Elizabeth & Tom,
        When you've finished "Priveleged Hands" and "A Natural History of
Shells" there is another of Geerat Vermeij's booke that is extremely
interesting, but complicated.  It is "Biogeography and Adaptation, Patterns
of Marine Life".  It shows Vermeij at his best when dealing with Natural
History.  At times I've had to read and reread the sections to try and
carefully absorb what his concept really is and how it may apply to other
things besides marine life.  If you get a chance to read this book, take
your time and think about its implications.
Good reading to both of you.
Dan
 
 
>Elizabeth,
>
>I haven't read "Privileged Hands" but I thoroughly enjoyed Vermeij's "A
>Natural History of Shells."  His book contains a lot of insightful
>aspects of the form/function of the shell.  He also winds his way in and
>out of the evolutionary pressures affecting modern shells.  There was
>one short section about a crab and a gastropod and their complex
>predator - prey relationship which is reversed from one island to
>another.  Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed that section and as much
>as I am almost sure it was in Vermeij, I have never been able to go back
>and find it again!  Admittedly all of my second, third, forth, etc.
>attempts have involved skimming the book.  I guess I'll have to do a
>cover to cover read; if it isn't there I'm in trouble!  One more proof
>of a slipping mind....
>
>So, I am a Vermeij fan.  Once you go beyond the need for just another
>shell identification book (a level I haven't and probably will never
>attain) you should try books such as those by Vermeij and others.  They
>give us a chance to learn a bit and maybe wonder at these fascinating
>creatures.  I collect the shells and love it, but in the end, the shell
>is just a portion of the mollusk story.
>
>Tom Eichhorst in New Mexico, USA (waxing a bit philosophical with my
>morning coffee)
>
>P.S.  Sorry to all about the posting on Ally McBeal, it was obviously
>meant for Lynn alone.  Our fan club is very restrictive.
>
>P.P.S.  Under the wonders of shells.  I just got some plants from my
>sister who was thinning them out.  They are plants meant for
>xeriscaping, that is plants that will tolerate our dry climate and not
>require very much water.  I laid the dug up plants on the porch and the
>next morning there were dozens of snails (Helix aspersa) in the
>vicinity.  They were leaving behind the dug up and drying out plants and
>looking for a better habitat.  The wonder is the success of these guys
>in our high desert climate.  Every summer I find some in a parking lot
>by a local hospital.  The area they have homesteaded is only some 20
>feet by 10 feet and surrounded by asphalt and concrete.  It gets only
>rainfall for water (less than 10 inches a year) and bakes in mid to late
>summer.  Yet these tough little snails persist.  Incredible!
 
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Dan & Hiromi Yoshimoto
1164 Vista Dr.
Eureka, California
        95503-6018
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