achatina species) off the beach, I am certain of it! ( and
>             picking it with a look on his face like WOW, look at what
>             I found, implying you can do the same if you go there, in
>             my opinion)
>
>             Anyhoot, I had a good chuckle at that. The commerical
>             would have been so much better had he not reached down for
>             nothing, since they groom the beaches there anyways!
>
>
>             Lyle Therriault
>             [log in to unmask]
>             <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>             Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
>
>

--
Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
TSRA, Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.
http://lufkinced.com/

----------------------------------------------------------------------
[log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs
To leave this list, click on the following web link:
http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1
Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and
click leave the list.
----------------------------------------------------------------------