Sandra Rodriguez Barron has included a quest for 'Conus furiosus' in the plot of her recent novel "The Heiress of Water" HarperCollins Publishers, New York. 2006. ISBN13: 9780061142819; ISBN: 0061142816; Imprint: Rayo ; On Sale: 9/5/2006; Format: Trade PB; Trimsize: 5 5/16 x 8; Pages: 320; $13.95; Ages: 12 and Up

Roger Highfield in his book, "The Science of Harry Potter" included a chapter about the cone shell venom studies. "The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works" (ISBN 0-670-03153-4)  pp. 81-83, by Roger Highfield (a reporter for the Telegraph) . It was published by the Penguin Group in late 2002. I contributed some information to Roger about the possible origin of the  "Poisonous Orange Snails" in the Magical Menagerie - but you will have to read for yourself to discover which species of Conus they were likely to be and whether they were they something to be welcomed or feared by the pupils of Hogwarts ? I can recommend this book as a good read.
For a review see "The Science of Harry Potter". More recently (November, 2007) he has featured the recent preclinical work on ACV1 (conotoxin Vc1.1) in this report "Snails venom signals a pain free future". A powerful toxin gives new hope to the millions who suffer from nerve pain, reports Roger Highfield in his regular science column in the Daily Telegraph, London.

Visit the Cone Shell Bookshop

Some cone shell books from the master - Alan Kohn:

Rockel, D., Korn, W. and Kohn, A. 1995 (ISBN 3-925919-09-0) "Manual of the Living Conidae, Vol. 1., Indopacific". 518 pp., 84 colour plates, 170 figs. and maps, hardcover, size 24x32 cm. Verlag Christa Hemmen. DM 198.- Some 316 species and their subspecies and forms are covered in this volume by three world authorities on this family. With photographs of living animals, SEM photographs of radulae and protoconchs and information on biology this is really the most important work on this family. 518 p., 84 colour plates, hard cover AUD$190. This and other shell books are available from Patty Jansen at Capricornica Publications - Natural History Books now at a new location called Books of Nature .

Kohn, A.J. (1994) Life History and Biogeography. Patterns in Conus. ISBN 0-19-854080-9, 114 pages, 2 pp colour illustrations, halftones, line figures, tables, Clarendon Press, January 1994, Hardback, UK Pounds 37.50, US$59.00. Oxford Biogeography Series No. 9. Oxford Science Publications, Oxford University Press, UK. [Contents: Introduction; Reproductive biology of Conus; Collections and observations; Relationships among aspects of reproduction and life history; Relationships of development and biogeographic patterns; Conus development outside the Indo-Pacific region; Discussion, synthesis and conclusions; Index] 

Kohn, A.(1994) "A Chronological Taxonomy of Conus, 1758-1840". 13 colour illustrations, 562 b&w illustrations., 368 pp. Cloth: ISBN 1-56098-094-XH. Smithsonian Institution Press, USA. US$47.00 [Probably the largest genus of marine animals, Conus, a group of marine gastropods or snails, is widely valued by shell collectors and essential to scientists studying, among other things, the organism's role in the ecology of coral reefs. Yet the nomenclature of Conus, especially those species described before 1850, has been unclear. A Chronological Taxonomy of Conus definitively clarifies the taxonomy of the 660 nominal species described between 1758 and 1840, enhancing research and appreciation of Conus among malacologists, and shell collectors] 

- and a Field Trip report from Heron Is. 

Reichelt, R.E. and Kohn, A.J. (1985) Feeding and distribution of predatory gastropods of some Great Barrier Reef Platforms. Proceedings of the Fifth International Coral Reef Congress, Tahiti, 1985, Vol. 5, pp. 191-196. 

Filmer, R. M. (2001). A Catalogue of Nomenclature and Taxonomy in the Living Conidae, 1758-1998. Leiden, The Netherlands Backhuys Publishers. 388p. "A valuable addition to our understanding of the taxonomy of Conus".

Some books on Cone shells:

Röckel D., Rolan E.and Monteiro A. "Cone shells from the Cape Verde Islands"
Marsch and Rippingale "Cone shells of the world"
Walls J. "Cones"
Estival J.C., "Cônes de Nouvelles Calédonie et du Vanuatu"
Röckel D., Korn W. and Kohn A. Manual of the living Conidae
MNHN "Révision des Conidae"

The Shell Collector: A tale of a blind professor who collects cones
THE SHELL COLLECTOR by Anthony Doerr, Paperback: 224 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.59 x 7.94 x 5.10 Publisher: Penguin Books; Reissue edition (February 1, 2003) ISBN: 0142002968

The Shell Collector, Anthony Doerr's first collection of stories, ranges from Liberia and Tanzania to Montana and Maine. This short story collection was named winner of bookseller Barnes and Noble's 10th Annual "Discover Great New Writers Awards" in the fiction category on March 5, 2003. It is the first short-story collection to receive the Discover Award (Doerr received a cash prize of $10,000 and a full year of additional marketing and advertising support). "Doerr's proze dazzles, his sinewy sentences blending the naturalist's unswerving gaze with the poet's gift for metaphore." - New York Times Book Review. Stories include a winner of the O. Henry Award and two finalists for the National Magazine Award.
Synopsis: A 63 year old biologist, blind since childhood, collects snails and shells in Africa. His self-imposed isolation is shattered after he is credited with saving the lives of an American woman and a native eight year old girl who are both suffering from malaria. The venom of a cone shell provides the cure. Strangers flock to the scientist's abode hoping to find their own miraculous remedy, but instead a few discover tragedy or even death.
The biologist's own adult son dies from a cone shell bite while visiting his father. In the end, the shell collector is also bitten by a cone and experiences both paralysis and clarity in his near-death condition. He survives with the aid of the young girl whom he had earlier cured of malaria.
Commentary This short story illustrates the power, beauty, and indifference of Nature. It is a force that can save life as well as take it away without cause or regret. There is an obvious similarity between the scientist and the creatures he collects. Both inhabit shells to insulate themselves from the outside world. The biologist retreats into his blindness yet he is keenly aware of his surroundings. Blindness is portrayed literally and figuratively. Vision and touch compete for primacy as the most valuable of the five senses.
The story delves into the geometry and mystery of life and the need to maintain equilibrium. The scientist realizes that the accumulation of knowledge only generates more questions. "Ignorance was, in the end, and in so many ways, a privilege" [14]. His infatuation with discovery raises an interesting question. When does passion become obsession?
The story ends fittingly when the shell collector encounters a blind snail. Both creatures plod forward. The two organisms share a common plight as each must adapt to their respective environments or die. No matter their fate, Nature doesn't really care.

Some Shell Books about Australian Shells: Bail P. - Limpus A. The Pulchra Complex
Bail P. - Limpus A. A conchological Iconography : Genus Amoria
Short J.W. - Potter D.G. Shells of Queensland and Great Barrier Reef
Wilson B.R. Australian Marine Shells
Wilson B.R. and Gillett K.(1971) Australian shells
Wilson B., 1993, Australian seashells vol. I
Wilson B., 1994, Australian seashells vol II

Links to other book lists

http://www.gol.grosseto.it/puam/comgr/acquario/bibliografia1.htm
http://www.malacologia.it/libriingleseprova.htm

Other books on cone shells. 

Source: Abstracted by BGL from 'Malacology' - 2nd Catalogue (January 1997) A.N. van der Bijl (A.N. van der Bijl, Burgemeester van Bruggenstraat 41, 1165 NV Halfweg, Nederland, Tel. +31-20-4977772) 

[This 2^nd catalogue contains approx. 2500 titles, which are NOT mentioned in the 1^st catalogue (available by post from the above, from whom current price can also be requested)]. 

The catalogue is organized as follows: (Key: Page # (Catalogue #)): 

CONTENTS: Introduction 1; Marine gastropods 2 (1-408); Land- & freshwater gastropods 9 (409-1283); Bivalves 24 (1284-1634); Other groups (Mollusca) 30 (1635-1700); Miscellaneous (Mollusca) 31 (1701-2008); Fossils (Mollusca) 36 (2009-2406); Bibliographies etc. (Mollusca) 43 (2407-2432); Periodicals (Mollusca) 44 

(80) DAUTZENBERG, 1935. Résultats Scientifiques du Voyage aus Indes Orientales Néerlandaises de LL. AA. RR. le Prince & la Princesse Léopold de Belgique, 2(18). Gastéropodes marins. 3. Familie Conidae. 282pp., 3col.pls., cover poor, some staining.. 

(85) DE BOURY, 1912. Description de Scalidæ nouveau ou peu connus. 21pp., 1pl 

(99) EMERSON & al., 1962. Resultats of the Puritan-American Museum of Natural History Expedition to Western Mexico. 16. The Recent Mollusks: Gastropoda, Conidae. 44pp. 

(106) ENDEAN & al., 1967. The venom apparatus of Conus magus. 10pp., 1fig., 1tab., 8pls., with message from 1st author. 

(177) KOHN, 1975. Type specimens & identity of the described species of Conus 5. The species described by Salis Marschlins & Röding, 1793-8. 43pp., 1fig., 3pls., 2tabs. 

(178) KOHN, 1976. Chronological analysis of the species of Conus described during the 18th century. 21pp., 1pl., 1fig., 1tab 

(179) KOHN, 1981. Type specimens & identity of the described species of Conus 6. The species described 1801-10. 63pp., 67figs., 2tabs. 

(180) KOHN, 1986. Type specimens & identity of the described species of Conus 7. The species described 1810-20. 39pp., 2pls., 4tabs. 

(181) KOHN, 1988. Type specimens & identity of the described species of Conus. 8. The species described 1821-30. 50pp., 2tabs., 2figs., 2pls. 

(182) KOHN, 1991. Paintings of Paralectotypes?: Conus of the Museum Ludovicae Ulricae. 12pp., 1fig., 2tabs., 2pls. 

(306) RÖCKEL & al., 1983. Eine neue Conus-Art aus der Umgebung von Madras (S.-Indien). 4pp., 1pl., English summ 

(307) ROCKEL & al., 1990. Conus tuticorinensis n.sp. & C. boschi - eine vergleichend-conchologische Studie. 11pp., 2pls., 2figs., 2tabs., English summ. 

(308) RÖCKEL & al., 1995. Deep-water Cones from the New Caledonia region. 38pp., 1tab., 56figs. (21col.figs.), French summ.

(309) RÖCKEL, 1985. Eine neue Conus-Art von der O.küste Indiens. 4pp., 1pl., 1tab., English summ 

(310) RÖCKEL, 1986. Conus sertacinctus n.sp. von den Salomonen. 5pp., 1pl., 1tab., English summ. 

(382) VINK, 1984. On the identity of Conus anaglypticus, C. baccatus, C. selenae & C. jemanjae. 6pp., 1p 

(394) WILS & al., 1979. 2 new Conus species from off Barbados, Lesser Antilles. 6pp., 14figs., 2tabs. 

(406) ZILCH, 1970. 2 weitere Conus gloriamaris in deutschen Museen. 4pp., 1fig., 1col.pl. 

(407) ZILCH, 1970. Conus gloriamaris, die Zierde des Meeres. 7pp., 3figs., 1col.pl. 

(1766) DANCE, 1971. The Cook Voyages & Conchology. 26pp., 2maps. 

(2082) DAVOLI, 1969. Proposta di istituzione del neotipo di Conus gastriculus. 4pp., 1pl., English summ. 

CLENCH W.J., 1946
The poison cone shell.
In 8 , offp., pp. 32 con 4 tav. NATURAMA, , Italy, Book # 16476
Price: approx. US$ 7.35

COSTA, FABIO H.A. 1996
Natural history and evolution patterns in Conus californicus Hinds in Reeve,1844.
La Conchiglia,278:44-52,11 figures.

DA MOTTA, A.J. 1985b
A revision of three Conus taxa: C. halli, Da Motta,1983, C. hyaena Hwass in Bruguiere,1792, C. mutabilis Reeve,1844.
Publ.Ocas.Soc.Port.Malac.,5:8-14,figs.1-9.

DAUTZENBERG P., 1937
Résultat scientifiques du voyage aux Index Orientales Néerlandaises de LL AA RR le Prince et la Princesse Léopold de Belgique - Gastéropodes marins 3: Conidae.
In folio, pp. 284 con 3 tav. a colori. Fogli chiusi (still uncut). Book # 16705
NATURAMA, Palermo, Italy, Price: approx. US$ 73.50

DODGE, HENRY 1953
A Historical Review of the Mollusks of Linnaeus. Part 2.The Class Cephalopoda and the genera Conus and Cypraea of the Class Gastropoda.
Bull. American Mus.Nat.Hist.,103:1-103.

Fondi R., Riesame tassonomico dei Conidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda) del Miocene di Montegibbio presso Modena.
1980 In 8 , bross., pp. 18 con 3 fig. Book # 6088
NATURAMA, Italy, Price: Lira 7000.00 (approx. US$ 3.43)

KOHN, ALAN J. 1992
A Chronological Taxonomy of Conus,1758-1840.
Smithsonian Institution.

LIM, CHUAN FONG 1965b
The genus Conus in West Malaysia.
Malayan Nature J., 19(2&3): 124-128, pls. XIV-XXI.

LIM, CHUAN FONG 1967
New records and revision of the species of Conus in Singapore and the Malay Peninsula.
The Science Journal, University of Singapore, 5(1): 31-34.

LIM, CHUAN FONG 1968
Aquatic Biology 1. The feeding mechanism of the piscivorous cone, Conus consors Sowerby.
Malayan Nature J., 21(4): xix-xx.

LIM, CHUAN FONG 1969b
Identification of the feeding types in the Genus Conus Linnaeus.
The Veliger, 12(2): 160-163.

LIM, CHUAN FONG 1969c
Further new records and the distribution of Conus Linnaeus in Singapore and the Malay Peninsula.
J. Singapore National Academy Science, 01(2): 45-48.

LIM, CHUAN FONG & TAN,W.C. 1970
Size and metabolic rate in the venomous snail Conus Linnaeus.
J.Singapore National Academy Science, 02(2): 53-58.

LIM, CHUAN FONG & WEE,TITT HOCK,VICTOR 1992
Southeast Asian Conus. A Seashells Book.
Seaconus Private Limited, Singapore.

MOTTA, A.J.DA
Two new Conus species.

OLD, WILLIAM E. 1973
The new species of Conus from Indonesian Waters.
The Veliger, 16(1): 58-60.

SOWERBY, G. B. 1832
The Conchological Illustrations, or Coloured Figures of all the Hitherto Unfigured Recent Shells. (Conus section only with photo negatives). Bloomsbury.

WEE, VICTOR 1973-1974
Conus vicweei.
Of Sea and Shore, winter 1973-1974,199.

Cones of Senegal, by M. Pin and K.D. Leung-Tak (1995), Supplement to issue no. 277 (October-December 1995) of "La Conchiglia" (ISSN 0394-0152): Yearbook 1995, ISBN 88-86463-01-4. 56 pp. Colour photographs and SEM illustrations. Review of the Senegalese cones following the classification according to the characteristics of the anal canal.. The "canal"on which this study is based is not the posterior aperture of the shell but a long depression formed by the edge of the mantle on the penultimate whorl just before the beginning of the last one. Descriptions of the following 16 species, considered valid, are given : C. ambiguus, C. belairensis, C. bruguieresi, C. cloveri, C. echinophilus, C. ermineus, C. genuanus, C. guinaicus, C. hybridus, C. cacao, C. mediterraneus (name preferred to C. ventricosus), C. mercator, C. pineaui, C. pulcher, C. tabidus, C. unifasciatus. This supplement can be obtained from Capricornica Publications, or from Maria. A. Angioy, c/- "La Conchiglia". 

Guido T. Poppe and Y.Gotto's Books - includes European Seashells Vols. 1 & 2 ; Volutes ; Recent Angariidae ; an Annotated Price Catalogue of Marine Shells, and A Listing of Recent Mollusca (the most extensive listing of Mollusca ever compiled: over 46000 species, 3000 subspecies and more than 150,000 references. Comes in 2 parts and 4 volumes.) 

"Mollusca: The Southern Synthesis. Fauna of Australia" Vol.5. Australian Biological Resources Study. CSIRO Publishing, January 1998. Mollusca: The Southern Synthesis is the most comprehensive and authoritative treatment yet of Australia's marine, freshwater and terrestrial molluscs. It is a significant international reference, with contributions from 70 authors, and in which some 7700 papers in the primary literature are cited. Most molluscan families described in the book are also found in the Northern Hemisphere, making this title an essential reference for malacologists worldwide. 

Visit the Cone Shell Bookshop

Museums with shells on display: Un nouveau musée de malacologie en France près de nombreuses années de démarches, les travaux pour le musée des coquillages de Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat viennent juste de commencer (fin novembre). L'ouverture de ce musée est prévue pour le début du mois de mars 2003 ! Ce musée sera essentiellement tourné vers la Méditerranée avec trois collections représentant un fond unique en Europe de près de 1100 mollusques de Méditerranée. L'A.F.C. ne sera pas oubliée et sera présente sous la forme d'un grand panneau en relief représentant une coupe des fonds marins ainsi que la position des différentes espèces. Il s'agit d'une œuvre de Marc Streitz pour la section Provence Côte d'Azur et qui sera restaurée à cette grande occasion. Ce musée servira avant tout d'atelier pédagogique pour les écoles mais également de centre de recherche avec un laboratoire attenant.

SOS Grand Bleu Musée des Coquillages B.P. 29 06230 Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
Tel : 04 93 76 17 61 Fax : 04 93 76 81 31 Portable : 06 18 09 18 27
Site Internet : www.sosgrandbleu.asso.fr <%20www.sosgrandbleu.asso.fr>
E-mail : gb@sosgrandbleu.asso.fr

coquillages de Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat

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BGL, August 1999