Conchology Section
Auckland Museum Institute

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SHELLING!

The Writer is signing off this month. As custom dictates - I offer my apology for the multitude of literary mistakes and to any member I have unintentionally offended. However, it has been an honour to get to know you all and a most rewarding experience to have produced this newsletter for the Section over the past four years.

Welcome to new member: Angela Carter, PO Box 68917, Newton, Auckland. Ph. 09 623 4303 and 021 707 805. Home address: 17 Stokes Rd. Mt Eden. Email: ange@angelacarter.co.nz

President's Report
Congratulations to all members who brought a display tray of shells to the last meeting. Thanks to Leun, Rosa, Lynn H. Lynn G. Holly, Chris H. Glenys, Bruce and all the others too. I hope to encourage some of our more infrequent exhibitors to participate in the next NZ National Shell Show to be held near the end of Jan. 2007!!!
Margaret Morley kept us challenged with her presentation on scientific shell naming. (The Writer was quite swept away with the Latin and Greek terminology - such wonderful languages - two of the main reasons why during and after the Renaissance Period the West was able to forge ahead of the rest of the World in all fields of scientific endeavour: scholars from every comer of Europe had two classical languages in which to communicate.)
Margaret brought along some specimens of the Biosecurity threat, Styela clava, which is spreading throughout the Hauraki Gulf and other places. There is a notice enclosed,one published by the NZ Herald, which gives the best description of this marine threat. Please look for the sea squirt in your location and contact your local authority should you find this.

Thank you Margaret for an interesting 'hands on' experience. It was good to see one of our younger members, Holly and her family enjoying the evening.

Calling all members to our AGM and CHRISTMAS PARTY!!!
Tuesday 13th Dec. 7-30pm. Epsom Community Centre - we hope to have the large room.
Our Shell Family for the evening: Pulmonates.
Subclass Pulmonata - mostly marine Family Ellobiidae - exclusively marine families: Amphibolidae, Siphonariidae, Trimusculidae and Onchidiidae.
Every member has specimens of at least one of these families in their collections - so bring some of them along for a display, regardless of their size or condition.
This is going to be a wonderful night beginning with the AGM (we have a volunteer for the position of newsletter officer - so it's safe to come along!) This will be followed by a visual presentation by Ian Anderson on Cephalopda. Ian has been photographing Steve O'Shea's latest hunts for the Giant Squid. (I hope you wept as you watched the recent TV interview as Steve described how his captive baby Giant Squid died before he could get them to his lab.) Ian has a most interesting selection of photographs to show us.
There will be a lucky shell dip: please bring along an interesting shell, ready wrapped, labelled either WW or NZ for the bucket.
The end of year and Christmas Supper will conclude the evening - the mantel of the offering of the Christmas cake has passed from the Late Miss Joan Cole, to the Writer and members attending are asked to bring a plate of supper - please note - we have two boxes of Shell Chocolates left over from the Birthday Celebrations - quite enough for the evening!!

Poirieria
Keep those articles coming for the next Poireiria.
Our editors, Jenny and Tony Enderby, are calling for general articles for the next issue of our Journal. Please leave an appropriate space in your text for any photos. Contact: T & J Enderby, PO Box 139, Leigh. Ph. 09 422 6127, email enderby@enderby.co.nz.

Contacts
Web site Officer: Peter Poortman, email: peter.poortman@xtra.co.nz
The Secretary: Mrs. R. A. Tyson, email: ratyson22@hotmail.com

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