Dear Shell Friends,
A while back I asked the list which ink and paper to use for permanent
marking of field labels.  While land shelling last year, many of my
labels came out unreadable.  If it were not for unususal shells at the
various localities, my 'indicator species' for each locality, I would
have had a lot of nice shells with only provincial data.
I received many good ideas from Conch-L readers.  Thanks for your
considerable knowledge. Both years I used the Sanford Sharpie pen. The
problem was the paper.  But this year using a high rag bond paper used
by lawyers (provided by a Conch-L reader, thanks!), the labels came out
perfectly. After a few seconds after marking the paper, labels submerged
in water did not fade.  When in the field, don't rely on regular paper
placed into a small zip lock bag.  Any moisture will disintegrate poor
paper and often fade ink.

For those who do not engage in landshelling, our small group of
otherwise sane individuals just returned after finding many land shells
in the Caribbean.  Of course, hot dry weather, thorns, spines and
brambles, scorpions under most rocks just add to the fun. The van, with
air conditioning that didn't work, had a leak in the radiator requiring
water every half hour, and many other mechanical glitches.  Out in the
middle of nowhere, one of our group (forever to remain nameless, but it
wasn't me!) took a wrong turn on a hill and got separated from the rest
of us.  Local townsfolk were enlisted to help search. After several
hours we were running out of water in the intense mid-day heat.  The
authorities were called and about four hours later just as a halftrack
full of soldiers showed up to look for the crazy gringo, we found the
sheller, fortunately unhurt.  At another location, a stranger comes up
and asks if we are malacologists! It seems the person was an
entemologist who knows Gary Rosenburg.  What a small world!  One member
of our group came to the conclusion, it is so much easier just to buy
landshells.
So with that in mind, looking forward to seeing many of you, and
landshells at the Bourse, in Houston for COA 2000 next week.

Tired and still sore muscles,
Alan Gettleman