Dear Crown-heads,
 
The paper in question was published by the Florida Museum of Natural History
(the institution where they keep Kurt Auffenberg):
 
Tucker, J. K. 1994.  The crown conch (Melongena: Melongenidae) in Florida
and Alabama with a description of Melongena sprucecreekensis n. sp. Bull.
Flor.  Mus. Nat. Hist. 36(7): 181-203. July 7.
 
Maybe Kurt could tell us if this work is still available.
 
I personally am skeptical of the taxonomic validity of M. s.; it appears to
be a wll-nourished (shel up to 8 inches) morph.
 
Harry
 
 
At 01:00 PM 4/5/99 EDT, you wrote:
>For those that hasn't heard, John K. Tucker has just named a subspecies of
>the crown conch- Melongena sprucecreekensi. He says the conch eats live
>oysters and clams and also can open them. Just thought some might like to
>know this.
>Jr Powers
>Edgewater,Florida    Just 4 miles from where they were found.
>
Harry G. Lee
mailto: [log in to unmask]
Suite 500, 1801 Barrs Street
Jacksonville, FL  32204
U. S. A.    904-384-6419
Visit the Jacksonville Shell Club Home Page at:
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/wfrank/jacksonv.htm
 
oo  .--.  oo  .--.  oo  .--.
 \\(____)_ \\(____)_ \\(____)_
  `~~~~~~~` `~~~~~~~` `~~~~~~~`