Quiz: Know Your Volutidae
by Betty Hunter
Another of Betty Hunter's delightful legacy of shell quizzes, this one to vex the volutophiles among us, and of course those of you who are generalists or puzzle addicts. Go for it! To enrich the game a little, we have removed Betty's generic assignments. These are available at the bottom of the page as clues.
- What species names the most warlike city-state of Ancient Greece?
- What species might be the son of a young man or shepherd?
- What species names a great British statesman and great poet, second only to Shakespeare.
- What species suggests sounds you never want to hear from the engine of your car?
- What species is one whose presence in one's home is without permission, invitation, or welcome?
- What species strongly suggests a woodsman who brings home game for food?
- What two volutes are noted as makers of medical supplies and baby products?
- What species sounds like one who would cultivate a plot of ground?
- What species is perplexed and filled with misgivings?
- What species names a basic part of a plant or animal cell?
- What species needs to call the fire department immediately?
- What species suggests a sportsman who uses a bow and arrow?
- What species describes a large, two-handled storage jar used in Ancient Greece?
- What species suggests a statement which seems contradictory but may be true?
- What species suggests a driver who travels only after dusk and before dawn?
- What speies suggests the part of a ship which a seaman would approach if ordered to go aft?
- What species suggests a person who might be called a second Socrates or one of the Magi?
- What species mentions a human bone?
- What species has the same name as a certain murderous cetacean?
- What species might be expected to work with a loom all day?
get the clues | see the answers
First published in the Jacksonville Shell-O-Gram, edited by Bill Frank.
Betty Hunter, member of the Jacksonville Shell Club and Conchologists of America for many years, passed away Dec 3, 1996, mourned by her friends, former Latin students and fellow collectors everywhere. We'll miss her passion for shells and their names and for classical lore and language.