When you can't find it...

Jenneria Pustulata. Native to the pacific coast the largest of
these shells measures only about an inch in length.

  In January of this year I traveled to Peru for a short vacation in Miraflores (outskirts of Lima). Being a city on the pacific coast I had hoped to do some beach combing while there and I in particular I had hopes of finding at least one shell from the area - the Jenneria Pustulata, a small cowrie with beautiful little "postules" protruding on the anterior side. Unfortnately the coast at Miraflores is not conducive to beach combing, it is strewn with rocks from the size of a kiwi to a grapefruit.
  After an abbreviated attempt on the beach I quickly decided the best place to find the shell would be in a local souvenir shop. Wrong. After days of fruitless searching for a store with such items I discovered that for Miraflores the sea meant very little in terms of tourism and catered mainly to surfers.
  Sadly I departed Peru with no shell to show as evidence of my trip. But all was not lost. After arriving back in the states and getting settled back into my daily routine, I hopped on the internet and in short order tracked one down from one of the many sites I have purchased shells from in the past. In just a few days a package appeared in my mailbox with the ordered shell. Even though I knew the shells were tiny (mine was about 3/4" long) I was still surprised at how small they appeared. The shell I had purchased was absolutely beautiful though and I proudly added it to my collection... a memento of a fabulous trip to south of the equator!