Thanks for the info, Don. Makes me wonder what was lost in the power failures. We'll watch out for the cones even after we catch them. The fact they'll try to get out of the bags is kind of scary so the thick plastic container is a definite. Have to get in touch with you if we ever get to Samoa. This is our first trip to the South Pacific and how are you going to keep them down on the farm after we've seen that! >>> Don Barclay <[log in to unmask]> 01/10/98 07:35am >>> Kathy, I started typing a long response to your Fiji e-mail, but after two power failures and a computer lock-up, I decided to forget about it. Most of what I was going to say has already been said anyway. I'll summarize the "dangerous cones" section for you, though: Conus geographus is the only truly aggressive cone, and will sting you in self defense, or just for sport. Treat these like they're rattlesnakes, and if you capture one, pin him down on the reef by the dorsum (wearing good gloves, of course) and keep his business end pointed away from your body or your other hand. Unlike rattlesnakes, they can't really whip around on you, so you can capture them safely if you are very careful. Of the other dangerous ones you've been warned about, striatus is the other one to really watch out for. (You WILL find some of these in Fiji if you look for them, out crawling on the sand at night, or under coral slabs and blocks on sand flats in the day time, buried under 1-8 inches of sand.) They will recoil into their shells easily if scuffed in the sand a little, but will be out climbing the sides of the container (or bag) that you put them in within five minutes. They will climb to the top, and try to force their way out of a capture bag. Though not as aggres- sive as geographus, they are active enough to make me nervous, and I have discovered more than once that one has harpooned another mollusc in my collecting bag. I'm not sure if this was an attempt at gathering a meal or simply self defense, but the only thing I have ever found them eating is small fish...I now carry a small plastic pitcher with a snap-on lid for these guys. On the light subject, the small headlamps work great, but I'm yet to find one that will last more than an hour, and changing batteries in the water is not very practical. I was given a dive light last year, and it as good as anything I could ask for. At the risk of mentioning brand names, it is the UK400 from Underwater Kinetics, and is the clear water version with a slightly wider beam. It is extremely bright, almost neutrally buoyant (actually, just barely positively buoyant), very tough, and works for 7 to 8 hours on four alkaline D-cells! The only disadvantage is that it is a bit heavy for use if you're out of the water just beach walking. It's a lot smaller than many of the dive lights, though, so it's fairly convenient to pack. Every person who ever used mine went and bought one. You will definitely want to get out at night. It seems a little eerie at first, but if you have a good light and stay in shallow water, you will have a blast. Deep water snorkelling at night is mostly a waste of time anyway, unless you're one of those people who can dive down and swim around for a couple of minutes. Eight feet or less seems to be the most productive area for me anyway, here in Samoa. Have fun, and if you need any other info, please just drop me an e-mail privately. Don