December 1977 Page 7 
say, and the fourth - An Oliva incrassata Lightfoot - 
most the right shape. Two of the shells on the Erik ieee meee 
easy: a pink Anadara transversa Say and another lenti 
G1 wes paseling, but Bi11 thought it could be Patelt Patelta Pade 
laris Krauss on a rock@so he used a Cellana testudinaria Lb. as the 
smooth edge under the ruffled one. For the Epitonium on 
plate we used communis Lamarck but the last Spelt te still Fine tons 
able. As it is left-handedY Bill chose Busycon contrarium Conrad. 
Tt seens odd that my aunt drew all of the shells correctly except 
for one. It is unlike anything that Bill has ever seen. 

These dishes formed the border on a three and a half by five foot 
case, along with the modern Stix plates with brown bands and draw- 
ings of Epitonium scalare L., Cymatium lotorium Philippe, Conus auli- 
cus L, and Harpa davidis Rod. On a lower level, a brilliant Royal 
tcher 
Beyreuth pi could have been inspired by Murex duplex Roding 
which has long spines like on the pitcher but 1s not as colorful. 
Many small] antique items were included in this case: a glass "clam 
shell" pocket flask, used by sailors on cold nights; an 1880 pewter 
ice cream mold; a covered glass butter dish with an exact duplicate 
beside it - a Pecten islandica L.; a shell-shaped silver dish and a 
spoon; and two treasures: a pearlized child's purse and boat, given 
to me by an old lady in Hallowell, Maine, when I was three. Shell 
collecting was my destiny. I feel that most people who love shells 
had that love start in childhood. 
My old aunt who gave me the fish set also gave me my first shell, a 
beat-up Lambis lambis L. which I used in a painting in 1951. Five 
years later T painted my first purchased shell, Lambis chiragra L. 
(Mid ths New York Shell Club in 1961). It would ve Impossible 
to count the number of shells used in my paintings over the years. 
The catalogue number 53 was listed as “Some That Got Away." These 
were small photos of sold paintings, most of which seem to be in 
Florida, Of the six borrowed locally, two were ‘on loan' by Bill. 
I was plea i a letter from Ruth Noble, former president of 
Meer caity Huseun, who wrote, "The Museum is Zoceunate in be- 
ing able to offer such an exhibition to the public. Yes, shelis 
ave inspired mankind for thousands of years ~~ because shells are 
SO BEAUTIFUL. 
