Hello, I'm a new subscriber to this list and am posting a brief introduction as requested in the subscription reply I received. My interest in conchology began when I was growing up along the coast of Virginia. I became somewhat a serious collector of shells about 28 years ago. I travelled quite a bit while in the military and was able to collect in such places as northern Washington state, the coast of North and South Carolina, the forests and ponds of Germany, The beaches of southern Texas, the southern shores of Sicily, the eastern coast of Andros Island, Bahama and the Pacific beaches of mainland Japan. I have been pretty much land locked for the past 12 years, so my collection has grown mainly through purchases. My collection consists of over 500 species, with nearly 1,800 specimens. I'm interested in all forms, both marine and terrestrial. My favorites are cypraeidae, muricidae, and pectinidae. I was a fan of Dr. Abbott and have several of his books. What I hope to gain from this list is more knowledge and perhaps some help in classifying some of the shells that I have had trouble with. Thank you for letting me be a member of this list. George Parker