Skip to main content

Full text of "British conchology; or, An account of the Mollusca which now inhabit the British Isles and the surrounding seas"

See other formats 


LIBRARY 

JWIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

DAVIS 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arciiive 

in  2007  witii  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.arcliive.org/details/britisliconcliolog02jeffricli 


Vol.2. 


Fmno/  rwdis , 


Published  bjrjyan  Voorst.  18  63. 


BRITISH  CONCHOLOGY, 

OE  AN  ACCOUNT  OF 

THE    MOLLUSCA 

WHICH  NOW  INHABIT  THE  BRITISH  ISLES  AND  THE 
SUREOUNDING  SEAS. 


VOLUME  n. 
MAEINE  SHELLS, 

COMPRISING  THE  BEACHIOPODA, 

AND  CONCHIEERA  FROM  THE  FAMILY  OF  ANOMIID^ 

TO  THAT  OF  MACTRID^. 


By  JOHN  GWYN  JEFFREYS,  F.R.S.,  F.G.S.,  &c. 


LONDON: 

JOHN  VAN  VOORST,  PATERNOSTER  ROW. 

MDCCCLXni. 

[The  right  of  Translation  is  reserved.] 

yNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRINTED  BY  TAYLOIl  AND  FRANCIS, 

BED  LION  COUET,  PLEET  STEEET. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Since  the  publication  of  the  first  volume  of  this  work 
I  have  made  two  more  dredging-excursions  to  the 
Shetland  Isles,  a  district  which  is  by  far  the  most 
interesting  that  I  know  of  for  the  further  investigation 
of  the  British  Mollusca.  In  the  interval  I  revisited  the 
South  of  France^  and  also  went  to  the  Hanse  towns, 
Denmark,  Sweden,  and  Norway,  for  the  express  purpose 
of  examining  public  and  private  collections  of  Euro- 
pean shells,  and  especially  the  types  of  species  described 
by  O.  F.  Miiller  and  subsequent  writers  on  Scandinavian 
conchology.  Every  naturalist  will  appreciate  the  ad- 
vantage of  such  an  undertaking,  being  aware  that  our 
own  fauna  or  flora  cannot  be  properly  studied  apart 
from  that  of  the  rest  of  Europe.  These  preliminary 
remarks  are  offered  to  explain  the  cause  of  delay  in 
the  appearance  of  the  present  volume,  and  likewise  to 
express  my  grateful  acknowledgments  for  the  kind 
welcome  and  aid  which  I  received  from  all  the  leading 
zoologists  in  the  coimtries  above  mentioned.  Nor  ought 
I  to  omit  a  renewal  of  my  thanks  to  many  of  my  own 
countrymen,  who  have  again  most  liberally  placed  their 
collections  at  my  disposal  and  favoured  me  with  valu- 
able communications.  I  will  now  endeavour  to  profit 
by  the  opportunities  I  have  thus  enjoyed,  in  extending 
the  list  of  our  native  Testacea,  as  well  as  in  revising  the 

a2 


IV  INTRODUCTION. 

synonymy  and  defining  the  range  of  previously  known 
species. 

And  here  let  me  say  a  few  words  about  the  adoption 
of  names,  whether  of  genera  or  species.  I  would  pre- 
mise by  stating  that  I  am  averse  to  unnecessary  inno- 
vation. All  names  which  have  been  generally  used, 
and  which  may  therefore  be  said  to  be  established  or 
familiar,  ought  never  to  be  changed,  except  for  the 
strongest  reasons.  To  substitute  new  names  for  these 
would  be  manifestly  inexpedient  and  lead  to  much  con- 
fusion. Even  the  ground  of  priority  is  in  most  cases  no 
excuse  for  altering  and  unsettling  the  accepted  nomen- 
clature; and  the  attempt  to  revive  old,  obscure,  and 
long-forgotten  names  cannot  be  too  strongly  deprecated. 
It  is  forbidden  to  disturb  the  ashes  of  the  dead.  But 
no  task  is  more  difficult  to  the  naturalist,  or  more  open 
to  criticism,  than  the  selection  of  names,  where  more 
than  one  are  still  used  by  different  authors  for  the  same 
genus  or  species.  He  has  to  perform  the  functions  of 
both  judge  and  jury,  and  not  only  to  weigh  carefully 
the  evidence  for  and  against  the  retention  of  any  name 
thus  put  upon  its  trial,  but  also  to  administer  strict  and 
impartial  justice,  according  to  the  laws  of  scientific  ter- 
minology. Besides,  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the 
nomenclature  used  by  scientific  men  in  other  countries, 
where  many  branches  of  natural  history  are  cultivated 
not  less  assiduously  or  successfully  than  in  Great  Britain, 
does  not  altogether  agree  with  ours.  The  utmost  pains 
ought  to  be  taken  to  reconcile  or  lessen  the  difference 
between  us  and  them  in  this  respect,  so  as  to  ensure  as 
much  uniformity  as  possible.  Naturalists  of  all  coun- 
tries are  members  of  the  great  commonwealth  of  science, 
and  their  technical  language  is  the  same.  Our  patriotic 
feelings,  although  commendable  in  other  matters,  ought 


INTRODUCTION.  V 

to  give  place  to  the  higher  object  of  serving  the  general 
cause,  while  investigating  the  works  of  the  Creator. 

The  favourable  reception  given  to  the  preceding 
volume  has  encouraged  me  to  persevere  in  the  attempt 
to  make  this  work  readable  by  all,  and  at  the  same  time 
useful  to  my  brother  conchologists.  The  advice  of  our 
old  friend,  Horace,  should  not  be  neglected  by  any 
writer : 

Omne  tulit  punctum,  qui  miscuit  utile  dulci 
Lectorem  delectando  pariterque  monendo. 

All  that  relates  to  Nature  is  in  itself  so  delightful, 
and  the  pursuit  of  it  elicits  so  many  of  our  best  and 
truest  feelings,  that  every  undertaking  of  this  kind 
ought  to  be  imbued  with  the  sentiment  inculcated  by 
the  above  maxim,  instead  of  repelling  students  by  too 
much  technicality.  The  author  and  his  readers  have  a 
joint  property  in  the  subject-matter,  and  they  are  held 
together  by  the  same  tie  of  sympathy. 

"  Pleasure  is  spread  through  the  earth 

In  stray  gifts  to  be  claimed  by  whoever  shall  find." 

Our  communion  with  GOD,  through  His  works,  aifords 
one  of  the  purest  and  most  unalloyed  of  pleasures  that 
is  permitted  to  us  in  this  transitory  state.  Even  the 
mere  contemplation  of  them,  in  any  of  their  various 
aspects,  if  it  is  made  in  a  fitting  mood,  assures  us,  much 
more  forcibly  than  human  teaching  can,  that  our  minds 
— our  spirits — our  souls  partake  of  His  eternity  and  are 
imperishable.  This  idea  has  pervaded  all  men  and  in 
every  age.     It  is  innate  and  ineradicable. 

At  the  same  time  it  cannot  be  denied  that  novels, 
magazines,  and  newspapers  constitute  now-a-days  the 
literature  which  chiefly  occupies  the  small  reading-time 
of  the  public,  and  that  scientific  books  generally  are 


VI  INTRODUCTION. 

overlooked_,  unless  they  advance  some  startling  proposi- 
tion as  to  the  origin  or  remote  antiquity  of  our  own 
race.  There  can  be  no  use,  however^  in  blaming  the 
popular  taste ;  nor  would  it  be  reasonable  to  expect  that 
every  one  should  follow  a  scientific  path,  if  his  inclina- 
tions do  not  lead  him  that  way.  The  love  of  Nature 
is  not  confined  to  any  one  period,  and  its  votaries  must 
not  feel  disappointed,  should  their  peculiar  studies  not 
be  shared  by  all  their  contemporaries. 

Before  entering  into  the  details  of  our  marine  Mol- 
lusca,  I  would  make  a  few  more  remarks  as  to  their 
distribution  and  structure.  This  I  was  prevented  from 
doing  in  the  introductory  part  of  the  former  volume  by 
an  anxiety  not  to  impose  too  long  an  exordium  on  the 
patience  of  my  readers. 

The  sea-bed  may  be  said,  in  the  technical  language  of 
lawyers,  to  be  "  land  covered  with  water .^'  Its  outline, 
if  it  could  be  viewed  through  an  aquatic  telescope,  would 
be  seen  to  be  irregular,  and  nearly  as  much  diversified 
as  the  surface  of  the  earth.  Mountains,  hills,  rocks, 
gorges,  valleys,  and  plains  would  be  successively  exhi- 
bited in  the  submarine  panorama,  having  often  the  same 
bold  and  abrupt  contour  that  gives  so  picturesque  an 
aspect  to  land  scenery.  Oceanic  and  tidal  currents 
represent  rivers,  corresponding  with  them  in  volume  and 
rapidity,  and  equally  scooping  out  channels  of  various 
degrees  of  width  and  depth.  But  we  have  good  reason 
to  beheve  that  lifeless  deserts,  like  the  great  Sahara,  are 
wanting  below  the  broad  watery  girdle  which  encircles 
the  globe  and  covers  at  least  three-fourths  of  its  extent. 
It  is  true  that,  in  certain  inlets  or  arms  of  the  sea,  rivers 
flowing  into  them  may  have  sufficient  strength  and 
velocity  to  sweep  the  middle  of  the  channel,  and  thus 
prevent  the  deposit  of  mud  or  other  sediment  which 


INTRODUCTION.  Vll 

would  afford  the  necessary  shelter  or  food  to  certain 
animals.  Indeed  the  continual  motion  of  the  stream 
and  the  destructive  property  of  fresh  water  might  pre- 
clude the  possibility  of  any  marine  animals  existing 
within  the  prohibited  area ;  and  in  that  case  the  central 
bed  of  the  channel  would  be  partially  covered  with  clear 
sand,  devoid  of  organic  remains.  An  instance  of  this 
kind  has  been  given  by  Dr.  WalKch  in  his  account  of 
Hamilton's  Inlet_,  Labrador  ^.  Such  cases,  however,  are 
exceptional ;  and  the  limits  of  these  areas  are  very  cir- 
cumscribed. Many  kinds  of  Invertebrata  are  known  to 
flourish  in  the  most  rapid  tideways,  and  even  in  whirl- 
pools; and  the  water  of  the  ocean  everywhere  teems 
with  life.  The  dredge  has  never  failed  to  bring  up 
some  organisms  from  every  part  of  the  sea-bed  which 
has  been  hitherto  explored.  However  unpromising  it 
may  at  first  sight  appear,  the  cleanest-looking  sand 
taken  from  any  depth  of  water,  and  carefully  examined 
by  the  aid  of  a  lens  or  microscope,  will  be  found  to  con- 
tain structural  forms.  Having  these  facts  and  a  certain 
degree  of  experience  to  guide  us  in  the  inquiry,  it  would 
be  a  hasty  assumption  that  any  geological  strata  of 
comparatively  recent  formation,  which  do  not  contain 
fossils,  are  of  marine  origin.  Whether  the  absence  of 
fossils  from  particular  strata  may  be  attributable  to 
chemical  absorption  or  decomposition  is  a  question 
which  must  be  decided  on  other  grounds.  Let  Mr. 
Sorby  be  the  exponent.  Until  more  is  known  of  this 
difficult  and  interesting  subject,  we  may  suspend  our 
judgment  as  to  any  formation  being  either  azoic  or  pro- 
tozoic.  The  presence  of  scarcely  more  distinct  traces  of 
life  than  a  few  worm-casts  in  our  lowest  Silurian  rocks 
does  not  prove  the  improbability,  much  less  the  impos- 
*  '  The  North-Atlantic  Sea-bed,'  p.  49. 


VUl  INTRODUCTION. 

sibility,  of  many  other  and  more  perfect  structures 
having  been  formed  elsewhere  at  the  same  early  period 
of  the  world^s  history.  The  maxim  "  de  non  apparen- 
tibus  et  non  existentibus  eadem  est  ratio  '^  is  scarcely 
applicable  to  geological  cases  of  this  nature. 

The  conditions  which  exist  in  one  part  of  the  sea-bed 
are  often  quite  different  in  another  part.  The  late  Pro- 
fessor Forbes,  in  his  valuable  Report  to  the  British 
Association  in  1843  on  the  Invertebrata  of  the  ^gean, 
stated  his  belief  that  the  zero  of  animal  life  was  pro- 
bably about  300  fathoms,  because  his  dredgings  in  that 
sea  at  a  depth  of  230  fathoms  yielded  but  very  few 
species.  But  in  other  tracts  of  the  ocean  living  animals 
of  various  kinds  have  been  repeatedly  obtained  from  far 
greater  depths.  Our  knowledge  of  abyssal  life  is  only 
checked  by  the  difficulty  of  such  explorations  and  by 
the  imperfect  nature  of  our  means  of  discovery.  It  is 
a  high  and  worthy  object  of  the  naturalist's  ambition, 
and  by  no  means  devoid  of  general  interest. 

"  There  is  a  magnet-like  attraction  in 
These  waters  to  the  imaginative  power 
That  links  the  viewless  with  the  visible, 
And  pictures  things  unseen." 

Speculations  of  this  kind  were  not  unknown  to  the 
ancients.  In  the  '  Halieutica '  of  Oppian,  written  nearly 
seventeen  centuries  ago,  it  is  stated  that  no  one  had 
found  the  bottom  of  the  sea ;  and  that  the  greatest  depth 
ascertained  by  man  was  300  fathoms,  where  Amphi- 
trite  had  been  seen.  But  this  grand  discovery  does 
not  seem  to  have  satisfied  the  poetical  philosopher,  and 
he  enters  into  a  long  disquisition  as  to  the  many  other 
wonderful  things  that  may  be  concealed  in  the  recesses 
of  the  boundless  ocean — adding,  however, 

" oXtyos  5e  v6os  /iepoTreviri  rat  oXkti" 


INTRODUCTION.  IX 

Torell  and  Wallicli,  fortunately  for  science,  were  re- 
gardless of  the  consequences  which,  according  to  M. 
Michelet  (in  his  charming  rhapsody  of  "La  Mer^^), 
would  ensue  on  their  "curiosity  sacrilege;'^  and,  with 
anxious  gaze  "  eyeing  the  sea's  blue  depths,^'  they  have 
dared  to  cross  its  mysterious  threshold.  To  one  of 
these  enterprising  philosophers  is  perhaps  reserved  the 
privilege  of  announcing,  in  the  words  of  the  poet, 

.  .  .  .  "  Lo !  the  polar  seas 
Unbosom  their  last  mysteries." 

The  glimpses  which  they  succeeded  in  obtaining  were 
few  and  transient;  but  we  now  know  that  the  great 
ocean-depths  are  inhabited  by  a  variety  as  well  as  an 
abundance  of  living  animals,  some  of  which  are  of  no 
mean  rank  in  the  scale  of  classification.  Wordsworth 
was  not  wrong  in  his  divination  when  he  also  said, 

"  Her  procreant  vigils  Nature  keeps 
Amid  the  unfathomable  deeps." 

I  have  lately  had,  through  the  kindness  of  Dr.  Wal- 
lich,  an  opportunity  of  examining  some  of  the  material 
brought  up  in  his  North-Atlantic  soundings.  One  of 
these  yielded  several  dead  shells  of  MoUusca,  as  well  as 
Globigerince  and  other  Foraminifera,  from  the  extra- 
ordinary depth  of  1622  fathoms,  or  nearly  two  miles ! 
This  sounding  was  taken  in  lat.  55°  36'  N.,  long.  54° 
33'  W.,  and  about  100  miles  N.W.  of  Hamilton's  Inlet. 
Crenella  faha,  one  of  the  species  of  MoUusca  thus  ob- 
tained, was  dredged  by  Dr.  Wallich  on  the  adjacent 
coast,  at  a  depth  of  from  18  to  40  fathoms  only;  and  it 
is  not  uncommon  on  the  shores  of  the  Polar  and  Arctic 
seas.  The  other  species  of  MoUusca  inhabit  deep  water ; 
and  one  is  undescribed.  It  may  be  conjectured  that 
these  shells  were  dropped  from  the  bottom  of  a  melting 
iceberg  on  its  passage  to  the  south ;  but  as  icebergs  take 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

up  only  stones  and  earth  from  the  land,  like  the  moraine 
of  a  glacier,  such  a  conjecture  does  not  seem  to  be  en- 
titled to  much  weight.  An  iceberg  might  certainly  be 
stranded,  and  thus  pick  up  shells ;  but  it  would  in  all 
probability  be  dissolved  on  the  spot  in  the  course  of  time. 
Its  bulk  and  weight  are  too  great  to  admit  of  its  floating 
off  again  under  such  circumstances  as  I  have  supposed. 
It  is,  indeed,  within  the  bounds  of  possibility  that  the 
shells  might  have  been  collected  on  the  shore  by  coast- 
ice,  and  carried  off  to  sea ;  but  Dr.  Wallich  informs  me 
that  this  kind  of  ice  has  never  been  known  to  travel  so  far 
southward  as  the  locality  above  mentioned.  There  is 
much  greater  probability  that  the  moUusca  in  question 
lived  and  died  on  the  sea-bottom  where  their  remains 
were  found.  Every  one  who  considers  the  importance  of 
these  researches  ought  to  read  and  study  WaUich's  trea- 
tise on  the  North- Atlantic  Sea-bed,  and  especially  the 
chapter  on  the  bathymetrical  limits  of  animal  life  in  the 
ocean.  He  will  find  the  subject  treated  in  a  philosophical 
and  masterly  style ;  and  the  account  of  living  starfishes 
having  been  discovered  at  a  depth  of  1260  fathoms  in 
the  open  sea,  and  also  the  geological  application  of  that 
discovery,  especially  deserve  attention.  Until  of  late 
years  the  use  of  the  dredge,  as  an  instrument  of  zoolo- 
gical research,  was  nearly  unknown.  All  that  natu- 
ralists did  in  former  times  was  to  examine  the  refuse  of 
trawl  nets,  which  seldom  reached  a  depth  of  20  fa- 
thoms ;  or  now  and  then  fishing-lines  of  more  than  twice 
that  length  brought  to  the  surface  a  few  shells  and 
corals  which  were  accidentally  detached  from  the  bottom 
of  the  sea.  These  specimens  (as  Professor  Forbes  said) 
"  only  served  to  whet  our  curiosity,  without  affording 
the  information  we  thirsted  for."  Now-a-days,  how- 
ever, the  dredge  is  a  scientific  necessity ;  and  scarcely 


INTRODUCTION.  XI 

any  part  of  the  ocean^  from  one  pole  to  another,  has 
been  exempt  from  its  operations. 

The  level  of  the  earth  everywhere  is  continually 
changing.  That  of  the  sea  is,  on  the  contrary,  fixed; 
and  although  we  are  accustomed  to  speak  of  its  ad- 
vancing and  retiring,  the  only  motion  it  has  of  this 
kind  is  occasioned  by  the  tides,  and  is  never  permanent. 
Sea  and  earth  may  be  compared  to  two  sisters,  the  elder 
one  staid  and  sedate,  the  youi^er  giddy  and  fickle. 
The  solidity  of  the  earth  and  capriciousness  of  the  sea 
are  poetical  terms,  but  incorrect  in  a  geological  point  of 
view.  Poetry  and  Geology  have  seldom  much  in  com- 
mon. It  is  a  striking  fact,  that  every  part  of  the  earth's 
surface  which  is  now  habitable  or  dry,  has  at  more 
periods  than  one  formed  the  bed  of  the  sea  : 

"  Each  changing  place  with  that  which  goes  before, 
In  sequent  toil  all  forwards  do  contend." 

There  is  not  an  individual  particle  of  this  crust  but  what 
has  been  often  shifted  and  transformed ;  and  the  phases 
of  a  kaleidoscope  are  not  more  varied  than  the  configu- 
rations which  have  resulted  from  such  changes  since 
time  commenced  its  task  of  revolution.  The  inevitable 
recurrence  of  similar  fluctuations  will  assuredly  make 
our  rich  and  favoured  isle  again  the  seat  of  watery 
wealth — although  it  may  not  be  laid  waste  by  a  deluge 
such  as  Horace  describes, 

"  Omne  quum  Proteus  pecus  egit  altos 
Visere  montes, 
Piscium  et  summa  genus  haesit  ulmo, 
Nota  quae  sedes  fuerat  columbis, 
Et  superjecto  pavidae  natarunt 

iEquore  damae." 

Not  long  afterwards  Manilius  (who  was  a  better  geo- 
logist than  Horace)  showed  the  reverse  of  the  medal : — 


Xll  INTRODUCTION. 

"  Emersere  fretis  montes,  orbisque  per  undas 
Exiliit,  Tasto  clausus  tamen  undique  ponto." 

Such  theories  appear  to  have  been  first  propounded  by 
Straton,  the  successor  of  Theophrastus  in  his  school ; 
and  they  were  improved  by  Herodotus^  and  still  more  by 
StrabOj  who  gave  numerous  instances  of  the  changes  of 
sea  and  land.  But  it  is  not  a  mere  theory,  that  what 
has  been  will  be ;  and  our  own  Shakespeare  has  pro- 
phetically illustrated  tjiis  idea  in  one  of  his  exquisite 
sonnets  : — 

"  When  I  hare  seen  the  hungry  ocean  gain 
Advantage  on  the  kingdom  of  the  shore, 
And  the  firm  soil  win  of  the  wat'ry  main, 
Increasing  store  with  loss,  and  loss  with  store  ; 
When  I  hare  seen  such  interchange  of  state,    • 
Or  state  itself  confounded  to  decay ; 
Euin  hath  taught  me  thus  to  ruminate — 
That  time  wiU  come  " — 

Sea  and  land  are  in  some  respects  convertible  terms ; 
and  the  epithet  of  "earth-embracing/^  given  to  the 
former,  conveys  only  an  indistinct  notion  of  their  close 
and  inseparable  union.  One  cannot  exist  without  the 
other.  They  contain  many  of  the  same  ingredients.  But 
the  sea  is  the  main  depository  of  all  soluble  matter; 
and  the  greater  number  and  bulk*  of  marine  testacea, 
compared  with  those  which  inhabit  the  land,  may  be 
thus  accounted  for.  The  quantity  of  calcareous  matter 
from  which  the  continual  and  immense  construction  of 
shells  is  derived,  appears  to  be  infinitesimally  small. 
Liebig  has  calculated  that  sea- water  contains  only  i2hoo 
of  its  weight  of  carbonate  of  lime,  this  being  the  princi- 
pal ingredient  of  molluscous  shells.  How  little  do  we 
appreciate  the  action  and  effect  of  elements  which  are 

*  I  have  seen  a  specimen  of  Tridacna  gigas,  from  Amboyna,  said  to 
weigh  3  cwt.  3  qrs. 


INTRODUCTION.  Xir 

insignificant  in  themselves  but  inconceivably  important 
in  their  consequences  ! — a  consideration  which  is  not  less 
applicable  to  moral  than  to  physical  nature.  Paley  in 
his  ^Natural  Theology^  quaintly  remarks^  with  regard 
to  the  proportion  of  space  occupied  by  the  sea  and  land, 
"  I  know  not  why  the  sea  may  not  have  as  good  a  right 
to  its  place  as  the  land."  No  more  do  I.  Each  un- 
consciously fulfils  the  peculiar  function  assigned  to  it 
from  the  commencement  by  an  allwise  Providence.  No 
one  can  reflect  on  the  innumerable  and  various  trans- 
formations which  both  have  since  undergone,  without 
being  convinced  that  their  creation  and  inherent  forces 
must  be  due  to  an  extraneous  cause.  Paley^s  watch 
is  out  of  fashion ;  but  those  of  my  readers  who  admire 
— and  who  does  not? — the  still  more  antiquated  but 
equally  devout  writings  of  the  "Father  of  English 
Poets  '^  will,  I  feel  sure,  not  object  to  be  reminded  of 
his  sentiments  on  the  same  topic.  They  are  in  the  Pro- 
logue to  his  '  Testament  of  Love,^  and  as  follows  : — 

"Nowe  principally  the  mene  to  brynge  in  know- 
leging  and  lovynge  his  creatour,  is  the  consideracyon  of 
thynges  made  by  the  creatour,  wher  through  by  thylke 
thinges  that  ben  made,  understandynge  here  to  our 
wyttes,  arne  the  unsene  pryvities  of  God  made  to  us 
syghtfull  and  knowinge,  in  our  contemplacion  and 
understondinge.  These  thinges  than  forsoth  moche 
bringen  us  to  the  ful  knowleginge  sothe,  and  to  the 

parfyte  love  of  the  maker  of  hevenly  thynges 

it  is  a  grete  likynge  in  love  of  knowinge  ther  cretoure  : 
and  also  in  knowinge  of  causes  in  kindelye  thynges, 
considrid  forsothe  the  formes  of  kindelye  thinges  and 
the  shap,  a  gret  kyndely  love  we  shulde  have  to  the 
werkman  that  ^hem  made.  The  crafte  of  a  werkman  is 
shewed  in  the  werk." 

b 


XIV  INTRODUCTION. 

Who  that  breathes,  and  is  endued  with  the  powers 
that  so  widely  separate  man  from  the  brute,  can  for  one 
instant  withhold  his  acknowledgment  of  an  omnipresent 
Being,  which  is  sensibly  spread 

**  o'er  all  that  glides 

Beneath  the  wave,  yea,  in  the  wave  itself, 
And  mighty  depth  of  waters  "  ? 


I  will  now  resume  the  special  purpose  of  this  work, 
commencing  with  the  Brachiopoda,  as  having  the  lowest 
organization,  and  advancing  upwards  to  the  higher  or 
more  perfect  Mollusca.  The  descriptions  of  the  ani- 
mals or  soft  parts  will,  I  regret  to  say,  be  sometimes 
scanty  and  occasionally  wanting.  They  are  principally 
taken  from  the  observations  of  the  late  Mr.  Clark  and 
Professor  Forbes,  Mr.  Alder,  and  myself.  My  deficien- 
cies in  this  respect  will,  I  trust,  stimulate  other  natu- 
ralists to  supply  the  desired  information ;  and  I  would 
especially  invite  the  assistance  of  those  who  have  an 
aquarium,  and  opportunities  of  keeping  it  supplied  from 
the  various  parts  of  our  extensive  seaboard.  Every  fact, 
however  trivial,  is  worth  recording,  because  (even  if  it 
is  not  new)  it  may  be  useful  for  the  sake  of  confirming 
the  accounts  given  by  other  naturalists.  Most  of  the 
illustrations  of  molluscous  animals  in  this  volume  have 
been  copied  from  the  plates  in  Forbes  and  Hanley's 
work,  or  engraved  from  original  drawings  by  Mr.  Alder. 
For  the  figures  of  Craniaj  Crenella,  and  Cyamium  I 
am  indebted  to  Dr.  Saxby,  and  for  that  of  Pinna  to 
Mr.  Spence  Bate. 

The  1st  Class,  or  Conchifera,  has  been  described  in 
the  first  volume,  so  far  as  it  relates  to  the  freshwater 
Mollusca ;  and  the  only  other  division  of  the  Acephala 
is  the  Brachiopoda,  which  will  now  be  noticed. 


Class  BRACHIOPODA*. 

Body  compressed,  of  an  oval  or  occasionally  a  circular  form, 
contained  within  the  two  valves  of  a  shell,  which  are  in  most 
cases  connected  behind  bj  a  hinge,  but  never  by  a  ligament  or 
cartilage.  The  shell  is  inequivalve,  and  furnished  inside  with 
a  complicated  skeleton  for  supporting  the  arms,  which  will 
be  presently  noticed.  The  mantle  is  divided  into  two  lobes, 
and  its  outer  edge  is  fringed  with  a  row  of  extensile  tentacles, 
every  one  of  which  has  at  its  root  or  base  a  coloured  spot, 
which  may  be  a  rudimentary  eye.  Each  lobe  contains  a  folded 
or  spirally  coiled  arm,  which  is  furnished  with  one  or  more 
rows  of  flexible  cirri  or  filaments.  The  animal  is  destitute  of 
a  head  or  foot;  but  it  has  a  slit-shaped  mouth  behind  the 
arms,  an  excretory  tube,  a  stomach,  several  vesicles  which 
serve  the  purpose  of  a  heart,  nerves,  muscles,  liver,  and  repro- 
ductive organs.  The  circulatory  system  is  supplied  by  the 
mantle  and  arms,  there  being  no  gills.  It  is  supposed  by  some 
writers  that  both  sexes  are  united  in  the  same  individual ;  but 
this  is  doubtful.  In  the  majority  of  cases  (e.  g.  TerebratuUdce) 
the  animal  is  attached  to  extraneous  bodies  by  a  fibrous  stalk 
or  peduncle,  which  is  placed  at  the  back,  and  penetrates  the 
upper  or  convex  valve ;  while  in  others  (e.  g.  Craniidce)  it  is 
usually  affixed  by  the  outer  surface  of  the  lower  valve,  which 
is  flat. 

This  remarkable  and  peculiar  Class  is  nearly  equal  in 
value  to  the  Conchifera  (see  vol.  i.)  as  regards  the  im- 
portance of  its  structural  characters ;  and,  although  it 
does  not  contain  so  many  species,  they  are  quite  as 
abounding  in  individuals.  In  point  of  antiquity  it  is  far 
superior^ 

** of  ancestry 

Mysteriously  remote  and  high ;" 

and  not  even  a  Welshman,  who  would  place  Adam  in 
the  middle  of  his  genealogical  tree,  can  boast  such  a 

*  From  an  erroneous  notion  that  their  feet  take  the  shape  of  arms. 

B 


4f  BRACHIOPODA. 

lineage.  The  Lingula-hed  of  the  upper  Cambrian  system 
is  well  known ;  and  other  palaeozoic  strata  contain 
equally  rich  mines  of  similar  wealth.  But  although 
the  number  and  variety  of  recent  Brachiopoda  are  not 
equal  to  those  of  former  days,  the  difference  does  not 
appear  to  be  so  great  as  has  been  usually  represented. 
Mr.  Davidson,  who  is  perhaps  the  greatest  authority  on 
the  subject,  says  that  there  are  20  Silurian,  25  Devo- 
nian, 19  Carboniferous,  12  Permian,  12  Triassic,  14  Ju- 
rassic, 12  Cretaceous,  10  Tertiary,  and  14  recent  genera 
and  subgenera;  so  that  we  seem  to  have  improved 
in  this  respect  on  the  middle  ages,  and  future  genera- 
tions may  exhibit  a  further  advance,  and  even  rival  the 
primeval  era.  The  comparative  rarity  of  Brachiopoda 
in  modern  times  may  be  easily  accounted  for.  They 
mostly  inhabit  rocky  and  stony  parts  of  the  sea-bed, 
which  cannot  be  reached  by  the  dredge  without  great 
risk  of  its  being  lost  or  injured,  although  they  are  gre- 
garious and  occur  in  vast  numbers  under  favourable 
circumstances.  My  late  friend.  Dr.  Lukis,  found  more 
than  200  specimens  of  Argiope  cistellula  on  a  single 
stone  brought  up  from  a  depth  of  20  fathoms  off  Guern- 
sey; and  I  have  myself  repeatedly  taken  Terebratula 
caput -serpentis  and  Crania  anomala  in  such  profusion 
on  the  western  coasts  of  Scotland,  as  to  be  compelled 
by  a  sheer  embarras  des  richesses  to  throw  many 
hundreds  overboard  in  the  course  of  a  day's  dredging. 
Even  the  comparatively  rare  T,  cranium  is  no  exception. 
I  have  counted  seventy  specimens,  although  broken  and 
imperfect,  which  came  up  in  a  single  haul  off  the  Shet- 
lands.  Terebratella  Spitzbergensis,  which  was  at  first 
accounted  extremely  scarce,  now  appears,  from  Dr.  Otto 
TorelFs  researches,  to  be  by  no  means  uncommon  in  its 
native  haunts ;  and  I  lately  picked  up  two  or  three  fossil 


BRACHIOPODA.  3 

specimens  of  it  at  Uddevalla,  in  the  course  of  a  short 
exploration  of  the  raised  sea-bed  in  that  remarkably  in- 
teresting place.  T.  septata  (or  septigera),  as  regards  the 
frequency  of  its  occurrence,  may  be  placed  in  the  same 
category.  The  examination  of  fossiliferous  strata  is 
attended  with  no  risk,  and  the  specimens  are  procured 
without  much  difficulty;  but  I  much  doubt  if  we  should 
not  find  in  a  modern  sea-bed,  of  the  same  extent  and 
having  similar  conditions,  a  collection  of  Brachiopoda 
fully  equal  in  number  and  variety  to  those  contained  in 
any  one  Palaeozoic,  Mesozoic,  or  Cainozoic  formation. 
So  many  recent  species  have  been  made  out  of  solitary 
or  a  very  few  specimens,  that  it  is  evident  much  remains 
to  be  known  of  this  curious  group  as  it  at  present  exists. 
Being  individually  numerous,  and  comparatively  low  in 
the  scale  of  organization,  the  tendency  to  variation  is 
of  course  great.  An  examination  of  nearly  all  the  types 
of  recent  species  induces  me  to  suggest  the  necessity  of 
a  complete  revision  of  these  so-called  species. 

This  group  has  been  for  more  than  half  a  century  a 
favourite  study  of  naturalists.  Pallas,  Cuvier,  De  Blain- 
ville,  Owen,  Quenstedt,  Deshayes,  Vogt,  Forbes,  Hux- 
ley, M.  J.  Miiller,  Schmidt,  Deslongchamps,  Carpenter, 
Barrett,  Woodward,  Gratiolet,  Hancock,  F.  Miiller, 
Macdonald,  Lacaze-Duthiers,  and  Shaler  have  at  different 
periods  contributed  a  vast  store  of  information  as  to  the 
structure  of  recent  Brachiopoda;  while  De  Koninck, 
D^Orbigny,  M'Coy,  King,  Davidson,  Suess,  and  other 
able  palaeontologists  have  made  us  acquainted  with  the 
fossil  forms.  Mr.  Reeve  has  also  rendered  some  good 
service  in  respect  of  the  synonymy  and  geographical  dis- 
tribution of  existing  species.  Mr.  Hancock^ s  valuable 
paper  "  on  the  Organization  of  the  Brachiopoda  '^  will 
be  found  in  the  'Philosophical  Transactions'  for  1858. 

b2 


4  BRACHIOPODA. 

It  deservedly  gained  him  the  Royal  medal,  and  is  the 
more  praiseworthy  because  he  never,  I  believe,  had  the 
good  fortune  to  see  a  living  specimen.  This  oppor- 
tunity, however,  has  frequently  occurred  to  me ;  and  I 
will  endeavour,  with  the  aid  of  Mr.  Hancock's  and  other 
treatises,  to  present  a  few  remarks  on  the  structure  and 
habits  of  this  extraordinary  class. 

It  has  been  usual  to  consider  the  valves  of  the  shell 
in  Terebratula  as  covering  the  front  and  back  of  the 
animal,  the  perforate  valve  being  ventral,  and  the  imper- 
forate valve  dorsal.  When  the  Terebratula  is  attached 
by  its  peduncle  the  perforate  valve  is  uppermost.  But 
the  analogy  between  the  Brachiopoda  and  the  Verte- 
brata  is  very  slight.  The  back  of  a  Terebratula  is  really 
that  part  which  lies  behind  the  arms  and  mouth,  and  is 
close  to  the  apex  or  point  of  attachment.  Instead, 
therefore,  of  calling  the  valves  "  ventraP'  and  "  dorsal,^' 
it  would  seem  more  correct  to  describe  them  as  "upper  '^ 
and  "  lower  ^' — the  larger  and  deeper  valve  being  perfo- 
rate and  uppermost,  and  the  smaller  and  shallower  valve 
being  imperforate  and  lowermost.  In  the  Brachiopoda 
the  valves  are  articulated  across  the  back ;  in  the  Con- 
chifera  the  valves  are  united  by  a  ligament  or  cartilage 
along  the  back.  The  arms  occupy  two-thirds  of  the 
shell.  They  resemble  the  mainspring  of  a  watch,  and 
are  not  capable  of  being  protruded  or  unrolled.  I  have 
never  observed  the  cirri,  with  which  they  are  clothed, 
to  project  much  beyond  the  edges  of  the  shell  in  the 
living  animal.  The  great  extent  of  these  brachial  organs 
is  very  remarkable.  In  Rhynchonella  psittacea  the  arms, 
when  forcibly  stretched  out,  are  said  to  be  more  than 
four  times  the  length  of  the  shell,  and  to  support  about 
3000  cirri.  In  Terebratula  caput -serpentis  the  cirri 
open  and  fold  together  somewhat  like  a  butterfly-net. 


BRACHIOPODA.  5 

Mr.  Hancock  is  of  opinion  that  "the  brachial  organs 
subserve  the  function  of  gills,  as  well  as  that  of  respira- 
tion/' As  far  as  I  could'judge  from  the  examination  of 
living  specimens  of  T.  caput-serpentis ,  the  inner  folds  of 
the  mantle  appeared  to  have  the  same  action  as  that  of 
the  gills  in  many  Lamellibranch  MoUusca.  The  name 
of  Palliobranchiata  was  given  to  the  class  now  under  con- 
sideration in  consequence  of  a  belief  that  their  respiratory 
system  was  dependent  on  the  mantle.  Mr.  Macdonald 
has  shown,  in  the  '  Linnean  Transactions '  (xxiii.  p.  375), 
that  the  pallial  sinuses  serve  as  organs  of  circulation. 
Some  of  this  class  have  calcareous  spicula  or  plates  in 
the  mantle,  as  well  as  in  the  arms  and  cirri.  In  Tere- 
bratiila  caput -serpentis  these  spicula  are  very  numerous, 
large,  and  often  branched  like  the  antlers  of  a  deer ;  and 
they  form  an  extensive  though  incomplete  network. 
Their  use  is  doubtless  the  same  as  that  of  the  spicula  in 
sponges,  viz.  to  strengthen  and  support  the  tissues  of 
the  animal,  and  especially  to  protect  the  delicate  canals 
of  the  mantle  from  the  pressure  of  the  external  fluid. 
Under  a  microscope  with  polarized  light  these  spicula 
are  remarkably  beautiful  objects.  The  pallial  tentacles 
resemble  those  oiAnomia.  When  the  animal  is  dead  and 
dried  up,  they  are  stiff  from  contraction,  and  of  a  horny 
texture,  for  which  reason  they  have  been  called  setae  or 
bristles.  The  muscular  system  is  well  developed,  and 
admirably  adapted  to  the  complicated  machinery  by  which 
the  animal  opens,  closes,  and  moves  the  valves  of  its  shell. 
Dr.  Carpenter  was  the  first  to  point  out  and  explain  a 
very  singular  apparatus  of  canals  or  cylindrical  holes 
observable  in  the  shells  of  Terebratula  and  other  allied 
genera,  which  are  occupied  by  tubular  appendages  of 
the  mantle  and  closed  on  the  outside.  These  processes 
penetrate  every  part  of  the  shell,  but  their  function  has 


6  BRACHIOPODA. 

not  been  satisfactorily  made  out.  Mr.  Hancock  sup- 
poses that  they  maintain  the  vitality  of  the  shell,  and 
that  perhaps  by  their  means  any  injury  to  it  may  be  re- 
paired. Some  provision  of  this  sort  appears  to  be  neces- 
sary, because  the  Brachiopods  do  not,  to  any  great  ex- 
tent, thicken  their  shells  by  successive  internal  layers, 
like  bivalve  MoUusca.  The  shells  of  the  Brachiopoda 
are  never  provided  with  an  epidermis ;  and  this  may  also 
account  for  their  perforated  structure.  Many  bivalve 
shells,  such  as  those  of  Astarte,  from  which  the  epider- 
mis has  been  accidentally  removed,  peel  off,  or  become 
eroded  near  the  beaks  to  such  an  extent  that,  if  new 
layers  were  not  continually  being  secreted  from  within, 
the  animals  would  be  laid  bare  and  exposed  to  untold 
dangers.  Sponges,  Balani,  Serpulce,  and  other  extra- 
neous organisms  are  often  seen  covering  or  attached  to 
the  shells  of  Terebratulae.  The  hinge  in  the  articulated 
kinds  is  so  firmly  interlocked,  that  it  is  impossible  to 
separate  the  valves  without  using  a  slight  degree  of  force. 
They  appear  to  be  in  some  measure  sensible  of  light. 
Lacaze-Duthiers  gives  an  instance  of  Thecidia  collapsing 
suddenly  when  his  shadow  passed  between  them  and  the 
sun.  He  succeeded  in  keeping  these  curious  Brachio- 
pods, in  a  lively  and  active  state,  for  six  weeks  by  merely 
changing  the  water  every  day.  The  sexual  nature  of  the 
Brachiopoda  is  not  quite  determined.  Dr.  Gratiolet  sug- 
gests that  the  same  individuals  may  become  successively 
male  or  female  at  different  periods.  Mr.  Hancock  con- 
siders Lingula,  at  least,  to  be  androgynous  or  monoecious ; 
and  he  infers  from  analogy  that  both  sexes  are  combined 
also  in  the  articulated  Brachiopods.  But  Lacaze-Duthiers 
has  investigated  this  part  of  the  subject  more  recently 
and  under  circumstances  more  favourable  than  seem  to 
have  fallen  to  the  lot  of  any  other  writer.     His  elabo- 


BRACHIOPODA.  7 

rate  essay  on  the  Thecidium  Mediterraneum  will  be 
found  in  the  ^  Annales  des  Sciences  Naturelles '  for  1861, 
and  is  the  first  of  a  series  of  monographs  on  the  organi- 
zation of  the  living  Brachiopoda.  He  asserts  most  con- 
fidently that  the  Thecidia  are  of  different  sexes,  and 
that  the  male  and  female  can  be  distinguished  even  by 
their  shells.  According  to  his  observations  the  embryo 
of  Thecidium  is  divided  into  four  distinct  lobes,  and  it 
has  sometimes  two,  and  at  other  times  four  eye-spots. 
When  separated  from  the  peduncle  by  which  it  is 
attached,  it  swims  or  whirls  head  foremost  by  means  of 
vibratory  cilia  which  cover  the  body.  Fritz  Miiller  had 
previously  described  in  Wiegmann^s  Archiv  (xxvii.  p.  53) 
the  fry  of  a  Brazilian  Brachiopod.  He  says  it  was  enclosed 
in  a  bivalve  shell  like  the  adult,  and  that  its  structure 
was  the  same,  except  in  having  two  eyes  and  in  wanting 
the  reproductive  and  circulatory  organs.  The  arms  were 
covered  with  a  complete  coat  of  cilia,  by  the  action  of 
which  the  little  creature  swam.  It  could  also  creep ; 
and  this  was  effected  by  a  semirotatory  movement 
alternately  to  the  right  and  left,  and  by  pushing  itself 
along  by  means  of  the  bristles  or  setae  which  fringe  the 
edges  of  the  mantle,  and  upon  the  strongest  of  which  it 
would  occasionally  support  itself  while  resting.  The 
Brachiopoda  are  extremely  prolific,  and  their  countless 
eggs  are  of  a  spherical  shape.  After  quitting  the  em- 
bryonic state,  they  become  invariably  and  permanently 
fixed  to  other  substances,  being  incapable  of  any  other 
motion  than  making  a  half-turn  round  the  peduncle  or 
pivot.  Their  food  consists  of  Infusoria  or  other  minute 
organisms.  Milton  has,  with  his  usual  felicity,  de- 
scribed the  present  animals  as  those  which, 

<' in  their  pearly  shells  at  ease,  attend 

Moist  nutriment." 


8  BRACHIOPODA. 

Some  Terebraiulm  which  I  watched  for  a  long  time 
seemed,  however,  to  be  more  active  than  passive  in 
feeding.  They  were  incessantly  opening  and  folding 
their  cirrous  arms,  and  drawing  or  sucking  in,  by  means 
of  the  whirlpool  thus  caused,  every  animalcule  within  its 
influence.  The  action  reminded  me  of  that  of  a  Bar- 
nacle, the  only  difference  being  in  the  position  of  the 
arms,  which  in  Balanus  are  placed  in  front,  and  in 
Terebratula  on  the  sides  of  the  animal.  Possibly  Cuvier's 
notion  that  the  Brachiopods  do  not  difier  much  from 
the  Cirripeds  was  correct,  although  the  relationship  be- 
tween them  may  be  one  of  analogy  rather  than  of 
affinity.  Very  lately  Dr.  Gratiolet  has  expressed  an 
opinion  that  the  Brachiopods  are  allied  to  the  Crus- 
tacea in  respect  of  their  vascular  system,  and  not  to  the 
Mollusca,  or  least  of  all  to  the  Tunicata.  Milne-Ed- 
wards has  included  them  with  the  Tunicata  and  Poly- 
zoa,  in  his  Class  "  Molluscoida."  Lacaze-Duthiers  sepa- 
rates them  from  the  Acephala  mainly  on  embryogenic 
grounds,  remarking  that  the  difier ence  in  this  respect 
between  the  Brachiopoda  and  Acephala  is  as  great  as 
between  the  latter  and  the  Gasteropoda.  In  this  contro- 
verted and  unsatisfactory  state  of  our  knowledge,  it 
would  seem  best  to  retain  them  for  the  present  in  the 
great  kingdom  of  the  Mollusca,  as  a  class  of  coordinate 
value  with  the  Conchifera, — the  Pteropoda  and  Gastero- 
poda forming  another  and  equally  poised  group.  The 
Brachiopoda  have  certainly  some  features  in  common 
with  the  Tunicata,  as  well  as  with  the  Conchifera ;  but 
they  differ  essentially  from  both  in  having  cirrous  arms, 
in  which  latter  respect  they  resemble  the  Cirripedia. 
The  perforated  structure  of  their  shells  agrees  with  that 
of  the  Balanida,  and  also  of  the  Polyzoa.  They  are  con- 
fessedly anomalous,  and  to  a  certain  extent  sui  generis. 


BRACHIOPODA.  9 

The  Brachiopods  inhabit  all  the  zones  of  vertical 
depth.  The  Rev.  M.  J.  Berkeley  found  a  living  speci- 
men of  Terebratula  caput -serpentis  attached  to  a  rock 
at  low- water  mark_,  on  a  part  of  the  Scotch  coast  where 
the  tide  falls  only  a  few  feet ;  I  have  taken  the  same 
species  by  dredging  at  various  depths  from  3  to  90 
fathoms;  M^ Andrew  and  Barrett  obtained  T.  cranium 
alive  at  160  fathoms;  and  Dr.  Wallich  has  shown  me 
a  shell  of  the  last-named  species  which  was  brought 
up  by  sounding  off  the  east  coast  of  Greenland  in  228 
fathoms.  The  nature  of  the  sea-bottom,  more  than  the 
depth  of  water,  determines  the  limit  of  their  habitability. 

This  class  has  two  great  and  distinct  types  of  form, 
viz.  the  jointed  and  hingeless,  although  a  fossil  genus 
{Davidsonia)  is  considered  by  M.  Bouchard-Chantereaux 
to  form  a  connecting  link  between  them.  The  above 
distinction  was  first  noticed  and  proposed  by  M.  Des- 
hayes,  and  it  is  founded  on  malacological  as  well  as 
conchological  characters.  By  far  the  greater  part  of 
the  Brachiopoda  (including  the  Terehratulidcs)  belong 
to  the  former  section,  while  the  other  comprises  only 
Crania,  Lingula,  and  a  few  more  genera.  Both  of 
these  types  or  sections  are  represented  in  the  British 
fauna. 


b5 


10  TEREBRATULIDiE. 

*  Jointed. 

Family  I.  TEREBRATUXlDiE,  Gray. 

Body  oval :  arms  folded  back,  and  supported  either  by  shelly 
processes  issuing  from  the  hinge  of  the  lower  valve,  or  by  lon- 
gitudinal septa  or  partywalls  in  that  valve  :  attachment  formed 
by  a  peduncle,  which  passes  through  a  hole  in  the  upper  valve. 

Shell  longitudinally  or  transversely  oval,  more  or  less  con- 
vex :  skeleton  or  apophysary  system  consisting  of  riband-shaped 
plates,  which  are  frequently  looped  or  united  :  hinge  formed  of 
two  side-teeth  in  the  upper  valve,  which  lock  into  sockets  in 
the  lower  valve  :  muscular  scars  slight  and  seldom  visible. 

This  family  is  very  numerous  and  diversified  in  cha- 
racter, and  it  is  also  widely  dispersed  both  in  space  and 
time.  Some  of  its  members  occur  in  every  sea,  from 
the  arctic  to  the  antarctic  pole ;  and  its  geological 
range  appears  to  include  all  the  known  strata,  from  the 
Silurian  to  those  which  are  now  in  course  of  forma- 
tion. Colonna  in  1616  was  the  first  to  use  the  name 
Anomia,  and  applied  it  to  species  of  Terebratula ;  and 
Linne  and  other  naturalists  of  the  old  school  also  placed 
them  in  the  former  genus,  because  they  are  attached  to 
extraneous  substances  by  a  fibrous  tendon  passing 
through  one  of  the  valves  of  the  shell.  But  although 
the  analogy  holds  good  to  a  certain  extent,  it  is  not 
complete.  In  this  section  of  the  Brachiopoda  the  upper 
valve,  and  in  Anomia  the  lower  valve  is  thus  perforated, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  very  different  organization  of  the 
animal  and  internal  structure  of  the  shell.  Systematists 
are  not  yet  agreed  as  to  the  number  of  genera  into 
which  this  large  family  ought  to  be  divided,  nor  whether 
any  or  how  many  subgenera  are  allowable.  Either  mode 
of  distinction,  however,  is  clearly  artificial,  and  used 
merely  for  the  sake   of  convenient   classification.     As 


TEREBRATULA.  11 

our  indigenous  species  are  very  few  and  reducible  to 
two  types,  I  do  not  wish  to  burden  the  nomenclature 
more  than  can  be  helped,  and  I  therefore  propose  to 
adopt  the  genera  Terebratula  and  Argiope  only.  These 
appear  to  have  sufficiently  definite  characters  by  which 
one  may  be  distinguished  from  the  other. 

Genus  I.  TEUEBRA'TULA*,  Lhwyd.     PL  I.  f.  1. 

Body  convex :  mantle  free  at  its  outer  edges. 

Shell  acutely  triangular :  hedk  prominent :  foramen,  or 
byssal  perforation,  small :  hinge-line  curved  :  skeleton  consist- 
ing of  horizontally  projecting  blades,  which  are  often  looped. 

There  are  only  two  British  species,  and  for  these  as 
many  genera  have  been  proposed  by  some  authors.  I 
will  arrange  them  in  sections. 


A.  Shell  smooth :  sJceleton  consisting  of  two  long  blades,  which 
are  not  looped  or  connected.  ( Waldheimia  and  Macan- 
drevia,  King.) 

W^i.^.Oj©.      1.  Terebratula  CRA'NiUMt,(Miiller.)  H  *^ 

T.  cranium,  Miill.  Zool.  Dan.  Prodr.  p.  249,  no.  3006 ;  Forbes  &  Hanley, 
vol.  ii.  p.  357,  pi.  Ivii.  f.  11. 

Body  cream-colour,  with  a  brownish  tinge :  mantle  thin ; 
tentacles  rather  short,  with  small  brown  tubercles  at  their 
base:  arms  dark  brown;  cirri  rather  short:  peduncle  short 
and  compact. 

Shell  oval,  with  sometimes  a  squarish  outline,  convex, 
rather  thin,  slightly  lustrous :  sculpture,  smooth  to  the  naked 
eye,  but  very  closely  tubercled  when  examined  with  a  mag- 
nifying-power :  colour  white :  margins  compressed,  often  trun- 
cate and  sometimes  flexuous  in  front :  heah  rather  prominent, 
but  short,  worn  by  rubbing  against  the  stone  or  other  hard 
substance  to  which  the  shell  is  attached :  foramen  oval,  in- 

*  From  the  hole  in  the  shell. 

t  From  a  fancied  resemblance  of  the  shell  to  a  human  skull. 


12  TEREBRATULID^. 

complete  at  the  lower  end :  deltldium  (or  triangular  space  be- 
low the  beak)  slight,  and  divided  by  the  point  of  the  lower 
valve :  hinge-plate  of  both  valves  exceedingly  thick,  forming 
strong  supports  for  the  teeth  and  lamellar  processes  ;  from 
these  processes  extend  into  the  interior  two  diverging  ridges 
or  septa  in  the  upper  valve,  and  three  or  more  in  the  lower 
valve  :  teeth  of  upper  valve  very  strong  and  projecting  towards 
each  other :  sockets  in  lower  valve  deep  ;  skeleton  consisting 
of  two  thin  and  elastic  blades,  which  reach  within  about  one- 
fourth  of  the  front  margin ;  they  are  furnished  with  upright 
spurs  at  a  short  distance  from  the  hinge-plate,  and  have  sharp 
points.   L.  1.   B.  0-8. 

Var.  ohlonga.  Shell  much  narrower  and  deeper  than  usual, 
and  having  the  front  margin  nearly  straight. 

Habitat  :  Rocky  and  stony  ground,  from  50  to  90 
fathoms,  on  the  north  and  east  coasts  of  Shetland,  but 
exceedingly  rare  in  a  living  state.  More  than  fifty  years 
ago,  when  the  late  Professor  Fleming  was  Minister  of 
Bressay  Island,  a  stone  was  brought  to  him  by  one  of 
his  parishioners,  a  long- line  fisherman,  to  which  three 
specimens  of  this  curious  shell  were  attached.  One  of 
them  was  sent  to  Col.  Montagu,  who  described  it  in  the 
eleventh  volume  of  the  '  Linnean  Transactions.^  My 
late  friend  Mr.  Barlee,  as  well  as  myself  with  Mr.  Wal- 
ler and  Mr.  Norman,  have  lately  dredged  specimens  of 
various  sizes  and  ages  in  the  same  part  of  our  seas,  at 
distances  from  land  ranging  from  one  to  thirty-five  miles. 
The  locality  ("Dublin  Bay"),  recorded  by  Dr.  Turton 
in  his  '  Conchological  Dictionary,'  appears  to  be  more 
than  questionable,  especially  as  he  omitted  it  in  his  sub- 
sequent w^ork  on  the  British  bivalves.  This  species 
does  not  appear  to  have  bteen  found  in  any  of  our  upper 
tertiaries ;  but,  in  all  probability,  the  T,  euthyra  of  Phi- 
lippi,  a  fossil  from  a  corresponding  formation  in  Sicily, 
is  the  same  species.  T.  cranium  is  rather  common  on 
the  Scandinavian  coasts;  and  Dr.  Wallich  obtained  dead 


TEREBRATULA.  13 

specimens  off  the  east  coast  of  Greenland  at  the  several 
depths  of  108  and  228  fathoms. 

According  to  Mr.  Barrett,  this  is  more  lively  than 
T.  caput-serpentis,  moving  often  on  its  pedicle,  but  it  is 
more  easily  alarmed.  The  excellent  Montagu  must  have 
indulged  in  an  unusual  nap  when  he  imagined  that  the 
animal  protruded  its  tube  through  the  aperture  of  the 
beak,  so  as  to  serve  the  triple  purpose  of  mouth,  foot, 
and  sucker,  and  that  it  was  capable  of  a  certain  degree 
of  locomotion !  But  his  notion  that,  by  means  of  the 
hinge,  the  valves  are  shiiilarly  and  as  firmly  articulated 
as  the  claw  of  a  crab,  is  much  more  correct,  and  shows 
his  admirable  power  of  observation.  The  internal  skele- 
ton is  very  different  from  that  of  T.  [Waldheimia)  au- 
st rails.  Having  carefully  cleaned  the  inside  of  a  speci- 
men of  T.  cranium^  containing  the  dried  remains  of  the 
animal,  with  a  weak  solution  of  potash,  and  examined 
several  other  perfect  shells  of  different  ages,  I  could  not 
perceive  the  least  appearance  of  a  loop,  which  is  so 
evident  in  T.  australis.  The  lamellar  processes  in  the 
lower  valve  of  T.  cranium  are  equal  in  length,  and  end 
in  sharp  points.  They  may  be  compared  to  the  chariot- 
blades  used  by  the  ancient  Scythians,  and  they  some- 
what resemble  the  falciform  apophyses  of  Teredo  and 
Pholas.  In  the  young  of  T.  cranium  these  processes  are 
extremely  short.  Their  arrangement  and  shape  are  so 
dissimilar  in  species  closely  allied  in  other  respects,  that 
I  should  be  inclined  to  consider  their  importance,  as 
characters  of  generic  distinction,  somewhat  doubtful. 

T.  cranium  was  at  first  mistaken  by  Professors  Fleming 
and  Sars  for  T.  vitrea,  which  is  a  native  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean, and  has  a  different  foramen  and  skeleton.  Dr. 
Leach  gave  the  present  species  the  name  of  T.  glabra, 
and  its  habitat  "  the  coasts  of  Devon.^'    The  young  have 


14  TEREBRATULID^. 

slight  ears,  or  triangular  expansions,  at  the  upper  angles 
of  the  lower  valve,  as  in  T.  caput -serpentis ;  and  they 
are  furnished  with  a  very  distinct  and  prominent  crest 
or  ridge,  placed  inside  and  nearly  in  the  middle  of  this 
valve,  resembling,  except  in  position,  the  marginal  plate 
of  Argiope  cistellula.  This  last-mentioned  character 
likewise  occurs  in  T.  septata,  Philippi,  a  Sicilian  fossil 
{T.  septigera,'Loyen)  f  and  is  remarkably  developed  in  that 
species ;  but  the  foramen  is  incomplete  in  T.  cranium^ 
and  entire  in  T.  septata.  Some  specimens  of  T.  cranium 
have  the  front  margin  more  or  less  truncate,  and  others 
have  slight  and  blunt  ridges  or  angularities  extending 
lengthwise  to  the  front  margin. 

B.  Shell  longitudinally  striate  ;  skeleton  composed  of  two  short 
ribs,  which  are  looped  and  form  a  kind  of  ring.  {Tere- 
bratulina,  D'Orbigny.) 

P^^3  2.  T.  CAPUT-SERPEN'Tis*,tJjinne.)Nf  A.  b.;i^ 

Anomia  caput-serjoentis,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  ed.  12,  p.  1153.     T.  caput-ser- 
pentis,  F.  &H.  ii.  p.  353,  pi.  Ivi,  f.  1-4. 

Body  light  orange-yellow :  mantle  thickened  by  calcareous 
spicula;  tentacles  extensile  and  pencilled,  with  a  crimson 
tubercle  at  the  base  of  each  :  arms  bright  orange,  inclining  to 
a  crimson  hue ;  muscular  stem  thick ;  cirri  long,  cihated  all 
over,  and  arranged  in  a  single  row :  peduncle  rather  short, 
composed  of  numerous  loose  tubular  fibres. 

Shell  lyre -shaped,  very  variable  in  respect  of  length  and 
breadth,  sometimes  nearly  round  and  at  other  times  oblong, 
convex  in  the  middle  but  compressed  towards  the  front  and 
sides,  rather  solid,  of  a  dull  aspect :  sculpture,  scored  by  nu- 
merous longitudinal  striae  or  fine  ribs,  which  radiate  from  the 
beak  to  the  outer  margins,  becoming  occasionally  tuberculate 
where  they  are  crossed  by  the  lines  of  growth ;  some  of  these 
striae  are  forked,  or  divaricate,  being  simple  and  stronger  near 
the  beak ;  the  surface  is  closely  studded  with  microscopical 
points,  each  resembhng  the  bottom  of  a  homoeopathic  bottle, 

*  From  its  resemblance  to  a  snake's  head. 


TEREBRATULA.  15 

being  tlie  termination  of  the  tubular  perforations  characteristic 
of  this  family:  coZowr  yellowish-white:  mar^ms  usually  truncate 
or  square  in  front,  and  sometimes  indistinctly  notched  or  in- 
dented in  the  middle ;  the  sides  are  rounded  :  heah  prominent 
but  blunt,  worn  down  obliquely  by  continual  rubbing  :  fora- 
men nearly  round  and  incomplete  below  :  deltid'mm  very  shght, 
being  interrupted  by  the  point  or  umbo  of  the  lower  valve : 
hinge-plate  solid  :  teeth  of  upper  valve  as  in  T.  cranium,  but 
thicker  and  provided  with  a  sort  of  bolt  at  the  upper  end : 
sockets  in  lower  valve  broad :  skeleton  consisting  of  two  small 
but  stout  ribs,  which  are  thicker  at  the  shaft  near  the  outer 
angle  of  the  socket-joint,  but  afterwards  become  thinner  and 
broader  or  flattened  out,  forming  a  double  loop  or  bow,  the 
upper  one  being  nearly  round,  and  the  lower  one  of  a  trans- 
versely quadrangular  shape  with  a  curve  above  and  below ; 
this  complicated  process  extends  about  three -eighths  of  the 
distance  from  the  beak  to  the  front  margin  ;  within  the  lower 
valve,  beneath  the  umbo,  is  also  a  small  tooth  or  tubercle  ; 
the  inner  margins  are  crenulated  or  slightly  notched,  with  the 
points  projecting  outwardly,  and  furrowed  in  the  middle :  inside 
pearly  and  glistening.     L.  0*85.  B.  0-65. 

Yar.  septentrionalis.  Shell  thinner,  with  finer  ribs,  and  of 
a  white  colour.  T.  septentrionalis,  (Couthouy)  Stimpson,  Test. 
Moll.  New  Engl.  p.  75. 

Habitat  :  0-90  fathoms,  on  every  part  of  the  Scotch 
and  Shetland  coasts,  and  on  the  north-east,  west,  and 
south  of  Ireland,  attached  to  stones,  old  shells,  and  occa- 
sionally to  small  sea- weeds  and  other  substances.  The 
variety  occurs  in  Loch  Duich,  Inverness-shire,  and  off 
the  east  coast  of  Shetland.  This  now  common  shell 
was  discovered  in  our  seas  by  Professor  Fleming,  be- 
tween forty  and  fifty  years  ago,  in  Loch  Broom,  on  a 
stone  which  was  brought  up  by  the  anchor  of  a  vessel 
belonging  to  the  Commissioners  of  Northern  Light- 
houses, while  on  their  annual  visit  of  inspection.  As  a 
tertiary  fossil  it  occurs  in  the  glacial  deposits  of  Ayrshire 
(Geikie),  and  in  the  Coralline  Crag  (Searles  Wood). 
M.  Drouet  has  noticed  it  as  fossil  in  the  Azores.     Its 


16  TEREBRATULIDiE. 

hydrographical  range  extends  from  Spitzbergen  to  Sicily; 
and  the  variety  is  not  uncommon  on  the  coasts  of  Nor- 
way and  North  America.  Mr.  Arthur  Adams  has  lately 
dredged  the  typical  form  in  the  seas  of  Japan,  at  the 
depths  of  26,  55,  and  63  fathoms.  He  considers  T.  Ja- 
ponica  to  be  a  distinct  species.  I  have  a  monstrosity 
which  is  deeply  cleft  in  the  middle,  so  as  to  form  two 
lobes  of  unequal  size  and  height ;  and  other  specimens 
also  are  slightly  distorted  in  the  same  way. 

The  brachial  cirri  are  set  on  the  muscular  stem  like 
the  teeth  of  a  comb,  and  when  in  action  they  bend  for- 
ward in  a  most  graceful  manner.  The  pallial  tentacles 
are  also  continually  moving,  and  sometimes  curl  at  the 
point  like  a  crosier.  When  the  shell  is  closed  during 
the  lifetime  of  the  animal,  these  tentacles  are  still  visi- 
ble outside  the  edge  of  the  shell,  presenting  the  same 
appearance  as  in  Anomia.  Sometimes  the  upper  valve 
is  laden  with  a  mass  of  barnacles  and  Serpulce.  The 
shells  of  young  specimens  are,  of  course,  more  strongly 
ribbed  or  striate  than  those  of  the  adult ;  and  the  lower 
valve  is  eared.  The  fry,  however,  are  perfectly  smooth, 
and  much  longer  in  proportion  than  the  adult;  and 
they  have  a  spoon-shaped,  entire,  and  prominent  beak. 
Owing  to  the  shell  being  so  thin  and  nearly  transparent, 
the  tiny  arms  are  distinctly  perceptible  on  the  outside. 
In  the  early  stages  of  growth  the  skeleton  is  not  com- 
plete or  annular,  and  it  then  somewhat  resembles  the 
scythe-shaped  processes  of  T.  cranium. 

The  Anomia  retusa  of  Linne  and  A.  aurita  of  Gual- 
tieri,  as  well  as  the  T.  nucleus  and  T.  pubescens  of  O.  F. 
MUller,  are  synonyms  of  this  species.  The  last-men- 
tioned name  originated  in  a  coat  of  downy  sponge,  which 
not  unfrequently  covers  the  shell,  and  was  suspected 
by  the  Danish  zoologist  to  be  merely  a  parasitic  growth. 


ARGIOPE.  17 

Risso  called  the  present  species  T.  emarginata]  Mr. 
Lowe  described  the  young  as  T.  cost  at  a ;  Schlotheim 
appears  to  have  given  tlie  name  of  T.  chrysalis  to  the 
young  of  the  variety  septentrionalis ;  and  Dr.  Leach, 
with  his  unfortunate  propensity  to  substitute  new  for 
old  and  well-known  names,  rechristened  the  species 
T.  striata,  adding  that  it  inhabits  the  "  western  coasts 
of  Devonshire  '^ ! 


Genus  II.  ARGI'OPE^  Deslongchamps.     PI.  I.  f.  2. 

Body  compressed :  mantle  closely  adherent  to  the  shell 
throughout :  arms  short ;  tentacles  so  minute  as  to  be  almost 
imperceptible. 

Shell  obtusely  triangular :  healc  more  or  less  produced : 
foramen  large :  hinge-line  wide  and  often  straight :  skeleton 
composed  of  transverse  ribs,  which  are  united  to  longitudinal 
ridges  or  septa. 

The  members  of  this  genus  are  much  inferior  in  size 
to  those  of  Terebratula.  Some  are  ribbed,  and  others 
smooth.  Deslongchamps  founded  the  genus  in  1842; 
but  D'Orbigny,  apparently  being  unaware  of  that  cir- 
cumstance, proposed,  five  years  afterwards,  another  name 
{Megathyris),  deriving  the  characters  from  the  same 
type.  The  chief  difference  between  this  genus  and  Te- 
rebratula consists  in  the  latter  having  the  mantle  free 
at  the  outer  edges,  while  in  the  former  it  adheres 
throughout  to  the  shell,  as  well  as  in  the  large  and  wide 
rostral  opening  in  Argiope,  and  its  marginal  and  inter- 
rupted skeleton. 

*  From  the  appearance  of  white  holes  in  the  outer  surface  of  the  shell. 


18  TEREBRATULIDiE. 

vA     \A  A.  Shell  ribbed. 

1 .  Argiope  decolla'ta  *j(^Chemnitz J  K/? jf .  ^  2.^ 

Anomia  decollata,  Chemn,  Conch.  Cab.  viii.  p.96,pl.78.  tlOaa-d.  Argiope 
decollata,  Jeffr.  in  Ann.  Nat.  Hist.  3rd  ser.  ii.  p.  124,  pi.  v.  f.  3  a-e. 

Body  reddish-brown:  mantle  forming  a  thin  film:  arms 
nearly  circular,  divided  into  lobes,  which  correspond  in  number 
with  the  septa  in  the  shell ;  cirri  few  and  thick :  'peduncle  very- 
short. 

Shell  of  an  irregular  shape,  varying  from  round  to  trans- 
versely oval,  sometimes  resembling  that  of  a  horse's  hoof, 
compressed,  much  higher  near  the  beak,  and  sloping  abruptly 
in  a  wedge-like  fashion  towards  the  front  and  sides,  solid,  of 
a  dull  aspect :  sculpture^  15-20  slight  ribs  which  radiate  from 
the  beak  but  scarcely  reach  the  margins;  lines  of  growth 
rather  strong  or  conspicuous  ;  tubercles  large  and  numerous, 
the  interstices  having  a  frosted  appearance  arising  from  a 
minute  granular  structure :  colour  light-brown :  margins 
rounded  at  the  front  and  sides,  so  as  to  form  a  semicircle,  and 
obtusely  angled  behind :  heaJc  rather  prominent  and  worn  by 
continual  friction ;  the  under  side  shows  distinctly  the  layers 
of  increase :  foramen  exceedingly  large,  transversely  and  irre- 
gularly oval,  in  consequence  of  its  having  been  made  partly 
out  of  the  umbo  of  the  lower  valve  :  deltidium  scarcely  trace- 
able :  hinge-plate  remarkably  thick  and  broad :  teeth  short  and 
triangular:  soc^^fe  broad  and  deep:  sZr^Zeton  composed  of  a  series 
of  narrow  riband-like  plates,  which  are  curved  and  fit  into  the 
hollows  between  the  septa,  lying  at  no  great  distance  from  the 
front  margin,  and  almost  touching  the  sheU ;  within  the  upper 
valve  also  are  five  septa,  placed  at  equal  distances,  the  middle 
and  longest  of  which  springs  from  under  the  beak ;  none  of 
them  reach  the  margin,  which  is  wedge-shaped  ;  in  the  lower 
valve  are  three  strong  equidistant  ridges,  which  are  placed  in 
the  central  space ;  these  are  notched  in  front,  crested  at  the 
top,  and  obliquely  striate  at  the  sides,  where  may  be  occa- 
sionally observed  a  few  small  bead-like  tubercles.  L.  0*3. 
B.  0-285. 

Habitat  :  18  fathoms,  in  graveUy  shell-sand,  two  miles 
east  of  Guernsey ;  rare.    This  is  the  most  northern  limit 

*  Truncate. 


ARGIOPE.  19 

that  has  hitherto  been  discovered  for  the  present  spe- 
cies ;  nor  has  it  been  noticed  as  inhabiting  the  northern 
or  western  coasts  of  France.  Its  southern  range  extends 
from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  ^gean,  as  well  as  to 
Madeira  and  the  Canaries,  at  depths  varying  from  20  to 
60  fathoms. 

The  upper  valve  of  this  curious  shell  is  like  a  horse's 
hoof.  The  plates  or  ribs  of  the  skeleton  are  not  con- 
tinuous, but  separately  attached  to  the  sides  of  the 
septa. 

Gmelin  changed  the  original  name  to  detruncata, 
without  assigning  any  reason,  and  he  even  recognized 
the  priority  of  Chemnitz  by  a  correct  reference  to  his 
work.  According  to  Philippi,  it  is  the  Terebratula 
aperta  of  Blainville,  and  perhaps  the  T.  urna  antiqua  and 
T,  cardita  of  Risso.  I  should  be  inclined  to  consider 
also  the  T,  Soldaniana  of  the  last-named  author  as  the 
young  of  the  present  species. 

B.  Shell  smooth. 
IV*  6'.  Y^        2.  A.  cistel'lula ^/ Searles  Wood)  H"  ^5 

Terebratula  cisfellula,  S.  Wood  in  Ann.  N.  H.  vi.  p.  253.      Megathyris 
(afterwards  changed  to  Argiojpe)  cistellula,  F.  &H.  ii.  p.  361,  pl.lvii.  f.9. 

Body  yellowish-brown  :  mantle  so  extremely  thin  as  to  be 
scarcely  visible :  arms  heart-shaped ;  cirri  few  and  thick : 
peduncle  rather  long. 

Shell  oval,  heart-shaped,  or  oblong,  and  often  wedge-hke, 
compressed  but  rising  gradually  towards  the  beak,  rather  solid, 
occasionally  somewhat  glossy,  but  more  frequently  of  a  dull 
aspect,  sometimes  bilobed  or  cleft  in  the  middle :  sculpture, 
Hues  of  growth  numerous  and  exceedingly  minute  ;  tubercles 
close-set,  and  not  very  small :  colour  brown,  with  usually  a 
yellowish  tint ;  margins  rounded  at  the  sides  and  also  slightly 
in  front,  forming  behind  angles  of  different  degrees:  heak 

*  A  little  chest. 


20  TEREBRATULID^. 

mostly  blunt  and  often  worn  by  attrition,  never  much  pro- 
duced :  foramen  triangular,  occupying  nearly  the  whole  of  the 
dorsal  area ;  deltidlmn  exceedingly  slight :  hinge-plate  thick 
and  broad:  teeth  strong  and  triangular  :  sockets  broad  but  not 
deep :  skeleton  consisting  of  two  very  slight  and  narrow  riband- 
like plates  or  ribs,  placed  as  in  A.  decoUata,  but  having  only 
their  front  edges  free,  the  remaining  portion  being  united  with 
the  shell;  within  the  upper  valve  is  a  septum,  extending  from 
the  centre  of  the  hinge  to  nearly  the  front  margin,  besides  a 
few  parallel  but  indistinct  striae  ;  the  lower  valve  has  a  strong 
blunt  central  ridge,  which  is  higher  in  front  and  occupies  about 
half  of  the  interior ;  the  front  margin  is  minutely  crenulated 
inside.     L.  0-06.  B.  0-075. 

Habitat  :  East  Shetland,  Skye,  and  co.  Antrim ; 
Moray  Firth  (Dawson) ;  Dublin  Bay  (Waller) ;  Exmouth 
(Barlee  and  Clark) ;  Guernsey  (Lukis  &  J.  G.  J.).  Fos- 
sil in  the  Coralline  Crag.  Sars  has  found  it  at  Chris- 
tiansund,  Bergen,  and  Manger  in  Norway ;  I  have  taken 
it  on  the  Normandy  coast ;  and  among  some  small  shells 
which  I  received  through  M.  Verany  from  Sardinia  was 
a  single  valve  of  this  species. 

The  animal  closely  resembles  that  of  A.  decoUata. 
The  anterior  occlusor  or  retractor  muscles  are  of  enor- 
mous size,  and  their  impressions  on  old  shells  are  very 
conspicuous  and  deep,  somewhat  resembling  those  of 
Crania.  Very  young  shells  have  scarcely  any  of  the 
tubular  perforations ;  and  their  beaks  remind  one  of 
the  bill  of  a  Platypus.  These  delicate  processes  become 
afterwards  hardened  and  blunted  by  contact  with  the 
external  world,  like  the  exquisitely  sensitive  feelings  of  a 
child.  The  fry  may  be  occasionally  seen  attached  to  the 
outer  folds  of  the  mantle.  They  appear  to  be  kidney- 
shaped,  and  are  of  different  sizes,  or  degrees  of  deve- 
lopment. 

This  species  was  named,  but  not  described,  by  Mr. 
S.  Wood  in  1840  as  a  tertiary  fossil ;  and  I  was  fortu- 


ARGIOPE.  21 

nately  enabled  to  discover  it  seven  years  afterwards  in  a 
living  state.  It  may  be  easily  distinguished  from  A, 
decollata  by  its  minute  size  and  smooth  surface,  as  well 
as  by  its  internal  structure.  It  differs  from  A.  Neapo- 
litana  in  being  only  half  the  size  and  more  convex,  in 
the  foramen  being  much  larger,  and  in  the  inside  margin 
of  the  upper  valve  being  slightly  and  closely  crenulated, 
instead  of  having  rather  strong  and  distant  tooth-like 
notches,  which  is  the  case  in  A.  Neapolitana, 

3.  A.  CAp'suLA''^,(Jeffreys.)  H '  ^  9 

Terebratula  capsula,  Jeffr.  in  Ann.  N.  H.  ser.  3,  ii.  p.  125,  pi.  v.  f.  4,  and 
iii.  pi.  ii.  f.  7,  8. 

Body  yellowish :  pedmicle  rather  long  and  slender. 

Shell  nearly  equivalve,  oval  or  pouch-shaped,  compressed 
but  rather  higher  towards  the  beak,  glossy  :  sculpture,  lines  of 
growth  slight  and  remote ;  tubercles  as  in  the  last  species : 
colour  yellowish- brown:  margins  rounded  at  the  sides  and  in 
front,  almost  straight  behind,  giving  that  part  the  appearance 
of  being  auricled :  heak  slightly  prominent,  its  point  separated 
by  the  hinge-area :  foramen  triangular,  but  not  disproportion- 
ately large,  occupying  about  two-thirds  of  the  dorsal  space : 
cleltidium  imperceptible :  hin^e-plate,  teeth,  and  sockets  as  in  the 
last  species :  skeleton  undeveloped,  and  septa  wanting.  L.  0*03. 
B.  0-02. 

Habitat:  18-25  fathoms,  Plymouth  (Norman,  from 
"Webster);  Guernsey  (Lukis);  Dublin  Bay,  and  off  Port- 
rush  (Waller);  and  Lame,  co.  Antrim  (Hyndman  & 
J.  G.  J).  It  occurs  with  A.  cistellula,  nestling  in  the 
hoUows  of  old  shells  of  Pectunculus  glycymeris  and 
other  bivalves,  frequently  among  clusters  of  Lepralice. 
I  have  found  it  also  at  Etretat  in  Normandy  on  stones 
which  had  been  taken  up  in  trawl-nets  at  a  distance  of 
about  four  leagues  from  land. 

*  A  little  box. 


22  TEREBRATULIDiE. 

The  beak  resembles  that  of  Lingula.  Very  young 
shells  are  not  tuberculated.  This  species  cannot  be  mis- 
taken in  any  stage  of  growth  for  the  fry  of  Terebratula 
caput-serpentiSy  which  are  of  quite  a  different  shape, 
and  more  inequivalve  than  the  adult.  I  have  specimens 
of  the  fry  of  that  species  only  half  the  size  of  A.  cap- 
sula.  The  fry  of  T.  cranium j  which  I  have  taken  of 
even  a  smaller  size,  have  a  longer  and  more  slender 
shell,  and  the  valves  are  decidedly  unequal.  From  the 
young  of  A.  cistellula  the  present  species  may  be  distin- 
guished by  being  of  a  regularly  oval  shape  and  more 
convex  in  every  part,  but  especially  by  the  contracted 
hinge-line  and  comparatively  small  aperture. 

Professor  King  proposed  to  make  this  species  the  type 
of  a  new  genus,  which  he  named  Gwynia,  out  of  com- 
pliment to  me ;  but  although  I  duly  appreciate  the 
intended  honour,  I  cannot  conscientiously  accept  it. 
Although  the  species  is  unquestionably  distinct  from 
any  of  the  foregoing,  it  may  be  the  young  of  A.  Neapo- 
litana  (probably  T,  cordata  of  Risso) ;  and  I  feel  pretty 
confident  that  the  last-named  species  will  be  found  on 
our  own  as  well  as  the  Mediterranean  coasts. 

Terebratella  (or  Megerlea)  truncata  has  but  a  very 
slender  claim  to  be  admitted  into  our  fauna.  Dr. 
Turton's  cabinet  contained  a  specimen  bearing,  in  his 
handwriting,  the  name  of  "  Terebratula  caput  serpentiSy^ 
and  the  locality  "  Torquay."  It  is  not  uncommon  in 
the  seas  of  southern  Europe ;  and  according  to  CoUard 
des  Cherres  it  has  been  found  on  Caryophyllia  at  Quim- 
per.  In  a  footnote  to  the  '  British  MoUusca '  (vol.  ii. 
p.  362)  this  species  has  been  accidentally  mistaken  for 
Argiope  decollatay  with  reference  to  Turton's  shell. 

I  am  by  no  means  satisfied  that  Rhynchonella  psit- 
tacea  still  inhabits  the  British  seas,  although  there  is 


ARGIOPE.  23 

abundant  evidence  of  its  having  been  formerly  a  native. 
Dr.Turton  described  it  in  his  ^  Conchological  Dictionary ' 
as  having  been  thrown  up,  after  a  severe  gale,  on  the 
shore  near  Teignmouth — a  most  unlikely  place.  Pro- 
fessor King  is  said  to  have  obtained  two  dead  specimens 
and  a  single  valve  off  the  Northumberland  coast,  at- 
tached to  the  byssus  of  a  Mytilus  modiolus.  Mr.  Mac- 
laren  recorded  the  species  as  having  been  procured  also 
from  a  fisherman  on  the  Berwickshire  coast ;  and  Capt. 
Laskey  is  reported  to  have  taken  it  by  dredging  in  the 
Firth  of  Forth.  Capt.  Thomas  appears  to  have  likewise 
dredged  valves  off  Berwick,  and  Mr.  Dawson  off  Aber- 
deen. In  deep-sea  dredging  off  the  Shetland  Isles,  I 
have  more  than  once  found  single  valves,  and  this  year 
a  nearly  perfect  pair.  Dr.  Turton's  specimen  has  a 
very  ancient  aspect ;  Professor  King^s  and  some  of  my 
own  are  remarkably  fresh-looking,  and  they  may  pos- 
sibly be  recent ;  but  I  am  rather  disposed  to  think  they 
are  some  of  the  relics  of  the  glacial  epoch.  The  shell 
being  of  a  homy  texture,  would  not  be  liable  to  undergo 
much,  if  any,  change  while  it  remained  under  water.  A 
live  specimen  has  never  been  taken,  so  far  as  I  am 
aware,  anywhere  south  of  Drontheim,  where  it  seems  to 
dwindle  in  size.  It  is  a  gregarious  species,  and  there- 
fore common  wherever  it  occurs.  The  arctic  seas  of 
both  hemispheres  constitute  its  proper  habitat.  As  a 
tertiary  fossil  it  is  found  in  the  Norwich  or  Mamma- 
liferous  Crag  and  later  deposits. 


24  CRANIID.^. 

**  Hingeless. 

Family  II.  CRANI'ID^,  (Craniadw)  King. 

Body  circular :  arms  spirally  coiled,  and  not  supported  by 
any  shelly  process  or  septum :  attachment  formed  by  the  ad- 
hesion of  the  lower  valve,  or  part  of  it,  to  other  substances. 

Shell  circular  or  subquadrangular :  upper  valve  conical  or 
cap-shaped :  lower  valve  fiat :  muscular  scars  remarkably 
strong  and  conspicuous. 

Our  seas  contain  at  present  one  only  of  this  hingeless 
group  of  Brachiopoda,  which  is  distinguishable  from  all 
the  preceding  kinds  by  the  upper  valve  being  conical 
and  the  lower  valve  flat  and  attached,  as  well  as  in 
neither  valve  being  perforated.  The  shell  is  opened  by 
the  action  of  the  adjustor  or  protractor  muscles;  and 
this  takes  place  only  to  a  very  limited  extent.  Through 
the  Discinida  there  appears  to  be  a  passage  to  Anomia, 
both  of  which  have  a  byssal  peduncle  issuing  out  of  a 
hole  or  slit  in  the  lower  valve  for  attachment  to  other 
substances.  ^ 

Genus  I.  CRA'NIA^  Retz.     PI.  I.  f.  8. 

As  the  family  contains  but  this  single  genus,  it  is  un- 
necessary to  recapitulate  the  characters. 

\>\.  v^  .  1.  Crania  ANo'MALAf,  Miiller.  IV^ i  •  (?.  i^  - 

Patella  anomala,  Miill.  Zool.  Dan.  Prodr.  p.  237,  no.  2870.     C.  anomala, 
F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  366,  pi.  Ivi.  f.  7,  8 ;  (animal)  pi.  U.  f.  2,  as  C.  Norvegica. 

Body  of  a  milk-white  colour,  tinged  with  yeUow  or  brown  : 
muntle  very  thin :  arms  thick  and  fleshy  ;  cirri  rather  nume- 
rous, stiff,  and  rather  long. 

*  From  a  fancied  resemblance  of  the  inside  of  the  lower  valve  to  th 
front  of  a  human  skull, 
t  Irregular. 


CRANIA.  25 

Shell  nearly  round,  with  a  square  outKne :  upper  valve 
umbrella- shaped  above,  more  or  less  compressed,  rather  solid, 
of  a  dull  aspect :  sculpture,  wrinkled  by  the  circular  marks  of 
growth,  sometimes  microscopically  but  irregularly  striate  lon- 
gitudinaDy :  colour  reddish-brown  or  yellowish,  with  blotches 
or  faint  streaks  of  the  first-mentioned  hue :  nuirglns  thin  and 
sharp  :  heaJc  Yerj  small,  nipple-shaped,  placed  nearer  the  dorsal 
end :  lower  valve  of  various  degrees  of  solidity,  according  to  the 
age  and  quickness  of  growth,  but  the  inside  margin  is  always 
broad,  thickened,  and  raised,  so  as  to  form  a  ridge  or  rampart 
round  the  enclosed  space ;  it  is  reticulated  or  closely  pit- 
marked  within :  muscular  scars  in  both  valves  deeply  marked. 
L.  0-55.   B.  0-5. 

Habitat  :  18-90  fathoms,,  on  almost  every  part  of  the 
Scotch  and  Irish  coasts,  as  well  as  in  the  seas  of  Shet- 
land and  the  Orkneys  ;  Isle  of  Man  (Forbes) .  Abroad 
it  is  distributed  from  Greenland  to  Vigo ;  and  I  have 
been  unable  to  detect  any  difference  between  this  species 
and  the  C.  ringens  of  Honinghaus,  which  is  not  un- 
common in  the  Mediterranean  and  ^gean  Seas.  Spe- 
cimens from  all  the  above  localities  vary  much  in  shape, 
and  in  the  depth  of  the  circular  wrinkles  or  furrows,  and 
not  less  in  the  position  and  size  of  the  muscular  scars. 

Even  the  sagacious  Miiller  was  deceived  by  the  strange 
aspect  of  this  shell.  He  placed  it  in  the  genus  Patella, 
having  observed  the  upper  valve  only ;  although  he  ad- 
mitted that  the  animal  (which  he  styled  "  vermis  sin- 
gularissimus '^)  differed  toto  coelo  from  a  limpet,  and 
that  the  shell,  on  closer  inspection,  was  not  quite  the 
same.  It  is  most  singular  that  he  overlooked  the  lower 
valve.  His  comparison  of  the  branching  arrangement 
of  the  arms  to  the  dusky  horns  of  a  wild  goat  is  not  in- 
appropriate. Sometimes  the  shell  is  ribbed  across  or 
obliquely,  having  taken  the  impression  of  an  Astarte  or 
Pecten,  on  which  it  has  been  moulded.  Being  often 
affixed  to  rugged  stones  or  small  pebbles,  its  shape  is 


26  CRANIIDiE. 

adapted  to  the  angles  and  extent  of  the  basal  surface. 
When  it  has  bare  standing-room  only,  it  increases  in 
height  and  becomes  regularly  conical.  The  under  valve 
of  specimens  attached  to  the  smooth  shell  of  a  Pinna  is 
usually  a  mere  film.  The  brachial  fringe  can  be  pro- 
truded slightly  beyond  the  margin  of  the  shell  at  each 
side,  but  never  in  front  or  at  the  back.  It  may  be 
likened  to  the  spokes  of  two  wheels,  each  placed  on  its 
nave  within  a  circle  ;  and  as  the  spokes  are  nearly  equal 
in  length,  it  is  evident  that  at  the  point  where  the  wheels 
approach  each  other,  the  inside  spokes  project  into  the 
space  between  the  wheels,  and  not  outwardly.  There 
are  no  cirri  at  the  back.  The  lower  or  flat  valve  con- 
tains only  the  base  of  the  adductor  muscle,  upon  which 
as  a  pivot  the  upper  valve  turns  by  a  semirotatory 
but  very  confined  motion.  The  arms  and  rest  of  the 
body  are  enclosed  in  the  upper  or  convex  valve.  The 
animal  is  by  no  means  timid.  When  a  camePs-hair 
brush  is  thrust  between  the  gaping  valves,  they  imme- 
diately close,  but  in  a  few  seconds  after  open  again; 
and  this  teasing  experiment  can  be  repeated  many  times, 
Anthout  alarming  the  Crania,  or  making  it  sulky.  The 
cirri  are  not  retractile,  and  do  not  withdraw  or  shrink 
when  touched.  Each  arm  has  about  sixty  of  them. 
The  fry  are  quite  white  and  semitransparent,  and  they 
have  only  a  few  tubular  perforations.  They  adhere  in 
the  same  way  as  their  parents.  Their  appearance  is  not 
unlike  that  of  the  very  young  of  Anomia  ephippium.  The 
largest  specimen  in  my  cabinet  measures  over  four-fifths 
of  an  inch  in  diameter. 

Montagu  called  this  species  Patella  distorta ;  and  it 
has  borne  many  other  names,  both  generic  and  specific, 
the  latest  being  that  of  Criopus  OrcadensiSj  given  to  it 
by  Dr.  Leach. 


CONCHIFERA.  27 

Class  CONCHIFERA. 

Order  LAMELLIBEANCHIATA. 

The  principal  characters  of  this  Order  have  been  al- 
ready given  in  the  former  volume.  A  few  of  the  mem- 
bers {e.  g.  certain  species  of  iMcina,  Tellina,  and  Thra- 
da)  are  said  to  have  only  one  branchial  leaflet  or  gill  on 
each  side  of  the  body ;  but  in  all  probability  this  leaflet 
is  double,  although  united  and  apparently  single.  The 
Order  is  divisible  into  two  unequal  groups,  which  may 
be  distinguished  from  each  other  by  the  number  of  ad- 
ductor muscles.  The  first  and  smaller  group  (Mono- 
myaria)  has  but  one  muscle,  which  is  placed  nearly  in 
the  middle,  or  rather  towards  the  back.  The  other  and 
far  larger  group  (Dimyaria)  has  two  separate  muscles, 
which  are  placed  on  the  right  and  left  sides  of  the 
body.  The  scars  or  impressions  made  by  these  muscles 
on  the  inside  of  the  shell  serve  to  instruct  the  geologist 
to  which  group  every  bivalve  belongs.  The  British 
Monomyaria  comprise  the  families  AnomiidcB,  Ostreidce, 
and  Peciinidce.  All  the  remaining  families  are  Di- 
myarian.  The  late  Mr.  Clark  says  that  the  only  true 
Monomyarian  Mollusca  are  Pholas  and  Teredo ;  but  his 
observations  in  this  respect  do  not  agree  with  those  of 
other  conchologists.  I  do  not  attach  much  importance 
to  the  form,  or  even  the  presence  of  the  pallial  scar, 
being  the  mark  left  on  the  inner  margin  of  the  shell  by 
that  part  of  the  mantle  which  adheres  to  it  and  keeps 
the  rest  of  the  body  in  its  proper  place ;  although  this 
character  may  serve  to  recognize  certain  genera.  In 
some  families  the  mantle  is  open  on  all  sides  but  the 

c2 


28  CONCHIFERA. 

back,  for  the  admission  of  food  and  water,  as  well  as  for 
the  ejection  of  faecal  matter ;  while  in  others  it  is  more 
or  less  closed  in  front,  or  open  only  in  that  part  for  the 
passage  of  the  foot.  In  the  latter  case  the  mantle  on 
one  or  either  side  is  folded,  so  as  to  form  a  single  or 
double  tube.  This  usually  takes  place  on  the  posterior 
side,  where  the  shell  is  broadest ;  but  in  a  few  instances 
(as  in  the  Kelliidoi)  the  incurrent  or  alimentary  tube  is 
placed  on  the  anterior  side,  and  the  excurrent  or  anal 
tube  on  the  posterior  side.  The  tubes  are  of  various 
lengths,  and  when  they  do  not  project  beyond  the  edges 
of  the  shell  they  are  termed  ^'  sessile.'^  The  excretory 
opening  is  always  situate  on  the  upper  part  of  the  pos- 
terior side.  That  by  which  the  animal  takes  in  its 
nourishment,  and  which  supplies  the  gills  with  aerated 
water,  is  usually  on  the  same  side,  but  below  the  other 
opening.  The  excretory  opening  or  tube  is  the  smaller 
of  the  two.  With  respect  to  the  reproductive  system  of 
the  Lamellihranchiatay  it  is  by  no  means  settled  whether 
any,  or  which  of  them,  have  separate  sexes.  Loven  is 
positive  that  such  is  the  case  in  Modiolaria,  the  em- 
bryogeny  of  which  he  has  investigated  with  his  usual 
care;  and  Sars  assures  us  that  Axinus  is  unquestionably 
also  dioecious.  I  have  not  myself  examined  the  question ; 
but  I  would  refer  my  readers  to  what  I  have  already  said 
in  page  xxv  of  the  Introduction  to  the  first  volume. 


ANOMIA.  29 

*  Mantle  open  and  without  tubes. 
Family  I.  ANOMI'ID^,  (Anomiadce)  Gray. 

Body  roundish :  mantle  having  very  thin  edges,  which  are 
furnished  with  fine  and  extensile  tentacular  filaments :  gills 
circular  and  double:  foot  small:  muscle  divided  into  two  or 
three  parts,  the  largest  of  which  passes  through  a  hole  in  the 
hinder  part  of  the  lower  valve,  serving  for  attachment  to  extra- 
neous bodies,  and  forming  on  them  a  fibrous  or  horny  plug. 

Shell  generally  circular  and  flat,  more  or  less  inequivalve : 
orifice  pear-shaped,  being  interrupted  behind  by  a  narrow  slit : 
cartilage  internal,  short,  placed  somewhat  obliquely  below  the 
beak. 

This  fanaily  is  conuected  with  the  OstreidcB  by  the 
genus  Pododesmus  of  Philippi.  Dr.  Leach  proposed  to 
raise  it  to  the  rank  of  an  Order,  which  he  called 
Trimya. 

Genus  ANO'MIA^  Linne.     PL  I.  f.  4. 

Body  compressed. 

Shell  inequilateral,  of  an  irregular  shape,  dependent  on 
that  of  the  substances  to  which  it  is  attached:  upper  valve 
rather  convex  and  thick :  lower  valve  flat  and  thin :  Mnge 
toothless. 

As  I  have  before  observed,  Fabius  Colonna,  the  origi- 
nator of  this  name,  applied  it  to  species  of  Terebratula. 
About  a  century  and  a  half  afterwards  Linne  used  it  in 
the  same  sense,  for  he  described  the  animal  as  having 
two  arms,  and  the  shell  as  furnished  with  two  bony 
processes  or  radii,  the  deeper  valve  being  often  per- 
forated at  the  base.  But  he  included  in  the  genus 
many  species  which  we  now  recognize  as  belonging  to 
Anomia  thus  restricted,  and   long   custom   has   sanc- 

*  Irregularity. 


K 


30  ANOMIIDiE. 

tioned  the  modem  use  of  the  word.  Poll  proposed  the 
name  of  Echion  for  the  animal  of  the  present  genus. 
According  to  Dr.  Carpenter  the  outer  layer  of  the  shell 
has  a  prismatic  cellular  structure ;  and  in  this  respect 
it  appears  to  resemble  the  shell  of  Argiope.  There  is 
no  visible  trace  of  an  epidermis.  The  plug  of  attach- 
ment is  secreted  by  that  part  of  the  adductor  muscle 
which  passes  through  the  lower  valve.  It  is  not  shelly. 
The  fry  are  fixed  in  the  same  way  as  the  adult,  soon 
after  their  exclusion  from  the  ovary ;  although  it  would 
appear  that  they  enjoy  in  the  mean  time  a  short  period 
of  liberty,  like  their  relative  the  oyster.  The  Anomia* 
are  popularly  designated  in  this  country  "  silver-shells.*' 
In  the  State  of  New  York  they  are  called  "  Jingle- 
shells."  Dr.  Otto  ToreU  informs  me  that  no  species 
has  been  found  north  of  Iceland ;  but  fossil  shells  are 
not  uncommon  at  Uddevalla  in  the  same  bed  which 
contains  Terebratella  Spitzbergensis,  Piliscus  commodus, 
and  other  forms  of  an  extremely  arctic  kind. 

_1^  ^  1.  Anomia  EPHip'piUM  *,  Linne.   K^4fe. 

A.  Ephippium,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1150 ;  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  325,  pi.  It.  f.  2, 3, 
5,  7,  and  (animal)  pi.  T.  f.  2. 

Body  somewhat  depressed,  red,  yeUow,  brown,  or  of  aU  in- 
termediate shades  of  those  colours :  mantle  circular :  cirri  or 
tentacular  filaments  arranged  in  two  or  three  rows,  ciliated  or 
feathered,  yellowish-white :  mouth  large,  with  a  pair  of  long 
delicate  lips  on  each  side :  foot  short,  cylindrical,  and  white, 
sometimes  curved  and  protruded  from  a  slit  in  the  shell  above 
the  orifice,  for  the  purpose  of  spinning  a  byssus  and  afibrding 
an  additional  means  of  attachment. 

Shell  round,  oval,  oblong,  cylindrical,  angular,  or  even 
amorphous,  compressed,  and  sometimes  flattened,  of  different 
degrees  of  thickness  according  to  age,  outside  of  a  dull  ap- 
pearance, although  the  inner  layers  are  remarkably  glossy  and 

*  A  horse-cloth. 


ANOMIA.  31 

iridescent:  scidpture,  scaly  and  sometimes  prickly,  minutely 
striate  in  a  longitudinal  direction,  and  marked  by  irregular 
lines  of  growth :  colour  white,  with  often  a  yellowish,  pink, 
rose-red,  or  brown  tint :  margins  thin,  rounded  or  wavy  unless 
contracted  by  position,  nearly  forming  an  obtuse  angle  behind : 
heah  straight  and  very  small,  not  projecting  beyond  the  dorsal 
margin:  cartilage  short  but  strong,  broad,  semilunar,  and 
fixed  in  a  cavity  underneath  the  beak:  hinge-line  slightly 
curved :  hinge-plate  thick  and  broad :  orifice  oval ;  outer  edge 
reflected :  inside  silvery  and  iridescent,  sometimes  having  a 
green  tint,  furnished  in  the  lower  valve  at  the  hinge-end  with 
a  thickened  ledge  to  receive  and  support  the  cartilage :  muscular 
scar  large,  showing  in  the  upper  valve  the  impressions  of  three 
inner  portions  of  the  muscle,  which  are  nearly  circular  and 
disposed  in  a  descending  but  irregular  line  from  the  hinge,  and 
in  the  lower  valve  only  one  similar  impression,  which  is  placed 
on  the  right  hand  of  the  observer  :  plug  cylindrical,  thick,  and 
longitudinally  striate.     L.  2-3.   B.  2-5. 

Habitat:  From  low- water  mark  to  80  fathoms  on  every 
part  of  our  coasts,  attached  to  shells,  stones,  sea- weeds, 
and  other  substances.  In  a  fossil  state  it  occurs  in  our 
newer  tertiaries,  as  well  as  in  the  Coralline  Crag,  and 
in  the  Italian  pliocene  deposits.  It  is  likewise  found 
in  the  post-glacial  beds  of  Bohuslan,  Sweden,  associated 
with  arctic  shells.  It  is  widely  distributed  in  the  Euro- 
pean seas,  from  Iceland  to  the  iEgean  Archipelago  ;  and 
its  range  also  comprises  Algeria,  Madeira,  North  Ame- 
rica, Russia,  Lapland,  and  the  Black  Sea.  Danielssen 
has  recorded  it  as  having  been  dredged  in  the  Scandi- 
navian seas  at  a  depth  of  180  fathoms. 

In  consequence  of  the  lower  valve  being  moulded  on 
the  extraneous  bodies  to  which  it  is  attached  by  the 
plug,  the  upper  valve  partakes  of  a  corresponding  im- 
pression, and  the  result  is  that  the  shell  puts  on  a 
Protean  variety  of  shape.  Bouchard-Chantereaux  says 
that  out  of  two  hundred  specimens  it  is  almost  impos- 
sible to  find  two  exactly  alike.  When  a  specimen  is 
affixed  to  a  Pecten,  Astarte,  or  other  ribbed  shell,  it  is 


32  ANOMIID.E. 

similarly  sculptured.  No  less  than  thirty-four  species 
have  been  made  out  of  the  one  now  described ;  and 
naturalists  of  every  country  have  had  a  hand  in  this 
wholesale  manufacture.  Eighteen  of  these  species  have 
been  enumerated  as  synonyms  by  Forbes  and  Hanley. 
The  variability  of  the  shell,  however,  is  now  such  an 
established  fact,  that  a  conchologist  who  would  attempt 
to  restore  any  of  these  so-called  species  must  have 
greater  ingenuity  than  even  the  learned  knight,  of 
whom  it  was  said 

*'  He  could  distinguish  and  divide 
A  hair,  'twixt  south  and  south-west  side." 

The  variety  ^^  squamula^'  is  flatter  and  smoother  than 
usual;  '^ aculeata'^  has  the  imbricated  scales  pinched 
up  into  vaulted  or  hollow  spines ;  and  the  narrow  form 
of  ^^  cylindrica  "  arises  from  the  young  Anomia  selecting 
for  its  resting-place  a  small  stem  of  sea-weed,  which 
obliges  it  to  assume  a  saddle-shape,  not  having  any 
room  for  lateral  development.  Occasionally  specimens 
are  found  exhibiting  the  characters  of  more  than  one 
variety,  being  half  "  squamula ''  and  half  "  aculeata,'^ 
The  animal  is  said  to  be  poisonous ;  and  Mr.  M<^ Andrew 
informs  me  that  the  captain  and  some  of  the  crew  of  his 
yacht  were  suddenly  taken  ill  at  Vigo,  after  having  eaten 
some  fine  Anomia^  which  looked  to  them  so  temptingly 
like  oysters.  The  muscle  of  attachment  appears  to 
have  an  excavating  or  eroding  power,  like  the  foot  of  a 
limpet  or  other  boring  mollusk.  When  an  Anomia  is 
fixed  to  the  shell  of  an  oyster,  the  lower  part  of  the  plug 
is  sunk  below  the  level  of  the  surface,  and  is  separated 
from  it  by  a  kind  of  sloping  ditch.  This  gives  a  stronger 
hold ;  and  the  base  of  the  plug  is  often  spread  out,  so  as 
to  increase  the  fulcrum.  The  structure  of  the  plug  is 
very  remarkable.      It   is    composed  of  perpendicular 


ANOMIA. 


33 


plates,  which  are  alternately  high  and  low;  and  the  stri- 
ated appearance  of  the  top  or  outer  covering  is  pro- 
duced by  the  edges  of  the  higher  plates.  This  appendage 
is  capable  of  receiving  a  high  degree  of  polish,  and  in 
that  state  it  resembles  ivory  and  is  equally  close-grained. 
In  the  fry  the  orifice  is  larger  in  proportion  to  that  of 
the  adult,  and  is  placed  on  one  side.  The  beak  of 
young  specimens  is  sometimes  much  produced,  and  at 
other  times  slightly  incurved.  When  the  shell  is  thin, 
the  long  muscular  scar  seen  through  the  upper  valve 
resembles  a  white  line.  The  varied  and  nacreous  hues 
of  the  shell  rival  in  lustre  those  of  an  opal.  A  group 
of  these  specimens  from  Lulworth  Cove,  on  a  valve  of 
Pecten  opercularis,  now  before  me,  are  of  different 
colours,  white,  yellow,  and  pink,  and  reflect  their  pearly 
gleams  in  every  direction.  In  substance  the  shell  bears 
some  affinity  to  talc.  Specimens  from  Bantry  Bay^ 
Lough  Strangford,  and  Exmouth  roads  are  larger  than 
usual.  One  from  the  first-named  locality  measures  four 
inches  in  diameter.  Now  and  then,  but  rarely,  the 
upper  valve  is  flat,  and  the  lower  or  perforated  valve  is 
convex ;  and  in  one  case  the  front  half  of  the  shell  is 
divided  into  two  distinct  lobes,  owing  to  the  continual 
obstruction  and  irritation  caused  by  a  small  branch  of 
Sertularia  abietina,  which  had  insinuated  itself  and 
grown  up  in  front  of  the  Anomia,  But  a  more  curious 
instance  of  an  adaptation  to  circumstances  is  presented 
by  specimens  which  I  found  many  years  ago  on  a  mus- 
sel-bed in  Swansea  Bay,  laid  bare  by  an  unusually  low 
tide.  The  orifice  in  every  specimen  was  completely 
closed  by  a  series  of  thin  vaulted  plates  of  the  same 
material  as  the  shell.  All  the  specimens  were  living, 
and  attached  to  the  mussels  by  the  byssal  threads  of  the 
latter.     It  appeared  to  me  that,  having  been  acciden- 

c5 


34  ANOMIID^. 

tally  detached  from  oysters  in  an  adjoining  bed^  to  which 
they  were  originally  affixed,  and  being  thns  deprived  of 
their  plugs,  as  well  as  of  the  power  to  make  new  ones, 
they  filled  up  the  openings  with  a  shelly  substitute,  for 
the  sake  of  protection  against  starfishes  and  other  ene- 
mies. Having  lost  their  own  plugs,  they  were  well 
satisfied  by  being  securely  moored  to  the  bed  by  the 
strong  cables  of  their  friendly  neighbours,  the  mussels. 
I  dredged  a  specimen  of  the  variety  "  squamula  ^^  oflP 
Croulin  Island,  Skye,  which  was  free,  but  had  the  orifice 
completely  closed  in  the  same  way  as  the  Welsh  exam- 
ples. The  A,  tubularis  of  Turton  is  a  young  specimen 
of  the  same  variety,  in  which  the  orifice  had  only  been 
partially  closed.  Old  Martin  Lister  was  well  acquainted 
with  the  typical  form,  and  gave  an  excellent  figure  of 
it  in  his  '  Historia  Conchyliorum.' 

10  .  2.    A.  PATELLIFOR  MIS  ^j  Liuue.     Kt47', 

A.  patelliformis,  Linn.  Syst. Nat.  p.  1151  ;  F.  &II,  ii.  p.  334,  pi.  Iri.  f.5,6. 

Body  resembling  that  of  A.  ephippium,  but  the  colour  is 
deeper  :  mantle  thinner :  cirri  of  unequal  length  and  size,  and 
capable  of  considerable  extension,  some  of  them  being  a  quarter 
of  an  inch  long ;  they  are  minutely  and  closely  ringed,  and  a 
dusky  line  runs  down  the  middle  of  each.  No  other  part  of 
the  animal  is  visible  outside. 

Shell  round  or  sometimes  longitudinally  oval,  usually  flat- 
tened, thin,  rather  glossy  towards  the  beak,  but  elsewhere  of 
a  dull  appearance :  sculpture,  fine  and  close-set  imbricated 
scales,  and  20-30  blunt  ribs  which  radiate  from  the  beak  in 
every  direction  towards  the  margins  in  a  wav}^  manner ;  lines 
of  growth  irregular :  colour  yellowish- white,  with  frequently 
reddish-brown  but  not  continuous  streaks  or  spots :  marf/ins 
thin,  scalloped  or  notched  by  the  ribs,  nearly  straight  behind : 
beak  small,  rather  prominent,  very  seldom  reaching  to  the 
.   hind  margin,  and  never  overlapping  it :  cartilafje  short  and 

*  Shaped  like  a  Patella,  or  limpet. 


ANOMIA.  35 

narrow,  fixed  in  a  cavity  beneath  the  hinge:  hinge-line 
slightly  curved  :  hinge-plnte  thick  but  narrow  :  orifice  rather 
large,  much  broader  below  than  above;  outer  edge  not  re- 
flected :  Inside  bluish-green,  highly  iridescent,  furnished  in  the 
lower  valve  with  a  ledge  to  receive  the  cartilage :  muscular 
scar  large,  showing  in  the  upper  valve  the  impression  of  two 
inner  portions  of  the  muscle  of  a  roundish-oval  shape  and 
often  confluent,  the  larger  one  of  which  is  placed  in  the  middle, 
and  the  smaller  one  a  little  below  it  on  the  left-hand  side ;  in 
the  lower  valve  there  is  only  one  impression,  placed  as  in  the 
last  species:  plug  pear-shaped,  thin,  and  coarsely  striate 
lengthwise.     L.  1-3.    B.  1-45. 

Yar.  striata.  Shell  sometimes  nearly  convex,  covered  with 
numerous  and  fine  longitudinal  striae,  which  often  rise  into 
minute  scales,  becoming  prickly  and  occasionally  decussated  by 
the  transverse  lines  of  growth ;  coloured  rays  more  distinct 
and  somewhat  wavy.  A.  striata^  Loven,  Ind.  Moll.  Scand. 
p.  29.     F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  336,  pi.  Iv.  f.  1,  6,  and  pi.  liii.  f.  6. 

Habitat  :  10-86  fathoms,  on  hard  ground  and  shell- 
banks  everywhere,  usually  concealed  in  the  hollows  of 
old  bivalves.  It  is,  however,  not  so  common  as  the  last 
species,  although  equally  diffused ;  and  they  are  found 
together.  The  variety  occurs  in  Shetland  and  on  the 
west  coast  of  Scotland.  A.  patelliformis  is  a  tertiary 
fossil  of  the  Clyde  beds,  and  of  the  Red  and  Coralline 
Crag,  as  well  as  of  the  newer  deposits  of  Italy  and  Sicily, 
and  also  of  the  Uddevalla  shell-bed.  Abroad  this  species 
ranges  from  Scandinavia  to  the  Mediterranean.  Ac- 
cording to  Chierighini  it  inhabits  the  Adriatic ;  Wein- 
kauff  has  included  it  in  his  list  of  Algerian  shells  under 
the  name  of  ^.  jsec^im/ormi^,  Philippi;  the  variety,  as 
weU  as  the  ordinary  form,  have  been  taken  by  M.  Martin 
in  the  Gulf  of  Lyons;  Middendorff  has  recorded  it 
from  Sitka  Sound,  and  Dr.  Philip  Carpenter  from  the 
North-west  coast  of  America. 

It  differs  from  A.  ephippium  in  its  more  regular  out- 
line, thinner  texture,  coloured  streaks,  peculiar  sculp- 


36  ANOMIIDiE. 

ture,  the  number  and  position  of  its  muscular  scars,  and 
flat  (instead  of  raised)  plug.  It  is  also  not  so  susceptible 
of  outward  impressions  as  that  species.  An  A.  patelli- 
formis  attached  to  a  scallop,  although  it  sometimes  par- 
takes of  its  companion's  ribs,  has  also  its  own  natural 
ribs,  which  run  their  independent  course  from  the  beak 
to  the  margins.  The  orifice  in  young  specimens  is 
nearly  round.  The  prominent  beak  somewhat  resem- 
bles the  apex  of  a  limpet.  The  plug  lies  in  a  hollow, 
which  is  apparently  made  in  the  same  way  as  I  have 
suggested  with  regard  to  the  other  species.  Owing  pro- 
bably to  the  green  colour  of  the  liver,  the  rostral  area 
or  nucleus  of  the  shell  always  appears  to  have  a  similar 
tinge. 

It  is  not  without  considerable  hesitation  that  I  have 
ventured  to  unite  with  this  species  the  A.  striata  of 
Loven ;  but,  after  examining  his  types  at  Stockholm, 
and  a  long  and  careful  comparison  of  a  great  many 
specimens  of  this  beautiful  variety,  I  cannot  make  out 
any  definite  specific  character.  The  only  difference 
consists  in  the  more  delicate  sculpture  of  Loven's  shell; 
and  specimens  may  be  observed  in  which  the  ribs  and 
striae  blend  so  insensibly  into  each  other,  that  it  is  im- 
possible to  say  whether  they  belong  to  the  typical  spe- 
cies or  the  variety.  Judging  from  Linnets  description 
of  A.  patelliformiSj  this  variety  appears  to  correspond 
with  it  better  than  the  typical  form.  I  consider  it  ana- 
logous to  the  variety  '^  aculeata  "  of  the  last  species. 

A.  patelliformis  has  not  received  so  many  names  as 
A.  ephippiurrij  and  I  can  only  find  fourteen  of  them. 
The  Ostreum  striatum  of  Da  Costa  (but  not  that  of 
Lister)  appears  to  be  this  species.  It  has  been  placed 
by  some  conchologists  in  the  genus  Placunanomia  of 
Broderip;  but  the  distinctive  character  of  that  genus 


OSTREA.  37 

lies  in  having  two  cardinal  teeth,  as  in  Placuna  and  Pla- 
centaj  and  is  not  applicable  to  the  present  species. 


Family  II.  OSTRElD^,  Broderip. 

Body  round :  mantle  having  rather  thick  edges  in  front : 
ci'm  short :  gills  simple.  There  is  no  foot,  or  muscle  for  ex- 
ternal attachment.  The  animal  is  fixed  in  the  earlier  stage  of 
its  growth,  and  sometimes  in  its  adult  state,  by  the  lower  or 
more  convex  valve  of  its  shell. 

Shell  circular,  longitudinally  oval  or  oblong,  or  of  an  irre- 
gidar  shape,  and  inclined  to  be  wedge-like,  inequivalve :  hinge 
toothless,  but  having  its  margins  sometimes  notched :  cartilage 
internal,  short  and  curved,  placed  horizontally  on  the  hinge- 
line. 

Some  genera  are  exotic,  and  others  are  extinct  or 
known  only  as  fossil.  We  have  bnt  the  typical  genus. 
The  Oyster  family  differs  from  that  of  Anomia  in  the 
gills  being  simple,  in  having  no  foot  or  plug  of  attach- 
ment, and  in  the  shells  being  either  free  or  adhering  to 
other  substances  by  the  lower  valve,  which  is  invariably 
larger  and  deeper  than  the  other. 

Genus  OS'TREA  *,  Linne.     PL  I.  f.  5. 

Body  compressed. 

Shell  composed  of  numerous  imbricated  or  tile-like  plates, 
which  overlap  one  another  in  succession:  beaJcs  disunited: 
cartilage  strengthened  by  a  ligament  on  each  side  of  it. 

The  so-called  species  of  Ostrea  are  exceedingly  nume- 
rous, and  many  of  them  are  only  distinguishable  by  very 
slight  characters.  Almost  every  sea  appears  to  have 
several  species  or  varieties.  Their  general  form  is  very 
inconstant  and  often  irregular.  It  is  more  than  pro- 
bable that  when  a  sufficiently  extensive  series  from  each 
*  Oyster. 


38  OSTREIDiE. 

place,  and  especially  in  the  earlier  states  of  growth,  have 
been  carefully  examined  and  compared,  many  recent 
species  may  become  "  extinct  '^  in  consequence  of  a  re- 
duction in  number,  and  with  great  advantage  to  science. 
Poli  gave  the  animal  the  name  of  Peloris.  But  that  was 
not  an  oyster. 

Murice  Baiano  melior  Lucrina  peloris, 
Ostrea  Circeiis,  Miseno  oriuntur  echini, 
Pectinibus  patulis  jactat  se  molle  Tarentum. 

1^.2.1  OsTREA  edxj'lis *,  Linne.     ^^7/* 

0.  edulis,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1148 ;  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  307,  pi.  liv.,  and  (ani- 
mal) pi.  T.  f.  1. 

Body  much  compressed,  although  rather  thick,  of  a  pale 
drab  colour  more  or  less  tinged  with  brown :  mantle  nearly 
circular :  cirri  arranged  in  two  rows,  the  outer  one  of  which  is 
double  but  irregular,  and  the  inner  one  single  :  month  furnished 
with  a  pair  of  large  and  nearly  triangular  lips  on  each  side. 

Shell  round  in  its  young  state,  and  afterwards  spreading 
out  in  front  or  at  the  sides,  with  frequently  a  more  or  less 
curved  outline,  usually  compressed,  rather  thick,  of  a  dull 
appearance  outside  :  sculpture,  foHated  or  scaly  ;  lower  valve 
sometimes  strongly  ribbed  lengthwise ;  the  entire  surface  of 
the  shell  when  young  is  microscopically  shagreened  ;  Hues  of 
growth  well  marked:  co?02*r  yellowish -brown  :  margins  thin 
and  closely  appressed  or  squeezed  together,  usually  semicir- 
cular in  front  and  more  or  less  rounded  at  the  sides :  heaTcs 
small,  divided  by  the  cartilage,  which  is  thick  and  very  strong, 
light-brown  or  horncolour,  and  supported  on  each  side  by  a 
short  ligament  of  a  dark  olive-green :  hinge-line  narrow  and 
nearly  straight :  hinge-plate  thick  :  inside  white  and  pearly  ; 
lateral  edges  (especially  of  the  flat  valve)  finely  crenulated  or 
notched  on  the  upper  part :  muscular  scar  obliquely  transverse, 
pear-shaped  or  slightly  incurved  above.     L.  3.  B.  3-5. 

Var.  1.  parasitica.  Shell  much  smaller,  flatter,  and  more 
glossy ;  colour  purplish  or  greenish -brown,  with  streaks  of  a 
darker  hue  radiating  from  the  beaks.  0.  parasitica,  Turt. 
Conch.  Diet.  p.  134,  f.  8. 

*  Eatable. 


OSTREA.  39 

Yar.  2.  hlppopm.  Shell  large  and  extremely  thick.  0. 
liijppopus,  Lam.  An.  sans  Yert.  vii.  p.  219. 

Yar.  3.  deformis.  Shell  small,  distorted,  and  often  nearly 
cylindrical.     0.  deformis^  Lam.  1.  c.  p.  229. 

Yar.  4.  Rutupina.  Shell  small,  transversely  oval  and  of  a 
regular  shape. 

Yar.  5.  tbicta.  Shell  flattened  and  attached  in  every  stage 
of  growth ;  inside  of  a  rich  purplish-brown  or  olive-green ; 
hinge-margins  strongly  crenulated. 

Habitat  :  0-45  fathoms,  on  every  part  of  our  coast 
from  Shetland  to  the  Channel  Isles,  usually  gregarious 
and  forming  beds  of  various  extent.  Var.  1.  On  shells, 
crabs,  and  other  substances,  having  rather  a  more  south- 
em  distribution.  YV^hen  this  variety  is  affixed  to  a  ribbed 
scallop,  it  adopts  the  markings  of  that  shell,  but  it  re- 
tains its  own  colour.  It  appears  to  be  the  O.  depressa 
of  Philippi.  Var.  2.  In  deep  water  and  solitary.  Var.  3. 
Occupying  the  crevices  of  rocks  in  the  littoral  and 
laminarian  zones,  and  called  the  "  rock-oyster."  Some 
specimens  resemble  a  Gryphcea  in  shape.  Var.  4.  Coasts 
of  Essex  and  north  Kent,  in  a  semicultivated  state,  and 
well  known  in  this  country  as  "natives."  Var.  5.  West 
of  Scotland  and  Burra  Isles,  Shetland.  Mr.  Grainger 
has  noticed  this  ubiquitous  species  as  "imbedded  in 
considerable  myriads "  in  a  raised  pliocene  deposit  at 
Belfast;  and,  according  to  Mr.  James  Smith  and  Mr. 
Geikie,  it  occurs  in  the  Clyde  beds  and  other  glacial 
deposits  in  Scotland.  Red  and  Coralline  Crag  (S  .Y\^ood) . 
The  sheUs  may  also  be  seen  mixed  with  those  of  pecu- 
liarly arctic  species  in  the  raised  sea- beds  near  Udde- 
valla.  It  is  very  difficult  to  ascertain  its  foreign  distri- 
bution, with  any  tolerable  degree  of  correctness,  in  con- 
sequence of  its  specific  identity  being  enveloped  in  such 
a  cloud  of  different  names.     Depending,  however,  on 


40  OSTREIDiE. 

those  authorities  which  appear  to  be  most  accurate,  I 
consider  that  its  range  extends  from  Iceland  (Mohr)  to 
Naples  (Scacchi)  and  the  Adriatic  (Chierighini) .  I  can 
answer  for  the  common  form,  as  well  as  the  variety 
parasitica^  being  found  at  Cannes.  Miiller,  Loven, 
Lilljeborg,  Asbjornsen,  and  Malm  have  recorded  it  as 
inhabiting  diflferent  parts  of  the  Scandinavian  sea,  from 
Christiansund  southwards ;  and  Mr.  M ''Andrew  has 
found  it  in  Vigo  Bay  and  off  Gibraltar.  Philippi  says 
that  in  Sicily  it  occurs  in  a  fossil  state  only.  According 
to  Gould,  it  is  undistinguishable  from  the  oyster  of  New 
York.  It  has  not  been  observed  by  Dr.  Otto  Torell  or 
any  arctic  explorer  on  the  coasts  of  Greenland ;  but  it  is 
common  in  some  of  the  postglacial  beds  near  Udde- 
valla  and  in  the  diocese  of  Christiania,  associated  with 
high-northern  shells. 

Although  we  are  now  favoured  with  only  one  species 
of  what  Gmelin  termed  the  "  vermis  sapidissimus,"  and 
the  supply  is  never  equal  to  the  demand,  the  case  was 
very  different  in  days  long  since  past.  E.  Forbes  says, 
"  During  ancient  epochs,  as  we  learn  from  the  fossils  of 
both  tertiary  and  secondary  strata,  many  more  kinds  of 
oyster  lived  within  our  area,  and  multiplied  so  as  to 
rival  the  contents  of  any  modern  oyster-beds.  The  dis- 
coveries of  geologists  open  scenes  of  regret  to  the  en- 
thusiastic oyster-eater,  who  can  hardly  gaze  upon  the 
abundantly  entombed  remains  of  the  apparently  well-fed 
and  elegantly-shaped  oysters  of  our  Eocene  formation, 
without  chasing  ^  a  pearly  tear  away,^  whilst  he  calls  to 
mind  how  all  these  delicate  beings  came  into  the  world, 
and  vanished,  to  so  little  purpose."  However,  there  is 
some  consolation  in  the  idea  that  the  breed  of  oysters 
may  have  since  improved  by  "  natural  selection,"  and 
that,  if  any  of  our  prehistoric  ancestors  existed  in  those 


OSTREA.  41 

bygone  epochs,  they  were  not  so  well  off  as  we  are  for 
the  quality  of  this  gastronomic  luxury.  Oysters  seem 
to  have  been  as  much  sought  for  and  enjoyed  in  the 
^^  stone  ^^  age  as  they  are  at  present,  judging  from  the 
vast  heaps  of  large  empty  shells  which  are  found  in  the 
Danish  kjokkenmoddings,  as  well  as  in  the  northern 
parts  of  the  British  isles. 

Lister  was  the  first  to  describe  the  anatomy  of  the 
oyster,  from  particulars  which  were  communicated  to 
him  by  Dr.  Willis.  This  description  is  tolerably  accu- 
rate; and  if  the  authority  could  be  wholly  relied  on, 
these  moUusks  ought  not  to  suffer  the  discredit  of  being 
so  stupid  as  is  proverbially  alleged  in  Norway  and 
Brittany.  Willis  states  that  when  the  tide  comes  in 
they  lie  with  their  hollow  shells  downwards,  and  when 
it  goes  out  they  turn  on  the  other  side ;  and  he  adds 
that  they  do  not  remove  from  their  places,  unless  in 
cold  weather  to  cover  themselves  with  the  ooze  !  Lister 
appears  to  have  trusted  too  much  to  his  friend,  and  not 
to  have  learnt  for  himself  the  fact  that  oysters  have 
not  the  slightest  power  of  locomotion,  except  in  their 
embryonic  state.  Bishop  Sprat's  account  of  our  oyster- 
fisheries,  which  has  been  so  often  quoted  in  works  on 
natural  history,  was  chiefly  compiled  from  this  com- 
munication of  Dr.  Willis.  The  "  spat,''  said  to  be  like 
a  drop  of  candle-grease,  is  a  pure  fiction.  From  April 
to  July  the  ova  are  continually  excluded  from  the  ovary 
and  discharged  into  the  gills,  where  they  are  hatched. 
Every  batch  of  fry  in  succession  is  then  committed  to 
the  sea ;  and  the  young  commence  life  as  free  animals, 
like  other  bivalves,  swimming  or  rather  flitting  about 
with  considerable  rapidity  by  means  of  numerous  cilia 
which  fringe  their  circumference.  Each  is  enclosed  in 
an  extremely  thin  and  prismatic  semiglobular  bivalve 


42  OSTREIDiE. 

case.  In  the  Report  of  the  British  Association  for 
1856  Mr.  Eyton  has  given  some  farther  information  as 
to  the  appearance  and  habits  of  the  oyster-fry.  He 
says,  "  The  animal  was  semitransparent,  with  two 
reddish  elongated  dots  placed  on  each  side  behind  the 
cilia,  which  were  in  constant  and  rapid  motion.  They 
were  exceedingly  tenacious  of  life,  the  cilia  moving  until 
the  water  was  dried  up  upon  the  glass.  Some  that  I 
placed  in  a  little  salt  and  water  were  alive  the  next 
day.^'  After  a  short  enjoyment  of  freedom  they  attach 
themselves  to  a  stone  or  some  other  object ;  the  mantle 
soon  afterwards  begins  its  work  of  secretion,  and  converts 
the  case  into  a  shell ;  the  latter  becomes  agglutinated 
to  some  extraneous  body ;  the  cilia  and  eye-like  spots 
disappear,  and  the  permanent  organs  are  developed. 
This  metamorphosis  has  its  parallel  in  the  Cirripedia 
and  other  classes  of  invertebrate  animals.  The  parent 
oyster  is  slow  in  recovering  from  its  long-continued  par- 
turition ;  and  it  is  not  fit  to  eat  until  about  the  middle 
of  August.  Indeed,  it  is  not  considered  to  be  in  full 
flavour  until  September.  The  period  of  its  longevity  is 
not  known.  It  is  said  to  be  in  prime  condition  from 
the  fourth  to  the  seventh  year,  and  rarely  to  live  beyond 
its  fifteenth  year.  If  the  numerous  laminae  or  plates  of 
which  the  shell  is  composed  denote  the  marks  of  annual 
growth,  some  individuals  must  attain  a  very  venerable 
age;  but  these  plates  are  formed  inwardly,  instead  of 
outwardly  as  is  the  case  with  the  trunks  of  coniferous 
trees,  and  the  analogy  therefore  fails.  A  severe  winter 
causes  great  mortality  among  those  which  are  laid  in 
park  sor  shore-beds,  in  consequence  of  the  valves  being 
closed  by  ice  during  the  recess  of  the  tide.  In  all  pro- 
bability the  stock  of  sea- water,  which  had  been  taken 
in  before  the  oyster  was  laid  bare,  requires  occasional 


OSTREA.  43 

aeration  from  the  atmosphere.  The  green  colour,  so 
much  prized  by  the  Parisians,  is  owing  to  the  oyster 
feeding  on  the  Navicula,  a  kind  of  Diatom  or  vegetable 
organism  which  abounds  in  comparatively  still  and 
brackish  waters.  According  to  physiologists  the  in- 
testine passes  the  heart  without  coming  into  contact 
with  it,  being  an  exception  to  the  general  rule  with 
respect  to  the  relative  position  of  these  organs  in  the 
Acephala.  The  oyster,  therefore,  cannot  in  fairness  be 
twitted  with  the  proverb  that  the  way  to  the  heart  is 
through  the  stomach.  Nor  is  the  idea  of  its  being 
"crossed  in  love^'  less  fallacious,  seeing  that  each  in- 
dividual is  of  both  sexes  and  can  only  be  enamoured  of 
itself.  Clark,  as  well  as  G.  B.  Sower  by,  asserts  that  the 
animal  has  two  adductor  muscles,  and  that  the  corre- 
sponding impressions  may  be  seen  in  each  valve,  the 
posterior  one  being  very  small  and  placed  close  to  the 
hinge.  I  have  not  been  able,  however,  to  detect  more 
than  one  impression,  which  lies  nearly  in  the  middle. 
I  would  therefore  invite  the  attention  of  naturalists  to 
the  elucidation  of  this  simple  point.  On  it  depends  the 
Lamarckian  division  of  the  Lamellibranchiata  into 
Monomyaria  and  Dimyaria,  the  oyster  being  the  type  of 
the  former  group.  Dr.  Fischer  says  that  the  adductor 
muscle  in  Pecten  (which  is  allied  to  the  oyster  and 
belongs  to  the  same  group)  is  divided,  so  as  to  form  an- 
terior and  posterior  bundles  placed  at  different  angles- 
He  is  of  opinion  that  the  group  of  Monomyaria  exists 
only  in  appearance  and  not  in  reality.  The  cartilage 
and  ligament  advance  with  the  growth  of  the  animal,  in 
consequence  of  which  the  old  layers  become  useless  and 
are  external.  The  oldest  or  first-formed  portions  of  the 
shell  cease  in  time  to  be  occupied  by  the  animal,  so  that 
the  beaks  become  disunited  and  in  adult  specimens  are 


44  OSTREIDiE. 

separated  by  a  wide  chasm.  The  shell  is  remarkably 
calcareous,  and  consists  for  the  most  part  of  layers 
termed  by  Dr.  Carpenter  "  sub-nacreous  '^  and  having 
comparatively  little  adhesion  one  to  another.  These  layers 
are  internal.  The  outer  layers  are  composed  of  pris- 
matic cellular  structure,  and  have  no  natural  cohesion. 
The  weight  of  the  animal  in  a  full-grown  example  is 
very  disproportionate  to  that  of  the  shell.  The  late  Mr. 
Thompson  of  Belfast  ascertained  that  a  large  oyster 
from  that  bay  weighed  altogether  two  pounds,  but  that 
the  weight  of  the  animal  taken  out  of  the  shell  was  only 
an  ounce  and  a  half.  Large-sized  specimens  from  the 
British  seas  seldom  exceed  six  inches  in  length ;  but  on 
the  North- American  coast  this  species  (if  it  be  the  same 
as  ours)  is  said  to  attain  occasionally  twice  that  size. 
Young  shells  are  sometimes  marked  with  radiating 
purple  streaks ;  and  now  and  then  one  is  found  attached 
to  the  operculum  of  a  living  Buccinum  undatum,  the  sur- 
face of  which  it  completely  covers  and  takes  its  form. 

Before  adverting  to  the  economical  point  of  view,  I 
may  mention  some  of  the  minor  uses  to  which  oysters 
are  put.  These  are  few :  they  serve  to  keep  an  aqua- 
rium free  from  the  spores  of  sea-weeds ;  their  shells  are 
burnt  as  a  substitute  for  lime;  and  formerly  certain 
medicines  were  prepared  from  their  calcined  material. 
Also  pearls  of  inferior  lustre,  often  small  and  of  an 
irregular  shape,  are  obtained  from  them.  Antiquaries 
tell  us  that  the  shells  have  been  discovered  in  Saxon 
tombs,  and  that  in  still  older  places  of  sepulture  in  the 
Orkneys  they  are  found  drilled  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
show  that  they  probably  formed  articles  of  personal 
ornament.  They  must  have  made  a  clumsy  necklace. 
But  their  chief  value  results  from  the  fisheries,  which 
for  more  than  eighteen  centuries  have  rendered  Great 


OSTREA.  45 

Britain  famous  as  an  oyster-store,  and  continue  to  give 
employment  to  thousands  and  a  delicate  and  wholesome 
food  to  millions.  Although  Catullus  calls  the  Helles- 
pont "cseteris  ostreosior  oris/'  his  countrymen  always 
gave  the  preference  to  our  natives.  Some  interesting 
statistics  of  the  trade  will  be  found  in  the  '  British 
Mollusca.'  In  a  later  account  of  this  important  branch 
of  our  commerce  it  is  stated  that  in  London  alone  about 
700  millions  of  oysters  are  annually  consumed,  and  that 
in  the  provinces  there  is  equal  voracity  and  constant 
crying  out  for  more.  The  consumption  in  Paris  in  1861 
reached  132  millions,  according  to  a  statistical  report 
of  the  archostreologer,  M.  Coste.  The  preservation  of 
oyster-fisheries  has  been  frequently  the  subject  of  legis- 
lative enactments  in  this  and  other  countries.  A  dispute, 
which  threatened  at  one  time  to  be  serious,  arose  not 
many  years  ago  between  the  French  and  ourselves  as  to 
the  limits  of  such  fisheries  in  the  English  Channel.  It 
shows  the  weight  that  these  humble  moHusks,  insulted 
in  proverbs,  but  sought  after  with  such  eagerness,  have 
in  the  scale  of  nations.  The  same  jealousy  prevailed 
lately  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  The  Governor 
of  Virginia  in  1857  was  said  to  have  been  in  a  per- 
petual stew  on  this  account,  and  to  have  sent  an  urgent 
''  message ''  or  appeal  to  the  Legislature  for  protection, 
believing  that  the  idea  of  an  oysterless  State  was  much  too 
gloomy  for  contemplation  !  Our  Transatlantic  cousins 
boast  that  their  oysters  are  far  superior  in  flavour  to 
any  in  the  Old  World.  In  the  '  Natural  History  of 
New  York,'  published  in  1843,  it  is  stated  that  there 
were  two  principal  varieties  in  the  then  United  States — 
viz.  northern  and  southern — and  that  connoisseurs  pre- 
tended to  distinguish  these  varieties  by  the  smell  alone. 
The  oyster  may  have  played,  although  unconsciously,  a 


46  OSTREIDiE. 

part  in  the  sad  tragedy  which  has  been  performed  in 
that  unfortunate  country,  by  indicating  (like  the  herald 
in  a  Greek  play)  the  approaching  separation  of  the 
States,  with  reference  to  the  distinction  in  its  own  case 
into  "  northern  '^  and  ^^  southern.^^  The  art  of  ^'  huitre- 
culture/'  which  has  been  practised  in  France  with  so 
much  success,  is  simple  as  well  as  useful.  It  consists 
of  fixing,  in  sheltered  and  suitable  spots,  wooden  stakes 
interlaced  with  branches  of  trees,  arranged  like  fascines, 
on  which  a  few  breeding-oysters  are  laid.  At  the  end 
of  three  or  four  years  the  stakes  are  pulled  up ;  the 
mature  oysters  are  selected  for  market,  the  small  ones 
being  left  to  grow  and  breed;  and  the  stakes  and 
branches  are  replaced.  A  similar  harvest  is  gathered  in 
each  succeeding  year.  The  preserve  or  "  park  "  is  paved, 
to  prevent  an  excessive  accumulation  of  mud,  which 
would  destroy  the  fry.  Its  enclosed  and  raised  position 
prevents  the  access  of  fish  and  other  injurious  animals. 
The  German  Ocean  has  been  so  long  the  fishing-pond 
of  Europe,  that  its  supplies  are  beginning  to  fail  us; 
and  we  cannot  feel  too  grateful  to  M.  Coste  for  his 
ingenious  method  of  replenishing  the  nearly  exhausted 
stock  of  oysters.  Besides  man,  the  oyster  has  many 
enemies ;  and  were  it  not  for  its  wonderful  fecundity,  it 
must  long  ere  this  have  been  extirpated.  Starfishes, 
whelks,  and  annelids  attack  and  devour  the  adult ;  and 
countless  shoals  of  small  fish,  bivalve  moUusks,  and 
other  animals  swallow  the  fry  while  they  are  disporting 
themselves  in  the  brief  period  of  their  free  and  active 
state. 

The  oyster  is  a  classical  character;  and  its  praises 
have  been  said  or  sung  by  innumerable  writers,  from 
Aristotle  to  ^'  Professor ''  Blezard.  It  furnished  Shake- 
speare with  many  a  playful  allusion ;  and  the  philoso- 


OSTREA.  47 

phical  question  which  he  makes  the  fool  ask  of  Lear,  as 
to  the  mode  of  constructing  its  shell,  would  be  difiBcult 
for  the  best  conchologist  to  answer  satisfactorily.  It 
has  even  been  celebrated  in  pastoral  verse.  Sannaza- 
rius,  an  eccentric  Italian  writer  of  the  last  century, 
changed  the  scene  in  this  kind  of  poetry  from  woods 
and  lawns  to  the  barren  beach  and  boundless  ocean, 
introducing  sea-calves  in  the  room  of  kids  and  lambs, 
seamews  for  the  lark  and  the  linnet,  and  presenting  his 
mistress  with  oysters  instead  of  fruits  and  flowers.  There 
is  no  lack  of  gossip  on  the  subject.  The  recent  publi- 
cation of  three  books  attests  its  popularity.  One  con- 
tains the  "  Life  of  an  Oyster  ^^;  another  gives  directions 
"where,  how,  and  when  to  find,  breed,  cook,  and  eat 
it^^;  and  the  third  explains  its  medicinal  and  nutritious 
qualities.  All  these  brochures  are  very  amusing.  The 
second  teaches  no  less  than  fifteen  difierent  ways  of 
dressing  this  delicacy ;  and  it  would  especially  interest 
those  who  are  not  true  lovers  of  it  in  its  natural  state, 
and  therefore  approve  of  Gay's  sentiment — 

*'  The  man  had  sure  a  palate  covered  o'er 
With  brass  or  steel,  that  on  the  rocky  shore 
First  broke  the  oozy  oyster's  pearly  coat, 
And  risq'd  the  living  morsel  down  his  throat." 

But  there  is  death  even  in  the  pot ;  and  the  ^Comptes 
Rendus'  for  March  last  mentions  some  fatal  cases  of 
poisoning  by  green  oysters  imported  into  Rochefort  from 
Falmouth.  The  Editor  of  the  ^  Journal  de  Conchylio- 
logie,'  in  commenting  on  this  accident,  remarks  that 
English  copper,  in  a  metallic  state,  is  a  product  "  tres- 
estimable,''  but  less  valuable  as  an  article  of  food.  Old 
FuUer,  in  his  '  Worthies,'  says  that  oysters  are  the  only 
meat  which  men  eat  alive  and  yet  account  it  no  cruelty. 
Probably,  in  his  time  German  ladies  did  not  crunch 


48  PECTINIDiE. 

ants  between  their  teeth  for  the  sake  of  the  formic  acid, 
nor  Russian  ladies  swallow  little  fishes  alive  in  order  to 
tickle  their  throats.  I  am  told  that  at  St.  Petersburg 
fresh  oysters  are  not  reckoned  eatable,  but  that  they 
are  kept  till  they  become  ^'  high  '^  and  have  a  gamy 
flavour  !  One  of  the  many  good  qualities  of  the  oyster 
is  perhaps  not  generally  known,  and  it  has  not  been 
noticed  by  any  popular  writer.  It  is  reticence.  Colman, 
in  his  ^  Broad  Grins,'  says  that  the  tiny  page  of  Lady 
Erpingham 

"  Slipp'd  the  Dame's  note  into  the  Friar's  hand, 
As  he  was  walking  in  the  cloister ; 
And,  then,  slipp'd  off — as  silent  as  an  oyster." 


Family  III.  PECTI'NID^,  Lamarck. 

Body  oval  or  oblong,  compressed :  mantle  having  thick 
edges :  cirri  long  and  extensile :  gills  reflected :  foot  deve- 
loped. 

Shell  spade-shaped,  usually  inequivalve  and  inequilateral : 
beahs  small,  straight,  and  pointed,  with  lateral  triangular  pro- 
cesses like  ears  or  wings  :  hinge  toothless :  cartilage  internal, 
placed  in  a  cavity  beneath  the  beaks  and  strengthened  by  a 
narrow  Hgament  on  each  side. 

The  animal  has  a  distinct  foot,  which  is  capable  of 
spinning  a  byssus,  or  bundle  of  horny  threads,  for  attach- 
ment to  other  bodies.  It  is  also  endued  with  a  peculiar 
power  of  locomotion.  By  a  muscular  action,  analogous 
to  that  which  is  known  as  systole  and  diastole,  and  by 
repeatedly  taking  in  and  expelling  a  quantity  of  water, 
it  flits  or  jerks  itself  along  for  a  considerable  distance 
although  not  in  a  straight  line,  flapping  the  valves  of 
its  shell  inwards  like  the  wings  of  a  bird  in  full  flight. 
The  ventral  margins  are  in  front,  the  beaks  are  behind. 


PECTEN.  49 

and  the  less  convex  valve  uppermost.  But  as  the  "  beak^' 
of  a  shell  is  posterior,  and  that  of  a  bird  is  anterior, 
their  relative  position  is  reversed,  although  the  motion 
of  each  is  nearly  the  same.  Even  Pecten  pusio  in  its 
younger  state,  and  before  it  is  permanently  fixed,  is  free 
and  can  swim  about  like  its  congeners.  In  other  respects 
also  this  family  differs  from  the  Ostreidce.  The  shell 
is  of  a  more  regular  and  symmetrical  shape,  and  its 
hind  margin  is  expanded  on  each  side  into  the  ears  or 
winglike  processes  above  noticed.  Its  structure  is 
less  compact — its  composition,  according  to  Mr.  Sorby, 
being  ''  arragonite,^^  while  that  of  the  oyster  is  "  calcite.^' 
The  impression  of  the  great  adductor  muscle  is  placed 
more  on  one  side  than  in  the  oyster,  where  it  is 
almost  central.  The  muscle  by  which  the  front  edge 
of  the  mantle  is  attached  to  the  shell  leaves  a  conspi- 
cuous scar  on  the  inside  of  each  valve.  The  cartilage 
and  ligament  advance  with  the  growth  of  the  animal,  in 
the  same  way  as  in  the  oyster,  but  more  slowly.  All 
the  British  Pectinidce  are  ribbed  or  striate  lengthwise. 
Pecten  similis,  which  is  commonly  smooth,  is  hardly  an 
exception,  for  it  sometimes  has  distinct  ridges  diverging 
from  the  beak  to  the  margin  of  the  shell. 

Genus  I.  PECTEN  *,  Pliny.     PI.  II.  f.  1. 

Body  oval :  mantle  fringed  with  ocelli  or  eye-like  tubercles. 
Shell  more  or  less  inequivalve :  ligament  internal :  muscu- 
lar scar  nearly  central. 

The  name  of  this  genus  is  nearly  as  ancient  as  that 
of  Ostrea.  It  is  very  expressive,  the  shell  usually 
having  ribs  which  are  arranged  like  the  teeth  of  a 
lady's  comb.      Sometimes  it  resembles  the  expanded 

*  A  comb. 

D 


50  PECTINID^. 

frame  of  a  fan.  Scallops  are  especial  favourites  of  shell- 
collectors  and  amateurs,  on  account  of  their  elegant 
shape  and  their  brilliant  and  varied  hues.  The  curious 
organs  called  ^^  ocelli ''  or  eyelets  are  supposed  by  some 
physiologists  to  be  rather  highly  organized,  and  even 
superior  to  the  so-called  eyes  of  most  Gasteropodous 
MoUusca.  More  than  one  hundred  of  them  have  been 
counted  in  a  single  individual  of  some  species  oiPecten. 
For  this  reason  Poli  called  the  animal  Argus.  These 
little  eyes  have  a  prismatic  lustre,  and  gleam  like  pre- 
cious stones  which  are  set  round  the  inside  of  a  casket 
lined  with  mother-of-pearl.  Their  structure  has  been 
lately  and  independently  investigated  by  Grube,  Krohn, 
and  Will.  Very  young  shells  of  all  the  species  are 
destitute  of  ribs ;  and  they  are  nearly  rhomboidal,  owing 
to  their  breadth  and  the  size  of  their  ears  being  propor- 
tionally greater  at  that  stage  of  growth  than  afterwards 
is  the  case.  In  consequence  of  the  Scallops  being  gene- 
rally attached  or  sedentary,  the  upper  valve  is  more 
deeply  and  brightly  coloured  than  the  lower  one. 

Although  all  the  essential  characters  of  the  present 
genus  are  uniform  and  do  not  vary  much  in  the  several 
species,  it  has  been  divided  by  authors  into  no  less 
than  twenty-eight,  most  of  which  will  be  found  enu- 
merated in  the  useful  Index  of  Herrmannsen.  In  nearly 
all  the  British  species  the  upper  or  left  valve  is  the 
larger,  and  is  also  distinguished  from  the  other  by  its 
brighter  or  deeper  hue.  In  Pecten  maximuSy  however, 
and  occasionally  in  P.  septemradiatm,  the  lower  or  right 
valve  is  the  larger,  and  almost  or  quite  colourless.  The 
intensity  of  colour  is  supposed  to  depend  on  the  action 
of  solar  light,  although  it  is  not  wanting  in  animals 
living  in  the  abysses  of  the  ocean,  which  the  most  atte- 
nuated sunbeam  has  never  directly  penetrated. 


PECTEN.  51 

A.  Upper  Talve  more  or  less  convex :  hinge-line  ribbed  across. 
H'twni't'e*    ^*cs%c 

U^,S-Q  1.  Pecten  Pu'sio'^^(LiiineJ  W.  22. 

Ostrea  pusio,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1146.    P.pusio,  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  278,  pi.  L 
f.  4,  5,  and  li.  f.  7. 

Body  vennilion  or  yellowish-white  with  a  brown  tint,  or 
particoloured :  cim  numerous,  short,  and  blunt,  arranged  in 
from  5  to  7  rows  :  ocelli  large  and  few  in  number. 

Shell  varying  in  shape  according  to  age,  being  when  young  1 
considerably  longer  than  broad,  and  regular,  but  in  its  adult  f 
state  broader  in  proportion,  and  distorted  or  twisted  in  con-  1 
sequence  of  its  fitting  the  cavities  and  sinuosities  of  the  bodies  - 
to  which  it  is  fixed ;  in  the  earlier  stage  of  growth  it  is  almost 
equi valve,  but  afterwards  the  upper  valve  becomes  usually  the 
larger  and  more  convex  of  the  two ;  sides  nearly  equal ;  it  is 
rather  solid,  and  not  glossy :  sculpture,  about  70  narrow  and 
sharp  ribs  which  are  alternately  large  and  small,  crossed  by 
numerous  transverse  plates,  which  by  their  intersection  form 
scales  or  prickles  on  the  crests  of  the  ribs ;  the  whole  surface 
is  exquisitely  marked  by  microscopical  longitudinal  striae  which 
diverge  from  each  successive  layer  of  growth ;  in  the  fi  y  these  ! 
striae  only  are  visible,  the  ribs  not  then  existing":  eoZowr  red-  \ 
dish,  yellowish,  brown,  or  white,  or  of  intermediate   shades, 
variegated  by  straight  or  diverging  streaks  or  blotches  of  some 
of  those  tints :  mnrr/ins  rounded  in  front  and  at  both  sides,  and 
notched  or  indented  by  the  impression  of  the  ribs ;    in  the 
young  the  upper  edge  of  the  angle  on  the  right-hand  side, 
which  lies  under  the  large  ear,  has  a  row  of  curved  spines, 
which  are  arranged  like  the  teeth  of  a  saw :  beaJcs  prominent :  / 
ecn^s  of  unequal  size,  especially  in  the  young,  that  on  the  left-  I 
hand  side  of  the  upper  valve  and  on  the  right  of  the  lower 
valve  being  the  largest ;  all  of  them  are  sculptured  like  the 
rest  of  the  shell,  the  ribs  diverging  from  each  side  of  the  beak 
outwards ;  the  right-hand  ear  of  the  lower  valve  is  notched  at 
the  base,  and  it  is  smaller  than  the  opposite  one  on  the  left 
hand  of  the  upper  valve,  in  order  to  make  an  opening  and     | 
passage  for  the  byssus  :  hinge-line  straight :  cartilage  short  but     | 
strong  :  ligamtht  io^g  and  slender  :  hinge-plate  strengthened 
by  a  thick  and  knob-like  rib  on  each  side  of  the  beak,  to  form 
the  sides  of  the  cartilage-pit:  inside  pearly,  microscopically 

*  A  youngster. 

d2 


52  PECTINIDiE. 

pitted,  and  sometimes  very  finely  and  closely  striate  length- 
wise: 7nuscular  scars  shght.     L.  1*65.  B.  1*45. 

Habitat  :  Every  rocky  coast  from  Shetland  to  Corn- 
wall, often  on  oyster-beds,  and  attached  in  the  adult 
state  by  the  whole  or  last-formed  part  of  its  lower  valve 
to  the  inside  of  old  bivalve  shells,  or  to  rocks,  Eschara 
foliacea,  and  other  substances.  The  depth  of  water  in 
which  it  lives  varies  from  5  to  85  fathoms,  and  the 
young  are  occasionally  found  at  low- water  mark  on 
some  shores  where  the  tide  retires  for  two  or  three 
fathoms.  In  a  fossil  state  P.  pusio  occurs  in  the  Clyde 
beds,  as  well  as  in  the  Red  and  Coralline  Crag.  Its 
extra-British  range  is  considerable,  extending  from  Nor- 
way to  the  Azores  on  the  one  side  and  to  the  ^gean  on 
the  other. 

In  more  northern  seas  this  species  soon  fixes  itself 
permanently  to  various  bodies  by  means  of  an  aggluti- 
nating secretion ;  but  in  the  Mediterranean  and  more 
southern  latitudes  it  usually  remains  free,  or  attached 
by  a  byssus  only,  from  which  it  has  the  power  of 
withdrawing  or  disengaging  itself  at  pleasure.  In  the 
former  or  fixed  state  it  belongs  to  the  genus  Hinnites 
of  Defrance.  It  has  been  clearly  shown,  however,  by 
the  late  Mr.  G.  B.  Sowerby  thirty-five  years  ago,  on  con- 
chological  grounds,  and  by  Dr.  Fischer  in  1862,  physio- 
logically, that  this  species  is  a  true  PecteUj  and  that  the 
genus  Hinnites  is  not  maintainable.  The  peculiar  mode 
of  attachment  by  the  shell  in  this  case  is  the  reverse  of 
that  adopted  by  the  oyster,  the  former  having  the 
smaller  valve  and  the  latter  the  larger  valve  uppermost. 
The  prickly  scales  are  sometimes  produced  also  on  the 
lower  valve,  and  become  leaf-like  or  foliated  as  in  the 
oyster.  In  fixed  specimens  the  byssal  sinus  is  more 
or  less  closed;   but  I  have  some  of  a  large  size  and 


PECTEN.  53 

much  distorted,  which  were  attached  by  a  strong  byssus 
as  well  as  adhering  by  the  shell.  According  to  Fischer 
the  foot  does  not  become  atrophied  or  proportionally 
smaller  in  the  fixed  adult,  although  it  is  then  quite  use- 
less for  the  purpose  of  locomotion.  This  fact  is  opposed 
to  the  general  idea  that  the  size  of  organs  is  modified 
or  affected  by  a  change  in  the  habits  of  an  animal.  The 
present  species  was  first  described  by  Lister  with  his 
wonted  accuracy.  Wallace,  in  his  '  History  of  the 
Orkneys,'  has  an  ingenious  way  of  accounting  for  the 
shells  being  so  distorted.  He  calls  them  the  '^  twisted 
Pectines  of  Stroma,''  and  says,  '^  I  cannot  think  the  odd 
strange  tumbling  the  tides  make  there  can  contribute 
anything  to  that  frame ;  yet  after  all  I  never  see  them 
in  any  other  place." 

It  is  the  Ostrea  sinuosa  of  Gmelin  and  the  P.  distortus 
of  Da  Costa.  In  its  younger  state  it  is  the  P.  multi- 
striatus  of  Poli,  and  the  P.  Isabella  of  Macgillivray  but 
not  of  Lamarck. 

NT.  ^\  2.  P.  VA'Rius^^Linne.  f{ .  1 2.  . 

Ostrea  varia,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1146.    P.  varhis,  F.  &  H.  ii.  n.  273 
pi.  L.  f.  1. 

Body  pale  red,  pink,  brown,  or  yellow,  sometimes  mottled 
with  white  or  streaked  with  purplish -brown :  mantle  broad- 
edged  :  cirri  numerous,  of  unequal  length  but  mostly  long 
and  slender,  arranged  in  four  rows  :  ocelli  about  30,  black,  and 
smaller  than  in  the  last  species  :  foot  rather  large,  thick,  and 
white. 

Shell  transversely  oval,  much  broader  in  front  than  be- 
hind, nearly  equilateral,  rather  solid  and  slightly  glossy :  sculp- 
ture, 25-30  smooth  and  rounded  ribs,  which  are  equal-sized ; 
the  whole  surface  is  also  covered  transversely  with  fine  plates, 
which  often  form  vaulted  spines  on  the  crests  of  the  ribs  ;  the 
interstices  of  the   ribs  are  marked  with  minute  bifurcating 

*  Variegated. 


54  PECTINIDiE. 

striae:  colour  red,  pink,  yellow,  purple,  brown,  and  rarely 
milk-white,  with  streaks  or  blotches  variously  disposed  : 
margins  rounded  in  front  and  at  the  sides,  and  notched  or 
indented  by  the  ribs,  sloping  abruptly  to  the  beak  on  each  side 
from  a  little  above  the  middle  ;  upper  side  of  the  slope  on  the 
right  hand  of  the  lower  valve  toothed  or  serrate  as  in  the 
last  species :  healcs  prominent :  ears  unequal  and  formed  as  in 
P.  'pusio ;  the  right-hand  one  of  the  lower  valve  projects 
"beyond'  and  slightly  overlaps  the  opposite  ear  of  the  upper 
valve ;  their  markings  and  the  byssal  notch  are  the  same  as  in 
the  last  species,  as  well  as  the  cartilage,  ligament,  and  internal 
structure ;  but  the  muscular  scars  are  more  distinct.  L.  1'85. 
"B.  1-65. 

Yar.  1.  purj)urea.  Shell  larger,  broader,  and  flatter :  colour 
purplish-brown  marbled  with  yellow. 

Var.  2.  nivea.  Shell  of  the  same  shape  as  the  last  variety, 
and  having  about  45  ribs  :  colour  snow-white,  sometimes  tinged 
with  purple,  or  more  rarely  orange,  yellowish,  purple,  or  brown 
of  different  shades.  P.  niveus,  Macgillivray,  Edinb.  Nat.  &  Phil. 
Joum.  xiii.  p.  166,  pi.  3.  f.  1 ;  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  276,  pi.  L.  f.  2, 
and  (animal)  pi.  S.  f.  3. 

Habitat  :  Equally  common  with  the  last  species^  and 
in  similar  situations;  but  it  does  not  appear  to  have  been 
found  on  these  coasts  north  of  the  Orkneys^  whence 
a  white  variety  has  been  procured  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Smith 
of  Old  Aberdeen.  The  range  of  depth  varies  from  low- 
water-mark  at  spring-tides  to  40  fathoms.  Var.  1.  Fal- 
mouth harbour  and  off  Portsmouth  (J.  G.  J.) ;  Cork 
harbour  (Humphreys) ;  Bantry  Bay  (Barlee) .  Var.  2. 
Western  coasts  of  Scotland,  in  8-25  fathoms,  on  Lami- 
naria  saccharina  and  occasionally  attached  to  stones; 
Glengariff,  Bantry  Bay  (Barlee).  As  a  fossil  or  subfossil 
this  species  is  found  in  the  upper  tertiaries  of  the  Bel- 
fast, Clyde,  and  Sussex  beds.  Abroad  it  is  distributed 
in  every  sea  from  Bergen  (Sars)  to  the^Egean  (Forbes); 
and  according  to  Weinkauff  it  is  not  uncommon  on  the 
Algerian  coast. 


PECTEN.  55 

In  the  north  of  France  it  is  called  "  Petite- Vanne"; 
and  Collard  des  Cherres  says  that  it  is  eaten  in  Brittany, 
as  well  as  other  kinds  of  scallops.  The  pallial  ten- 
tacles or  cirri  of  the  variety  nivea  are  extremely  inter- 
esting and  beautiful  objects.  They  are  of  different 
colours  in  the  same  individual — white,  yellow,  and  brown 
— and  are  sometimes  edged  with  black  or  purple.  Some 
of  them  are  much  longer  than  others,  and  each  has  a 
white  line  or  streak  down  the  middle.  The  longest  have 
a  few  milk-white  specks,  and  their  tips  are  curled  like  a 
crosier.  A  few  of  these  tentacles  are  three-quarters  of 
an  inch  long.  All  are  contractile  and  extremely  sensi- 
tive. The  outermost  row  folds  back  over  the  margins 
of  the  shell.  The  edges  of  the  mantle  are  studded  with 
papillse.  The  ocelli  do  not  correspond  in  number  or 
position  with  the  ribs  of  the  shell,  there  being  two  eye- 
lets for  every  three  ribs.  All  the  specimens  (about 
twenty  in  number)  examined  by  me  on  the  1st  of  Sep- 
tember 1862,  at  Oban,  shed  from  time  to  time  a  milky 
fluid  which  I  found  was  entirely  composed  of  sper- 
matozoa. These  moved  actively  about  in  every  direc- 
tion and  spread  in  the  water  like  a  thick  mist.  The 
quantity  emitted  by  each  individual  was  very  great,  and 
after  every  discharge  the  water  became  more  turbid. 
All  these  specimens  had  ovaries  of  a  pale-yellow  or 
cream  colour.  This  seemed  to  me  a  sufficient  proof 
of  the  monoecious  character  of  the  Scallop;  and  it 
showed  that  the  mode  of  its  fecundation  is  the  same 
as  takes  place  in  many  plants  —only  substituting  sper- 
matozoa for  pollen-dust,  and  the  waves  for  the  wind 
or  winged  insects.  A  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  when 
this  pretty  variety  was  not  easily  procurable  and 
therefore  exceedingly  rare,  a  specimen  fetched  £2. 
Fifty  or  more  may  now  be  had  for  the  same  price.     I 


56  pectinidte. 

have  the  fry  attached  to  a  rib  of  Rissoa  parva,  showing 
that  they  remove  from  place  to  place,  at  least  in  the 
earlier  stages  of  growth.  The  hooded  crow  is  very  fond 
of  these  scallops.  It  takes  one  from  the  tangle  at  low 
water  and  carries  it  to  the  shore  or  a  bank,  on  which  it 
drops  its  prey,  watching  with  cunning  patience  until  the 
scallop  opens  its  shell.  It  then  quickly  thrusts  its 
pointed  and  strong  beak  into  the  gaping  valves,  forces 
them  asunder,  and  devours  the  dainty  morsel.  Dead 
and  bleached  shells  are  thus  often  found  in  places  at 
some  distance  from  the  sea,  where  crows  had  been  feast- 
ing. Without  this  explanation  they  might  have  been 
mistaken  'for  fossils.  Specimens  of  the  variety  pur- 
purea attain  a  considerable  size.  One  of  mine  is  3^ 
inches  long  and  3  inches  broad.  This  species  differs 
from  the  younger  state  of  P.  pusio  in  being  larger,  and 
in  the  ribs  being  much  less  numerous,  and  equal  in  size 
instead  of  alternately  large  and  small.  Being  free  and 
of  a  regular  shape  at  all  ages,  it  is  readily  distinguish- 
able from  the  adherent  and  distorted  adult  of  the  other 
species. 

I  fear  that  some  of  my  conchological  friends  will  be 
terribly  shocked  at  my  innovation  in  uniting  P.  niveus 
with  P.  varius ;  but  I  feel  constrained  to  take  this  bold 
step,  even  at  the  risk  of  not  being  soon  forgiven.  I  had 
for  a  long  time  great  misgivings  on  the  subject;  but  it 
was  not  until  I  had  most  carefully  examined  and  com- 
pared a  multitude  of  specimens  of  both  these  so-called 
species,  collected  from  various  and  distant  places,  that  I 
was  able  to  arrive  at  a  satisfactory  conclusion.  The 
only  points  of  difference  between  P.  varius  and  P.  niveus 
consist  in  the  latter  having  a  broader  and  flatter  shell 
with  more  numerous  and  delicate  ribs,  and  in  the  colour 
being  white.     All  these  characters   are  combined  or 


PECTEN.  57 

blended  in  specimens  of  P.  varius  and  what  I  consider 
to  be  its  two  principal  varieties.  Some  are  broader  and 
flatter  than  others  :  the  number  of  ribs  varies  from  27 
to  45,  and  consequently  in  their  comparative  fineness  j 
and  the  white  of  P.  niveus  is  sometimes  beautifully- 
tinted  with  purple,  and  passes  into  difi'erent  shades  of 
other  colours.  I  have  taken  P.  niveus  only  in  every 
part  of  the  Hebrides,  and  I  have  never  seen  a  single 
specimen  of  P.  varius  from  that  district.  In  Loch  Fyne 
and  at  Jura  an  intermediate  variety  occurs.  A  speci- 
men from  the  former  locality  has  36  ribs,  and  one  from 
the  latter  32  ribs.  I  noticed  in  the  collection  of  M. 
Martin,  at  Martigues,  a  white  variety  having  also  32 
ribs.  A  still  more  puzzling  form  was  sent  to  me  in 
1852  by  Mr.  Barlee  from  Glengariff  in  Bantry  Bay, 
which  clearly  connects  the  two  species;  and  the  variety 
purpurea  forms  another  link  in  the  chain  of  specific 
identity.  I  believe  this  varietal  difference  arises  from 
habitat.  The  strong  and  few-ribbed  P.  varius  lives  on 
oyster-banks  and  rough  ground  on  an  exposed  coast; 
while  the  delicate  and  many-ribbed  P.  niveus  is  only 
found  in  sheltered  lochs  and  arms  of  the  sea,  moored  by 
its  strong  byssus  to  the  upper  surface  of  the  broad  and 
smooth  fronds  of  Laminarice.  The  very  circumstance  of 
the  latter  being  confined  to  a  limited  district  is  suspi- 
cious as  regards  its  specific  distinction.  Dr.  Gray,  in  com- 
menting on  the  species  in  question  (Ann.  Phil.  no.  59. 
p.  387),  says,  "  Mr.  Macgillivray  only  compares  it  with 
P.  varius,  perhaps  not  aware  that  Pecten  Islandicus, 
Lam.,  of  which  this  shell  appears  to  be  only  a  variety,  has 
long  been  known  as  a  British  species."  The  last-named 
species,  however,  has  never  been  found  in  Great  Britain 
except  as  an  upper  tertiary  fossil;  and  it  has  only  a 
generic  resemblance  to  Macgillivray's  shell. 

d5 


58  PECTINIDiE. 

P.  IslandicuSy  Miiller,  once  lived  within  the  area  which 
now  constitutes  the  more  northern  part  of  the  British 
seas  and  nearly  the  whole  of  Scotland.     It  is,  however, 
no  longer  an  inhabitant  of  our  coasts.     Dead  shells  in  a 
semifossil  state,  but  occasionally  retaining  their  beau- 
tiful pink  colour,  are  not  unfrequently  dredged  upon 
both  sides  of  Scotland  and  off  the  coasts  of  Shetland, 
close  to  land  and  also  at  various  distances  from  it,  at 
depths  of  from  30  to  80  fathoms.     It  is  not  uncommon 
in  pleistocene  beds  on  the  west  of  Scotland  and  in  the 
Moray  Firth.     The  best  explanation  I  can  offer  for  its 
never  having  been  found  alive  in  any  part  of  our  seas  is 
by  suggesting  that   the   ancient   sea- bed  which  it  in- 
habited during  some  part,  if  not  the  whole,  of  the  glacial 
epoch  was  afterwards  upheaved  above  the  level  of  the 
sea,  so  as  to  cause  the  extinction  of  this  and  other  arctic 
species,  and  that  at  a  subsequent  period  a  great  part  of 
this  district  was  slowly  submerged  and  is  now  again 
covered  by  the  sea.    We  know  that  this  process  of  eleva- 
tion in  some  and  depression  in  other  parts  of  the  Atlantic 
sea-bed  is  still  going  on.     Sweden  and  Greenland  are 
instances  of  the  former  phenomenon ;  and  to  the  latter 
may  be  referred  the  discovery  by  Dr.  Wallich  of  star- 
fishes belonging  to   a  species  which  usually  inhabits 
shallow  water,  living  at  a  depth  of  1260  fathoms,  as 
well  as  the  occurrence  of  Nassa  incrassata  and  other 
littoral  kinds  of  Mollusca  in  nearly  80  fathoms  off  the 
coast  of  Shetland.     P.  Islandicus  survives  and  is  abun- 
dant in  every  part  of  the  Arctic  Ocean  at  depths  varying 
from  15  to  150  fathoms.     It  has  not  been  recorded  as 
living  south  of  Drontheim ;  and  Malm  says  that  it  does 
not  now  exist  anywhere  on  the  Swedish  coast,  although 
it  is  common  there  in  a  fossil  state.     This  species  is  not 
unlike  the  variety  nivea  of  P.  varius  in  shape  and  the 


PECTEN.  59 

number  of  ribs;  but  the  shell  is  more  solid,  the  ribs 
sharper  J  and  the  surface  resembles  shagreen. 

N^  ^S  3.  P.  OPERCULA  Ris-^,(Linne.)         j^i    Z2.  . 

Ostrea  opercularis,  Linn,  Syst.  !N"at.  p.  1147.     P.  opercularis,  F.  &  H.  ii. 
p.  299,  pi.  L.  f.  3 ;  H.  f.  5,  6 ;  liii.  f.  7. 

Body  thick,  variegated  with  pink,  cream- colour,  fawn,  orange, 
or  brown,  and  mottled  with  flake- white  meandering  lines,  spots, 
and  blotches  :  mantle  thin,  except  at  the  fleshy  margins :  cirri 
conical,  white,  of  unequal  length  and  irregularly  disposed  in 
two  or  three  rows,  the  outer  one  of  which  has  the  longest  fila- 
ments :  ocelli  35-40,  nearly  globose,  having  pearl-coloured 
pupils  within  black  circles  :  foot  small,  subcylindrical,  deeply 
cloven  or  furrowed,  and  scoop-shaped  at  its  extremity,  of  a 
yellowish-white  colour. 

Shell  circular  and  equilateral,  except  at  the  back  (where  the 
peripherj-  is  interrupted  by  the  beak  and  ears),  rather  thin, 
scarcely  glossy :  sculpture,  about  20  rounded  ribs,  which  are  of 
equal  size  and  somewhat  broader  than  the  interstices;  the 
surface  is  more  or  less  covered  with  extremely  fine  and  wave- 
lilvc  transverse  plates,  which  often  form  numerous  rows  of  short 
prickles,  especially  along  the  ribs  and  on  their  crests,  making 
the  shell  feel  rough  as  shagreen:  colour  red,  pink,  orange, 
yellow,  purple,  brown,  or  of  intermediate  shades,  often  streaked 
or  marked  with  blotches  or  spots,  and  sometimes  (but  rarely) 
milk-white :  margins  rounded  in  front  and  at  the  sides,  notched 
or  indented  by  the  ribs,  sloping  gradually  to  the  beak  on  each 
side  from  about  three-fourths  of  the  distance  from  the  front 
margin ;  slope  below  the  byssal  sinus  strongly  toothed  or  ser- 
rate :  healcs  prominent :  ears  nearly  equal,  sculptured  by  ribs 
which  radiate  from  the  beak;  the  ears  of  the  lower  valve 
slightly  project  beyond  and  overlap  those  of  the  upper  valve ; 
byssal  notch  deep :  hinge-line  straight :  cartilage  rather  large : 
ligament  narrow  and  slight:  hinge-plate  somewhat  broad, 
minutely  striate  across ;  transverse  rib  strong  and  raised  on 
each  side  of  the  cartilage-pit :  inside  fluted  or  grooved,  so  as 
to  correspond  with  the  folds  of  the  outside  ribs ;  each  shoulder 
under  the  ears  is  furnished  with  a  thick  ledge,  which  rests  on 
that  in  the  opposite  valve,  thus  giving  additional  support  to  the 

*  Like  a  cover  or  pot-lid. 


60  PECTINIDiE. 

hinge  and  preventing  its  being  too  closely  pressed :  rnvscular 
scars  distinct.     L.  2*35.   B.  2-5. 

Yar.  1.  lineata.  Shell  white,  with  a  brown  line  running 
down  the  crest  of  each  rib.  P.  Uneatus,  Da  Costa,  Brit.  Conch, 
p.  147,  pi.  X.  f.  8. 

Var.  2.  timiida.     Shell  more  swollen  and  deeper. 

Yar.  3.  elongata.     Shell  smaller,  and  longer  than  broad. 

Habitat  :  Common  on  all  sandy  coasts^  and  grega- 
rious, in  6-90  fathoms.  Var.  1.  Not  unfrequently  found 
with  specimens  of  the  usual  colour,  and  sometimes  having 
a  mixed  hue.  Var.  2.  Plymouth  (J.  G.  J.) ;  Exmouth 
(Clark) ;  Cork  (Humphreys).  Var.  3.  Loch  Torridon, 
Ross-shire  (J.  G.  J.);  BirterbuyBay,  co.  Galway  (Barlee) : 
rare.  This  species  is  a  common  fossil  in  the  Scotch 
glacial  deposits,  and  in  the  Norwich,  Red,  and  Coralline 
Crag.  Steenstrup  informs  me  that  he  has  found  it  in 
Iceland;  Mohr  has  recorded  it  from  the  Faroe  Isles, 
Weinkauff  from  Algeria,  Forbes  from  the  ^gean,  and 
M*' Andrew  from  Madeira;  and  it  is  widely  distributed 
throughout  the  intervening  seas. 

This  pretty  and  well-known  species  was  first  described 
by  Lister.  Mr.  Norman  says  that  quantities  are  dredged 
in  the  Firth  of  Clyde,  where  they  are  called  "  clams," 
for  bait  in  the  long-line  fishery.  When  cooked  they 
have  a  rich  and  agreeable,  but  peculiar,  flavour :  they 
are  not  much  eaten  in  this  country.  According  to 
Montagu  they  are  called  "  frills ''  or  "  queens  "  on  the 
South  Devon  coast.  The  fishermen  on  the  Dorset  coast 
call  them  "  squinns."  In  the  north  of  France  this  kind 
bears  the  name  of  ''  vanneau "  or  "  olivette.^'  The 
shells  make  pretty  pin  cushion- cases;  and  in  the  North- 
American  States  another  species  (P.  concentricm)  is 
used  for  the  same  purpose. 


PECTEN.  61 

The  E-ev.  Dr.  Landsborough  has  given  the  following 
interesting  account  of  their  habits  in  an  earlier  stage  of 
growth  : — "  We  observed  on  a  sunny  September  day  in 
a  pool  of  sea- water  left  on  Stevenston  strand  (Ayrshire) 
by  the  ebbing  tide,  what  we  at  first  thought  some  of  the 
scaly  brood  at  play.  On  close  investigation,  however, 
we  found  that  it  was  the  fry  of  Pecten  opercularis 
skipping  quite  nimbly  through  the  pool.  Their  motion 
was  rapid  and  zigzag,  very  like  that  of  ducks  in  a  sunny 
blink  rejoicing  in  the  prospect  of  rain.  They  seemed, 
by  the  sudden  opening  and  closing  of  their  valves,  to 
have  the  power  of  darting  like  an  arrow  through  the 
water.  One  jerk  carried  them  some  yards,  and  then 
by  another  sudden  jerk  they  w^ere  off  in  a  moment  on  a 
different  tack.  We  doubt  not  that,  when  full-grown, 
they  engage  in  similar  amusements,  though,  as  Pectens 
of  greater  gravity,  they  choose  to  romp  unseen  and  play 
their  gambols  in  the  deep.'^  The  animal  of  the  adult 
scallop,  when  at  rest,  is  a  study  for  a  painter,  with  its 
large  and  bright  pink  ovary,  and  its  mantle  studded  on 
each  side  with  a  row  of  brilliant  eyelets,  like  dewdrops 
glittering  in  the  sun  of  a  May  morning.  The  trans- 
verse plates  form  hollow  or  vaulted  scales  in  young 
shells ;  and  their  surface  is  minutely  and  closely  tuber- 
cled,  like  the  cells  of  Polyzoa.  In  the  fry  the  upper 
valve  is  much  larger  than  the  lower  one  and  overlaps 
it.  The  ribs  are  not  then  formed,  but  the  byssal  sinus 
is  well  developed.  Specimens  from  the  Firth  of  Forth 
and  Shetland  are  much  larger  than  usual,  although 
slightly  differing  from  each  other  in  their  relative  pro- 
portions. I  have  one  from  the  latter  district  measuring 
3y^  inches  long  and  3^^  broad,  and  another  from  Porto- 
bello  3^-  long  and  nearly  4  broad.  Occasional  distor- 
tions or  monstrosities  occur. 


62  PECTINIDiE. 

P.  opercularis  may  be  readily  known  from  either  of 
the  two  foregoing  species  by  its  circular  form,  greater 
size,  and  nearly  equal  ears.  The  P.  Audouinii  of  Pay- 
raudeau  can  hardly  be  considered  a  variety.  Its  sculpture 
is  that  of  the  P.  lineatus  of  Da  Costa,  and  only  differs 
from  that  of  ordinary  specimens  in  the  scales  being 
more  regular  and  continued  across  the  ribs.  The  P. 
subrufas  of  Turton  is  merely  the  young  state,  with  a 
straighter  outline.  Many  other  specific  names  have 
been  invented  by  authors  for  still  more  trifling  varieties. 

|Hl^-  4.  P.  septemradia'tus"^,  Miiller.     Nf  5^  . 

p.  septemradiatus,  Miill.  Zool.  Dan.  Prodr.  p.  248,  no.  2992.    P.  Danicus, 
F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  288,  pi.  lii.  f.  1-2,  7-10. 

Shell  nearly  circular  and  equilateral,  except  as  in  the  last 
species,  thin,  somewhat  glossy :  sculpture^  mostly  7  rounded 
but  compressed  ribs  (the  middle  one  being  the  largest),  which 
are  much  narrower  than  the  interstices ;  the  surface  is  covered 
with  minute  and  close -set  longitudinal  striae,  which  are  crossed 
by  equally  fine  but  more  remote  transverse  plates,  so  as  occa- 
sionally to  form  prickles  at  the  points  of  intersection  ;  the  sides 
are  marked  with  short  and  stronger  striae,  placed  at  right 
angles  to  the  longitudinal  striae:  colour  reddish-brown,  mot- 
tled or  streaked  with  white :  margins  as  in  P.  opercularis ; 
slope  below  the  byssal  sinus  seldom,  and  never  distinctly,  ser- 
rate :  beaks  prominent :  ears  nearly  equal  in  the  upper  valve, 
but  not  so  in  the  lower  valve,  in  which  the  right  ear  is  the 
larger  ;  all  of  them  are  sculptured  by  ribs  radiating  from  the 
beak,  as  well  as  by  fine  and  numerous  striae,  which  run  from 
the  sides  or  shoulders  and  diverge  outwards ;  there  are  also 
some  wavy  striae  in  the  line  of  growth,  crossing  the  auricular 
ribs ;  the  ears  of  the  lower  valve  project  beyond  and  overlap 
those  of  the  upper  valve,  but  much  less  than  in  any  of  the  pre- 
ceding species  ;  byssal  notch  slight :  Mnr/e-line  straight :  car- 
tilage small :  ligament  very  thin :  hinge-plate  rather  broad, 
microscopically  striate  across  ;  transverse  rib  slight  and  raised 
a  little  on  each  side  of  the   cartilage -pit ;  inside  fluted  or 

*  Seven-rayed. 


PECTEN.  63 

grooved  as  in  other  ribbed  species :   muscular  scars  rather 
distinct.     L.  1-625.   B.  1-475. 

Yar.  1.  alba.     Shell  of  a  milk-white  colour. 

Yar.  2.  Dmnasii.  Shell  smaller  and  more  solid,  longer  in 
proportion  to  its  breadth ;  upper  valve  less  convex  than  the 
lower  one  and  sometimes  quite  flat  or  even  slightly  concave : 
sculpture  coarse,  with  3-10  sharp  ribs :  ears  often  unequal, 
those  on  the  byssal  side  smaller  than  the  opposite  pair.  P. 
Dumasii,  Payr.  Cat.  Moll.  Corse,  p.  75,  pi.  ii.  f.  6,  7. 

Habitat  :  Rather  plentiful  in  Loch  Fyne^  and  gene- 
rally distributed  over  our  northern  seas,  and  southward 
as  far  as  the  Northumberland  coast,  in  20-90  fathoms, 
rough  ground.  Var.  1.  Loch  Fyne  and  Shetland  (Bar- 
lee).  Var.  2.  Hebrides  and  Shetland.  This  species  is 
fossil  in  the  Clyde  basin,  and  in  other  glacial  deposits  in 
Scotland  as  well  as  Norway.  It  ranges  from  Finmark 
to  the  ^gean,  but  it  appears  not  to  be  so  common  in 
the  south  as  in  the  north.  The  variety  Dumasii  occurs 
in  the  upper  miocene  strata  near  Antibes. 

P.  septemradiatus  was  added  to  the  British  fauna  by 
the  late  Capt.  Brown  in  1835.  It  is  remarkable  that 
such  a  handsome  and  by  no  means  small  shell  should 
have  previously  escaped  the  notice  of  Laskey,  Fleming, 
Macgillivray,  and  others  of  our  northern  conchologists. 
This  can  scarcely  be  accounted  for  by  the  dredge  not 
having  been  used  in  those  days,  because  specimens  are 
usually  procured  from  fishermen.  They  are  frequently 
caught  in  the  herring-nets,  when  disturbed  on  their 
feeding-grounds  and  swimming  or  flitting  about.  I 
am  not  aware  that  the  animal  has  ever  been  described ; 
and  I  have  unfortunately  missed  the  opportunity  of 
observing  it.  Asbjornsen  mentions  his  having  taken 
specimens  in  the  beginning  of  May,  which  were  full  of  a 
milky  fluid.  The  shell  is  extremely  variable  in  respect 
of  shape  and  the  number  of  ribs,  as  well  as  of  the  pro- 


04j  PECTINID^. 

portionate  size  of  the  ears.  A  single  valve  which  I 
dredged  off  Skye  in  1847  somewhat  resembles  Philippics 
var.  77.  of  P.  polymorphus ;  the  front  of  each  valve  is 
folded  inwards  and  grooved,  with  the  inside  margin 
finely  notched  or  crenulated.  In  young  shells  the  sur- 
face is  regularly  cancellated.  The  fry  is  glossy  and  has 
very  prominent  beaks ;  its  sculpture  consists  of  nume- 
rous microscopical  longitudinal  strise  on  the  upper 
valve,  and  equally  minute  transverse  striae  on  both 
valves. 

A  dozen  names  have  been  given  by  different  concho- 
logists  to  this  species.  If  the  authority  of  O.  F.  Miiller, 
the  original  discoverer,  were  at  all  questionable,  Gme- 
lin^s  name  of  hybridus  would  have  the  priority  over  that 
of  Danicus,  which  was  proposed  by  Chemnitz  nineteen 
years  after  the  publication  of  the  Prodromus  to  the 
^  Zoologia  Danica.^ 

P.  glaber  of  Pennant  and  Montagu  is  a  well-known 
Mediterranean  species ;  and  there  does  not  seem  to  be 
any  reason  for  supposing  that  it  ever  inhabited  the 
Welsh  or  Scotch  coasts,  as  stated  by  those  authors. 

I  have  a  single  valve  of  P.  sulcatus,  Miiller,  which  was 
dredged  off  the  east  coast  of  Shetland  by  Mr.  Barlee ; 
but  as  it  is  an  imperfect  specimen,  I  do  not  at  present 
describe  this  species  as  British,  but  merely  offer  a  short 
notice  of  it.  It  has  thirty-two  ribs,  besides  small  inter- 
mediate ones ;  they  are  rounded  and  cord-like,  with 
thin  transverse  plates  in  the  interstices.  The  colour  of 
my  specimen  is  orange-yellow.  The  ears  are  propor- 
tionally larger  than  in  P.  septemradiatus.  The  inside 
is  marked  by  furrows,  which  correspond  with  the  ribs 
as  in  P.  glaber.  The  species  now  noticed  inhabits  the 
Scandinavian  seas.  A  small  single  valve,  in  a  semi- 
fossil  state,  was  taken  by  Capt.  Hoskyns  at  a  depth  of 


PECTEN.  65 

340  fathoms,  in  his  recent  soundings  off  the  west  coast 
of  Ireland.  In  consequence  of  the  specific  name  {sul- 
catus)  having  been  preoccupied  by  Born  for  a  very  dif- 
ferent kind  of  scallop  from  Malabar,  the  name  proposed 
by  MiiUer  is  inadmissible ;  and  Gmelin  made  a  better 
hit  than  usual  in  changing  the  name  of  the  northern 
shell  to  aratus.  Lamarck  carelessly  applied  the  same 
name  of  sulcatus  to  another  species  of  Pecten  which  is 
common  in  the  Mediterranean.  It  is  possible  that  the 
P.  20-sulcatus  of  Muller  may  be  a  variety  of  his  P,  sul- 
catus ;  and  in  that  case  the  first  of  these  names  ought 
to  be  adopted  in  preference  to  that  given  by  Gmelin. 

r<?$y  5.  P.  tigri'nus  *,(M\iller^  (K    ^^ 

P.  tigerinus,  Miill.  Zool.  Dan.  Prodr,  p.  248,  no.  2993.    P.  tigrinus,  F.  &  H. 
ii.  p.285,  pl.li.  f.8-11. 

Body  bright  red  or  occasionally  creamy-white :  mantle 
edged  with  white  and  mottled  with  dusky  or  brown  rays : 
cirri  short :  ocelli  10,  brown  with  a  golden  centre :  foot  white 
and  very  flexible :  hyssus  transparent. 

Shell  of  the  same  shape  as  the  last  two  species,  but  rather 
narrower  at  the  back,  moderately  soHd,  and  somewhat  glossy : 
sculpture,  extremely  fine  and  numerous  impressed  striae,  which 
radiate  from  the  beak  and  gradually  diverge  to  the  front  and 
side  margins ;  these  striae  are  not  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  and 
under  a  strong  magnifier  they  appear  regularly  but  slightly 
punctured  in  consequence  of  the  intersection  of  equally  minute 
and  close-set  transverse  striae,  which  follow  the  line  of  growth ; 
the  longitudinal  striae  are  sometimes  irregularly  waved  or 
interrupted,  and  are  often  forked :  colour  yellow,  brown,  or 
purple,  and  now  and  then  white,  with  variously  disposed 
bands,  streaks,  blotches,  spots  and  other  markings  of  those 
hues :  marfjins  rounded  in  front,  so  as  to  form  a  semicircle, 
and  sloping  from  near  the  middle  to  the  beaks  at  an  angle  of 
about  45  degrees ;  the  front  margin  is  sometimes  folded  in- 
wards and  strongly  notched ;  the  upper  part  of  the  slope  below 

*  Barred  like  a  tiger. 


66  PECTINID^. 

the  byssal  sinus  is  finely  toothed :  heaJcs  very  prominent  and 
considerably  raised :  ears  unequal ;  those  on  the  left  hand  of 
the  upper  valve  and  right  hand  of  the  lower  valve  are  at  least 
four  times  the  size  of  the  others;  all  of  them  have  a  few 
strong  ribs  which  radiate  from  the  beaks,  and  they  are  also 
marked  with  coarse  and  numerous  striae  which  cross  the  ribs 
obliquely ;  the  ears  of  the  lower  valve  project  very  little  be- 
yond those  of  the  upper  valve ;  byssal  notch  deep  :  hinge-line 
straight :  cai^t'dage  small :  ligament  very  thin :  hinge-plate 
narrow,  microscopically  striate  across ;  transverse  rib  strong 
and  considerably  raised  on  each  side  of  the  cartilage-pit :  in- 
side nacreous,  finely  and  closely  striate  lengthwise  and  notched 
on  the  front  margin  ;  within  the  larger  ears  are  strong  grooves 
which  correspond  with  the  outside  ribs :  muscular  scars  dis- 
tinct, especially  in  aged  specimens.     L.  0*9.  B.  0-885. 

Yar.  costata.  Shell  stronger  than  usual,  and  having  either 
five  ribs  and  intermediate  small  ones,  or  else  several  riblets 
of  equal  size :  inside  grooved  and  striate  accordingly. 

Habitat  :  Not  uncommon  from  Shetland  to  the 
Channel  Isles  in  7-82  fathoms,  on  a  sandy  bottom  mixed 
with  gravel ;  and  the  variety  is  equally  diffused.  This 
species  occurs  as  an  upper  tertiary  fossil  in  the  Scotch 
glacial  deposits,  and  also  in  the  Red  and  Coralline  Crag. 
It  is  a  native  of  the  Icelandic  and  Scandinavian  coasts ; 
and  Mr.  M' Andrew  has  taken  it  in  Vigo  Bay  at  a  depth 
of  only  8  fathoms. 

The  shell  varies  greatly  in  size  and  proportions,  as 
well  as  in  colour  and  the  number  of  ribs.  My  largest 
specimens  are  one  inch  and  two-tenths  long,  and  nearly 
the  same  in  breadth.  Sometimes  the  breadth  slightly 
exceeds  the  length.  Young  shells  are  proportionally 
longer  than  old  ones.  In  the  former  the  so-called  ^^eyes" 
are  perceptible  through  the  semitransparent  shell  many 
years  after  the  animal  has  ceased  to  exist.  The  fry  are 
not  sculptured,  but  perfectly  smooth;  and  the  lower 
valve  is  nearly  flat  and  smaller  than  the  other.  Miiller 
noticed  the  way  in  which  he  presumed  this  scallop  pro- 


PECTEN.  67 

cures  its  food,  viz.  by  rapidly  opening  the  valves  of  its 
shell  and  clapping  them  together  with  an  audible  noise 
ten  or  twelve  times  in  succession.  It  then  kept  them 
wide  open  and  for  a  much  longer  time  than  suited  the 
patience  of  the  great  zoologist.  By  this  violent  agita- 
tion of  the  water  a  fresh  supply  of  animalcula  may  be 
brought  to  its  insatiable  maw.  He  adds  that  it  can 
squirt  the  water  out  of  a  vessel  half  an  ell  high ;  but  I 
have  never  seen  it  perform  such  an  extraordinary  feat. 
The  jet  of  water  would  be  at  least  fifty  times  the  length 
of  the  animal. 

A  slight  and  pardonable  liberty  has  been  taken  in 
changing  the  original  spelling  of  the  specific  name  from 
tigerinus  to  tigrinus.  This  shell  was  called  P.  parvus 
by  Da  Costa,  P.  domesticus  (used  of  course  in  the  sense 
of  native)  by  Chemnitz,  and  P.  obsoletus  by  Pennant. 

P^eg5.  6.  P.  TESTiE*,  Bivona.  |P^    ^3 

p.  Testa,  (Bivona)  Philippi,  Moll.  Sic.  i.  p.  81,  t.  v.  f.  17.     P.  furfims, 
Lot.  Ind.  Moll.  Scand.  p.31. 

Shell  somewhat  resembling  P.  tigrinus  in  shape,  but 
rounder  and  much  more  depressed,  rather  thin  and  glossy : 
sculpture,  minute  longitudinal  and  transverse  striae,  which  are 
arranged  as  in  the  last  species,  but  they  are  more  regular  and 
never  forked;  they  are  deeply  punctured  at  the  points  of 
intersection  ;  sometimes  there  are  also  from  30  to  35  dehcate 
ribs,  which  become  scaly  or  prickly  where  they  are  crossed  by 
the  transverse  striae:  colour  yellow,  orange,  brown,  purple, 
pink,  or  occasionally  white,  usually  diversified  by  streaks,  rays, 
blotches,  spots,  diagonal  lines,  and  other  markings  of  the  above 
hues :  margins  rounded  in  front,  and  forming  an  arc  of  two- 
thirds  of  a  circle  in  consequence  of  the  lateral  slopes  towards 
the  beaks  commencing  higher  up  than  in  P.  tigrinus',  byssal 
slope  finely  toothed :  healcs  prominent  but  not  much  raised : 
ears  unequal,  those  on  the  byssal  side  being  about  twice  as 
large  as  the  other  pair ;  aU  of  them  have  several  fine  ribs, 

*  Named  in  honour  of  S'.  Testa,  a  conchologist  at  Panormo  in  Sicily. 


68  PECTINID^. 

which  radiate  from  the  beaks  and  are  crossed  by  coarse  flexuous 
striae ;  the  edges  of  the  ears  on  the  lower  valve  project  very 
slightly;  byssal  sinus  deep  :  hinge-line  straight,  finely  notched 
or  serrate  at  its  edge :  cartilage  rather  large :  ligament  ex- 
tremely slight :  hinge-plate  very  narrow,  microscopically  striate 
across;  transverse  rib  slight,  and  not  much  raised  on  each 
side  of  the  cartilage-pit,  which  is  proportionally  more  open 
than  in  any  of  the  foregoing  species  :  inside  slightly  nacreous, 
finely  and  closely  striate  lengthwise,  or  furrowed  when  the 
outside  is  ribbed ;  margin  sometimes  notched  or  crenulated : 
muscular  sears  indistinct  except  in  aged  specimens.  L.  0-575. 
B.  0-55. 

Var.  suhorhicularis.  Shell  larger,  with  the  slope  much 
higher  than  usual,  and  considerably  narrower  behind:  ears 
smaUer.     L.  0-7.  B.  0-7. 

Habitat:  Shetland,  Skye^Larne  (co. Antrim), Birter- 
buy  Bay  (co.  Galway),  Guernsey  (J.  G.  J.) ;  Exmouth 
(Clark) ;  in  gravelly  sand,  18-80  fathoms.  It  is  a  rare 
species.  The  variety  is  remarkable.  I  obtained  only  a 
single  valve  by  dredging  off  the  north  coast  of  Shetland  in 
86  fathoms.  Although  of  much  smaller  size,  this  variety 
resembles  in  shape  and  other  respects  the  P.  Gerardii 
of  Nyst,  one  of  our  Coralline  Crag  fossils.  The  foreign 
range  of  P.  Testa  extends  from  Norway  to  Algeria  and 
the  ^gean.  Asbjornsen  gives  the  depth  at  which  it  is 
found  in  Christiania  fiord  as  10-20  fathoms. 

This  beautiful  species  differs  from  P.  tigrinuSy  with 
which  it  is  sometimes  found,  in  the  following  particu- 
lars. The  sheU  is  broader,  flatter,  and  thinner;  the 
ribs,  when  they  occur,  are  scaly  or  prickly ;  the  punc- 
tures are  very  strongly  marked  and  arranged  in  squares; 
the  beaks  are  much  less  prominent  and  raised ;  the  ears 
are  not  so  unequal ;  and  the  inside  margin  is  seldom 
crenulated.  Forbes  and  Hanley  considered  it  to  be  a 
variety  of  P.  striatus]  but  Malm  has  satisfactorily 
shown  some  of  the  points  of  difference  between  these 


ti.      Th€,S^^€^    i^f\t€^f'    '»    "" 


PECTEN.  69 

two  species.  I  have  never  seen  an  intermediate  form, 
although  I  have  examined  many  hundred  specimens  of 
P.  striatus  and  about  fifty  of  P.  Testae  with  a  view  to  the 
comparison.  The  present  species  has  some  of  the  sculp- 
ture of  P.  tigrinus  and  the  shape  of  P.  striatus.  The 
colouring  of  P.  Testae  is  more  bright  and  vivid  than  that 
of  the  other  two.  Some  specimens  are  perfect  gems. 
Mediterranean  examples  are  usually  much  smaller  than 
those  from  the  North  Atlantic,  although  I  have  seen 
several  of  a  tolerable  size  which  were  collected  by  S'. 
Costa  at  Naples.  Mr.  Clark's  specimen  from  Exmouth, 
in  my  collection,  was  mixed  with  P.  tigrinus ;  and  I  am 
rather  surprised  that  his  habit  of  close  observation  did 
not  enable  him  to  separate  them. 

It  is  probably  the  P.  incomparabilis  and  P.  vitreus 
of  Risso;  but  his  love  of  species-making  seems  to 
have  been  so  inveterate,  and  his  collection  is  in  such 
a  deplorable  state  of  confusion,  that  it  is  almost  hopeless 
to  attempt  any  identification  of  his  names.  The  P. 
vitreus  of  Chemnitz  is  quite  a  difierent  species,  as  Phi- 
lippi  has  well  observed. 

^^.  ^^         7.  P.  STRiA'TUs-^,^iiUer)  |>^-  2-3  . 

p.  striatus,  Mull.  Zool.  Dan.  Prodr.  p.  248,  no.  2994 ;  R  &H.  ii.  p.  281, 
pl.H.  f.  1-4,  and  (animal)  pi.  S.  f.  2. 

Body  whitish,  irregularly  streaked  lengthwise  with  opaque 
white  lines :  mantle  edged  with  white  and  having  an  outer 
fringe  of  extensile  white  cirri :  ocelli  25  in  number,  blue- 
black  with  crimson  centres  ;  behind  them  is  an  inner  fringe  of 
short  white  cirri :  gills  also  furnished  with  20  reddish-brown 
ocelli,  each  of  which  surmounts  the  crest  of  a  leaflet. 

Shell  resembling  that  of  P.  Testae  in  shape;  but  it  is  rather 
larger,  thinner,  and  more  fragile,  and  the  sculpture  (especially 
of  the  upper  valve)  is  very  different.     In  the  present  species  it 

*  Striate. 


70  PECTINIDiE. 

consists  of  numerous  fine  ribs,  which  radiate  from  the  beaks  to 
the  front  and  side  margins,  and  have  their  crests  thickly  set 
with  short  vaulted  spines  or  prickles  ;  besides  these  riblets,  the 
surface  is  closely  covered  with  extremely  minute  and  irregular 
longitudinal  striae,  which  are  raised  and  divaricate  or  become 
forked,  but  they  are  never  reticulated  or  punctured  as  in 
P.  Testce.  The  colour  is  of  a  more  sombre  hue.  The  left  ear 
of  the  upper  valve  hangs  down  much  lower,  and  is  nearly 
entire  instead  of  being  deeply  notched  as  in  that  species ;  and 
the  byssal  sinus  is  consequently  larger.     L.  0-725.  B.  0-7. 

Habitat  :  Seas  of  Shetland,  Scotland,  north-eastern 
coasts  of  England,  north,  east,  south,  and  west  of  Ire- 
land, Isle  of  Man,  and  Scilly,  in  12-90  fathoms,  hard 
ground.  Morch  has  procured  it  from  the  Faroe  Isles, 
and  Danielssen  from  West  Finmark.  It  also  inhabits 
other  parts  of  the  Scandinavian  coast.  M^Andrew  has 
dredged  it  in  Vigo  Bay  at  a  depth  of  15  fathoms,  and 
Philippi  describes  it  as  a  Calabrian  fossil  under  the 
name  of  P.  rimulosus. 

The  shell  is  sometimes  distorted.  The  pallial  ocelli  or 
eyelets  are  of  unequal  size  and  irregularly  placed ;  they 
gleam  with  an  opaline  lustre.  Living  specimens  which 
I  dredged  in  85  fathoms  had  the  shells  highly  coloured 
and  streaked.  Mr.  Norman  has  noticed,  in  his  list  of 
Clyde  Mollusca,  that  the  shells  of  this  species  lose  the 
azure-blue  colour  after  being  kept  in  a  closed  cabinet. 
This  is  remarkable,  because  certain  colours  of  shells  and 
other  animals  {e.g.  pink  and  reddish- brown)  fade,  and 
even  vanish,  unless  the  light  is  excluded.  In  the  British 
Museum  it  has  been  found  necessary  to  replace,  every 
two  or  three  years,  fresh  specimens  of  many  delicate- 
tinted  butterflies  exposed  in  the  show-cases;  and  in 
the  museum  at  Amsterdam  the  shells  are  always  kept 
covered  to  prevent  loss  of  colour.  P.  striatus  attains  a 
greater  size  than  P.  Testce.  My  largest  specimen  is  about 


PECTEN.  71 

an  inch  long,  and  a  trifle  more  than  nine-tenths  of  an 
inch  in  breadth.  The  striae  in  the  present  species  are 
raised  and  irregular ;  and  they  are  never  punctured  or 
reticulate.  In  the  other  species  the  strise  are  sunk  or 
impressed  and  regular,  and  they  are  strongly  punctured 
or  reticulate.  The  difierent  substance  of  the  shell,  the 
style  and  intensity  of  coloration,  and  the  comparative 
size  of  the  left  ear  of  the  upper  valve  are  also  notable 
marks  of  distinction.  Even  the  fry  of  each  species  ex- 
hibits its  own  peculiar  characters. 

It  is  the  P.  fuci  of  Gmelin,  P.  reticulatus  of  Chem- 
nitz, P.  Landsburgi  of  Forbes,  and  P.  aculeatus  of  my- 
self. >     x<»X\%Avu^  s,\f^\\i» 

H^.  ^o .        8.  P.  si'MiLis^,(Laskey.)  K*  '^ 

P.  similis,  Lask.  Mem.  Wern.  Soc.  i.  p.  387,  t.  viii.  f.  8 ;  F.  &  II.  ii.  p. 293, 
pi.  lii.  f.  6,  and  (animal)  pi.  S.  f.  1. 

Body  very  variable  in  colour,  often  pale  yellow  or  whitish 
with  brown  streaks  and  blotches  :  mantle  fawn-coloured  with 
patches  and  lines  of  orange  and  black  :  cirri  short ;  some  are 
white  and  others  brown,  a  few  being  thicker  and  longer  than 
the  rest  and  mottled  with  milk-white  :  ocelli  6-8  in  front  and 
nearly  twice  as  many  in  a  second  row  behind ;  the  former  are 
comparatively  larger,  pearly,  and  ringed  with  jet :  foot  of  a 
briUiant  orange-colour  or  white. 

Shell  nearly  circular  but  expanding  towards  each  side, 
where  it  forms  an  obtuse  angle,  and  rhomboidal  behind  in 
consequence  of  the  projection  of  the  ears,  equilateral,  de- 
pressed, extremely  thin  and  rather  glossy ;  lower  valve  con- 
siderably smaller  than  the  other,  and  to  some  extent  enclosed 
within  it :  sculpture,  fine  and  close-set  concentric  lines  only : 
colour  yellowish  or  milk-white  mottled  with  reddish-brown 
or  flake-white  spots  or  streaks,  and  often  marked  by  longi- 
tudinal white  rays  or  transverse  zigzag  lines  of  a  Vandyke 
pattern :  margins  very  thin,  semicircular  in  front  and  sloping 
about  halfway  on  each  side  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees  to  the 
beaks ;  byssal  slope  not  toothed  or  serrate :  heahs  small  but 

*  Like  the  fry  of  P.  maximus. 


72  PECTINID^. 

prominent :  ears  long  and  drooping,  nearly  square -set,  those 
on  the  byssal  side  being  the  smallest,  rounded  at  the  corner ; 
byssal  notch  slight:  hinge-line  straight,  two -fifths  of  the 
breadth  of  the  shell :  cartilage  small :  ligament  so  thin  as  to 
be  almost  imperceptible  :  hi^ige-plate  hioad  and  smooth;  trans- 
verse rib  slight  and  scarcely  raised :  inside  pearly,  minutely 
striate  lengthwise  :  muscular  scars  distinct.    L.  0*285.  B.  0'3. 

Habitat  :  Sparingly  occurring,  although  gregarious, 
on  all  our  coasts,  in  muddy  sand  at  2-82  fathoms. 
Glacial  deposits,  Fifeshire  (Fleming) ;  Coralline  Crag 
(S.  Wood).  Its  distribution  extends  from  Finmark  to 
the  ^gean ;  and  both  in  northern  and  southern  locali- 
ties it  appears  to  have  a  considerable  range  of  depth, 
viz.  15-200  fathoms.  Upper  Norway,  according  to 
M'Andrew  and  Barrett,  and  27-185  fathoms  in  the 
iEgean,  according  to  Forbes.  Norwegian  specimens 
collected  by  Professor  Sars  are  of  an  extraordinarily 
large  size. 

The  animal,  as  well  as  the  shell,  of  this  tiniest  of 
scallops  is  very  lovely.  If,  when  fresh  caught,  put 
into  a  glass  of  sea- water,  it  flits  about  like  a  bat  for  a 
long  time,  and  then  fastens  itself  to  the  side  of  the  vessel 
by  a  fine  and  almost  transparent  byssus.  After  a  while 
it  slips  its  cable  and  resumes  its  voyage  of  discovery, 
until  it  becomes  apparently  exhausted  by  the  fruitless 
search  and  lies  down  on  one  side.  My  largest  specimen 
measures  only  0'35  by  0"375.  The  breadth  invariably 
exceeds  the  length. 

For  the  discovery  of  this  species  science  is  indebted 
to  the  late  Capt.  Laskey,  although  he  described  and 
figured  it  from  a  right  valve  only,  not  having  at  that 
time  obtained  a  perfect  specimen.  It  is  the  Ostrea 
tumida  of  Turton,  P.pygmaus  of  Von  MUnster,  P.  mini- 
mus  of  Sars,  P.  Actoni  of  Von  Martens,  and  P.  Foresti 
of  Martin.    The  P.  Groenlandicus  of  Sowerby  (P.  vitreus 


PECTEN.  73 

of  Dr.  Gray  but  not  of  Chemnitz)  resembles  the  present 
species  in  nearly  every  respect  but  that  of  size.  It 
may  be  an  arctic  variety  of  P.  similis  or  (more  probably) 
a  direct  and  'pur-sang'  descendant  from  the  original 
stock. 


B.  Upper  valve  nearly  flat  and  concave  towards  the  beak  : 
hinge-line  ribbed  obhquely. 

^♦7^'  ^*  P.  MAx'iMus*,^Linne.]  K    -'H 

Ostrea  maxima,  Linn.  Syst.  JN'at.  p.  1144.   P.  maximus,  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  296, 
pi.  xlix. 

Body  pinkish-white  above  and  bright  red  or  pink  in  front : 
mantle  variously  marbled  with  brown,  black,  and  white  :  cirri 
on  the  inner  margin  of  the  mantle  short,  white,  and  arranged 
in  a  single  row  ;  those  on  the  fixed  or  exterior  margin  are  of 
different  lengths  and  arranged  in  three  irregular  rows  :  ocelli 
of  a  greenish-blue  or  purplish  hue,  forming  two  rows,  and 
numbering  from  30  to  35 ;  those  in  the  front  row  are  con- 
siderably larger  than  the  rest,  and  correspond  with  the  ribs  of 
the  shell :  foot  snow-white,  short,  grooved,  with  a  spatulate 
extremity. 

Shell  nearly  circular,  except  behind,  where  the  projecting 
ears  give  a  square  outline,  equilateral  above  and  nearly  so 
beneath ;  upper  valve  slightly  raised  in  the  middle,  and 
smaller  than  the  lower  valve,  which  is  very  convex ;  it  is  thick 
and  solid,  glossy  in  the  umbonal  region  but  elsewhere  of  a 
dull  hue  :  sculpture,  15  or  16  ribs  in  each  valve,  which  radiate 
from  the  beaks,  and  are  strong,  and  nearly  as  broad  as  the  in- 
terstices between  them ;  the  ribs  and  interstices  are  scored  by 
a  few  parallel  striae,  which  are  more  numerous  on  the  lower 
than  the  upper  valve ;  the  whole  surface  is  covered  with 
minute  and  close-set  thin  concentric  plates,  which  are  im- 
bricated or  overlap  one  another  like  roof-tiles  :  colour  reddish- 
brown  on  the  upper  valve,  with  a  yellow  tint  on  the  lower 
valve  ;  both  valves  are  sometimes  beautifully  mottled  or  marked 
with  bands,  zigzag  streaks,  and  spots  of  burnt  umber,  or  bright 
yeUow  suimsed  with  a  delicate  pink  hue ;  occasionally,  but 

*  Largest. 


74  PECTINID^. 

rarely,  the  colour  is  white,  with  an  orange  tint  at  the  beaks  : 
margins  semicircular  in  front  and  sloping  at  the  distance  of 
about  one -fourth  from  the  hinge-hne  at  an  angle  of  30  degrees 
to  the  beaks  ;  byssal  slope  not  notched  or  serrate  :  beaJcs  small 
and  not  prominent  in  full-grown  specimens :  ears  exactly  equal 
on  the  upper  valve  and  nearly  so  on  the  other  valve,  furnished 
with  a  few  ribs  or  striae  which  radiate  from  the  beaks ;  byssal 
notch  closed  in  the  adult  state:  hinge-line  straight,  rather 
more  than  half  the  breadth  of  the  shell :  cartilage  large,  thick, 
and  strong:  ligament  narrow  and  rather  slight:  hinge-plate 
broad,  closely  and  microscopically  striate  across ;  transverse 
rib  strong  and  raised  on  each  side  of  the  broad  cartilage-pit ; 
in  the  lower  or  deeper  valve  are  two  or  three  short  oblique 
ribs,  which  diverge  from  above  the  cartilage-pit  towards  the 
sides  in  wave-like  lines :  inside  glossy,  tinged  more  or  less 
deeply  with  reddish-brown,  fluted  as  in  P.  opercularis,  and 
having  similar  shoulders  or  ledges  on  the  posterior  slopes  to  pre- 
vent contact  at  the  hinge -area  :  muscular  scars  well  marked, 
especially  on  the  upper  valve.     L.  4*5.   B.  5. 

Habitat  :  Nearly  everywhere,  and  often  gregarious 
on  banks,  in  7-78  fathoms.  It  is  also  not  uncommon 
in  all  our  upper  tertiaries,  both  new  and  old.  Its  foreign 
range  comprises  all  the  sea-bed  lying  between  Norway 
and  the  Canaries ;  and,  according  to  Sars,  it  occurs  with 
arctic  shells  in  the  "  postglacial "  beds  of  Christiania. 

If  the  oyster  is  the  king  of  moUusks,  this  has  a  just 
claim  to  the  rank  and  title  of  prince.  In  Lister^s  time 
they  were  held  in  nearly  the  same  esteem;  and  the 
great  scallop  is  even  preferred  by  some,  although  from 
its  luscious  quality  it  is  not  so  provocative  of  appetite. 
I  have  not  heard  of  its  being  eaten  raw  in  this  coimtry. 
In  the  fish-markets  of  the  north  of  France  it  is  called 
"  grand' -pelerine,''  "  gofiche,"  or  "  palourde.''  In  the 
south  of  England  it  shares  with  P.  opercularis  the  name 
of  "  frill,"  and  in  the  north  that  of  '^  clam."  According 
to  Athenseus,  this  or  an  allied  species  (P.  Jacohceus)  was 
used  by  the  ancients  for  medicinal  purposes,  as  well  as 


PECTEN.  /b 

for  food.     Old  fishermen  have  a  notion  that  it  is  taken 
in  greater  quantities  after  a  fall  of  snow ;  but^  if  true, 
this  is  difficult  of  explanation,  because  a  scallop  never 
burrows  or  lives  anywhere  but  on  the  surface  of  the 
sea-bed.     They  used  to  be  plentiful  in  Lulworth  Bay  on 
the  Dorset  coast ;  but  now  they  are  rarely  found  alive. 
I  was  told  that  the  breed  had  been  exterminated  there 
by  an  epicurean  officer  of  the  coast-guard.     The  late 
Major  Martin  would  allow  any  conchologist  to  dredge 
as  much  as  he  pleased  in  the  bays  of  the  Connemara 
coast,  provided  he   only  took  useless   shells,  such   as 
Tellina  balaustina ;  but  all  the  big  clams  (P.  maximus) 
were  reserved   for  the  table   at   Ballynahinch  Castle. 
This  kind  of  preserve  would  be  much  less  expensive  to 
keep  than  a  good  pheasant-cover  or  a  well-stocked  moor, 
and  it  would  not  be  so  liable  to  be  poached.     Nor  were 
the  shells  less  prized  in  the  days  when   Ossian  sung. 
The  flat  valves  were  the  plates,  the  hollow  ones  the 
drinking- cups  of  Fingal  and  his  heroes,  and  ^'^  the  joy  of 
the  shell  went  round.^^     The  animal  of  P.  maximus  has 
long  attracted  the   attention   of  naturalists.     As  Mr. 
Clark  observed,  '^  When  the  valves  are  opened,  and  the 
mottled  surfaces  of  the  double  margins  of  each  valve  are 
in  conjunction,  and  the  various  circles  of  filaments  and 
cirri  fully  exserted  in  a  shallow  basin  of  sea-water,  it  is 
scarcely  possible  to  conceive  a  more  beautiful  and  in- 
teresting appearance."     The  animal  is  small  compared 
with  the  size  of  the  shell.     This  is  also  the  case  with 
other  kinds  of  Pecten;   and  it  may  be  owing  to  the 
expansibility  of  the  organs,  which  require  much  space 
for  their  action.      Donovan  mentions  a  strange  idea, 
which  was  entertained  by  ^'  modern  as  well  as  ancient 
authors,^'  that  the  way  in  which  scallops  leap  or  raise 
themselves  up  is  by  forcing  the  under  valve   against 

E  2 


76  PECTINIDiE. 

whatever  they  lie  upon  !  Shells  sometimes  attain  an 
enormous  size.  Dr.  Landsborough  says  he  measured 
one  which  was  8  inches  long.  I  have  another  specimen 
that  is  barely  ^th  of  an  inch  in  length.  The  young  are 
attached  by  a  byssus.  They  are  quite  smooth ;  and  in 
the  place  of  ribs  a  few  fine  white  lines  radiate  from  the 
beaks,  as  is  not  unfrequently  seen  in  P.  similis.  This 
might  be  considered  by  the  advocates  of  a  theory,  which 
was  once  put  forward  in  the  ^  Vestiges  of  Creation/  a 
case  of  arrested  development  as  regards  P.  similis ;  but 
they  ought  to  be  aware  of  the  fact  that  both  these  species 
of  every  age  inhabit  the  same  spots  and  yet  retain  their 
own  distinctive  characters.  One  species  never  grows  or 
merges  into  the  other.  The  young  of  P.  maximus  may 
be  known  from  P.  similis  of  the  same  size  by  the  upper 
valve  in  the  former  being  flat,  and  in  the  other  convex, 
as  well  as  by  the  inequality  of  the  ears  in  the  first-named 
species.  It  bears  a  considerable  resemblance  to  a  young 
Avicultty  and  shows  the  affinity  which  exists  between 
that  genus  and  the  Pectinidce.  The  adult  seem  not  to 
have  the  power  of  spinning  a  byssus,  nor  to  have  any 
occasion  for  it.  Their  solid  shells  can  withstand  a  good 
deal  of  bufieting  by  the  tide ;  if  they  were  slighter,  they 
would  require  the  cable  of  a  Pinna  to  hold  them  on  their 
anchorage-ground.  The  substance  of  the  shells  is  very 
durable.  I  have  had  some  of  the  deep  valves  in  frequent 
use  during  the  last  eighteen  years  for  scalloping  oysters ; 
and  although  they  must  have  been  baked  in  an  oven  at 
least  five  hundred  times,  they  are  as  perfect  and  ser- 
viceable as  ever.  The  prettiest  specimens  come  from 
Dublin,  Cork,  and  the  Channel  Isles. 

This  species  belongs  to  the  genus  Vola  of  Klein.  The 
young  is  the  P.  kevis  of  Pennant  and  the  older  British 
conchologists. 


LIMA.  'tl 

P.  Jacobams  (the  famous  '*  pilgrim ''  scallop)  was  at 
one  time  erroneously  supposed  to  be  a  native  of  these 
seas.  It  is  common  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  M. 
Mace  has  lately  included  it  in  a  list  of  shells  which  he 
has  found  at  Cherbourg.  It  is  distinguishable  from  the 
present  species  by  the  ribs  of  the  lower  valve  being 
angular  instead  of  rounded. 

Genus  II.  LI'MA^  Bruguiere.     PL  II.  f.  2. 

Body  oblong :  mantle  not  furnished  with  ocelli. 
Shell  equivalve :  cartilage  external :  muscular  scar  placed 
on  one  side. 

Lima  and  Pecten  have  nearly  the  same  characters ;  but 
the  value  or  importance  of  generic,  as  well  as  of  spe- 
cific difi'erences  is  comparative  and  varies  in  each  case. 
In  the  present  genus  the  animal  has  a  bright  uniform 
colour,  while  the  shell  is  always  white.  Both  animal 
and  shell  in  the  other  genus  are  more  highly  favoured 
in  this  respect  and  exhibit  various  hues.  The  former 
has  its  mantle  studded  with  numerous  eyes  like  the  tail 
of  a  peacock,  and  looks  down  upon  its  cousin  as  a  poor 
blind  creature.  The  Lima  moves  or  rather  darts  through 
the  water  like  a  scallop,  but  in  a  contrary  posture.  The 
hinder  instead  of  the  ventral  end  is  in  front,  so  that  the 
mode  of  its  progression  may  be  compared  to  that  of  a 
fish  swimming  tail  foremost.  Some  species  construct 
dwelling-places  called  "  nests  ^'  out  of  fragments  of 
shells,  nuUipores,  gravel,  and  other  material,  which 
they  ingeniously  fasten  together  by  their  byssal  threads 
and  attach  to  the  roots  of  large  seaweeds.  Several 
young  ones  often  occupy  the  same  nest  or  case;  but 
when  they  become  adult  each  individual  has  a  house  of 
*  A  file. 


78  PECTINIDiE. 

its  own.  This  remarkable  construction  is  funnel-shaped 
with  the  larger  end  contracted,  and  sufficiently  wide  to 
admit  of  the  Lima  moving  freely  up  and  down,  but  not 
turning  round  in  it.  Here  it  lives,  secure  from  prowl- 
ing fish  and  crabs.  The  case  is  lined  inside  with  a 
closely-woven  net  of  byssal  threads,  plastered  over  with 
slime  or  excrement.  This  smooth  and  soft  lining  con- 
tains a  quantity  of  Diatom-cells,  and  yields  a  rich 
harvest  to  those  who  collect  these  exquisite  organisms 
for  microscopical  examination.  Such  remains  of  per- 
petual feasts  remind  one  of  the  similar  exuvise  which  are 
found  at  the  bottom  of  a  spider's  web.  No  species  of 
Lima  is  noticed  in  Dr.  Gould's  '  Invertebrata  of  Massa- 
chusetts,' or  in  any  other  work  on  the  conchology  of 
the  United  States  ;  nor  has  Dr.  Philip  Carpenter,  in  his 
elaborate  list  of  the  Mollusca  inhabiting  the  north-west 
coast  of  America,  enumerated  any  as  belonging  to  the 
northern  fauna  of  that  extensive  district. 

The  very  ancient  genus  Plagiostomus  of  Lhwyd  (Pla- 
giostoma  of  Sowerby's  '  Mineral  Conchology ')  is  con- 
sidered by  some  palaeontologists  to  be  identical  with  the 
present  genus.  It  may  be  connected  with  it  through 
the  genus  Limea  of  Bronn,  and  form  a  passage  to  Spon- 
dylus.  Poli  used  the  name  Glaucus  for  the  animal  of 
the  present  genus. 


Y-K. 


A.  Shell  equilateral,  with  a  straight  outline. 

1.  Lima  SARsii^,(Loven)     Nf  ^<|  • 


Limea  Sarsii,  Lov.  Ind.  Moll.  Scand.  p.  32. 

Body  milk-white :  mantle  set  with  large,  thick,  and  ringed, 
but  not  numerous  cirri  or  tentacles. 

Shell  roundish-oval,  slightly  oblique,  convex,  rather  solid 
*  Named  in  honour  of  Professor  Sars,  an  eminent  Norwegian  zoologist. 


LIMA.  79 

but  semitransparent,  glossy :  sculpture,  25-30  raised  concentric 
plates  or  laminae,  which  are  imbricate  and  partly  overlap  one 
another  in  succession,  the  distance  between  them  increasing 
in  proportion  to  the  period  of  formation,  so  that  the  earliest 
ones  lie  close  together;  these  plates  are  crossed  by  about 
the  same  number  of  slight  ribs,  which  give  the  surface  an 
imperfectly  cancellated  appearance :  colour  white :  margins 
rounded,  except  at  the  hinge:  leaks  small,  straight  and 
blunt,  projecting  beyond  the  dorsal  margin :  ears  very  small 
and  indistinct:  cartilage  small,  placed  in  a  shallow  tri- 
angular pit,  which  is  perpendicular  instead  of  horizontal  as 
in  the  last  genus :  hinge-line  short  and  straight :  hinge-plate 
narrow,  bluntly  but  distinctly  crenulated  across :  inside  pearly, 
grooved  by  the  reflection  of  the  ribs  and  strongly  crenate  or 
notched  within  the  front  margin :  musculur  scars  slight. 
L.  0-125.   B.0-1. 

Habitat  :  Shetland,in  85  fathoms^ with  Limopsis  aurita 
and  other  rare  moUusks.  This  remote  cluster  of  our  sea- 
girt isles,  which  with  their  craggy  fastnesses  guard 

"  The  unadomM  bosom  of  the  deep," 
has  yielded  more  novelties  of  the  highest  interest  to 
marine  zoologists  than  any  other  part  of  the  British 
coasts.  My  friend  Mr.  Waller  detected  two  fresh  valves 
in  some  gravelly  sand  which  I  dredged  in  1862  and  sent 
to  him  for  examination ;  and  I  found  another  specimen 
this  year  on  the  same  ground.  The  species  was  first 
discovered  by  Professor  Sars  at  Bergen,  and  described 
by  Professor  Loven.  Danielssen  found  it  at  Vadso,  in 
40-80  fathoms,  and  Lilljeborg  at  Christiansund.  It  is 
rare. 

In  consequence  of  the  hinge-plate  in  certain  fossil 
species  of  Lima  being  partly  toothed  or  crenulated,  the 
late  Professor  Bronn  proposed  in  1831  to  make  of  them 
a  new  genus,  which  he  caUed  lAmea ;  and  in  the  fol- 
lowing year  Miinster  described  the  same  genus  under 
the  name  of  Limoarca.  Bronn  remarks  that,  but  for 
its   having  only  one   muscular  impression,  this  genus 


80  PECTINIDiE. 

could  scarcely  be  distinguished  from  Limopsis.  The 
species  which  he  noticed  were  five  in  number,  viz.  two 
from  the  lias  and  lower  oolite,  and  three  from  tertiary- 
strata.  But  in  giving  the  Ostrea  strigilata  of  Brocchi 
as  the  type  of  his  genus  Limeay  he  seems  to  have  mis- 
understood the  Italian  geologist,  who  nowhere  mentions 
the  hinge  of  his  shell  being  toothed.  The  words  used 
by  him  are,  "  II  margine  delle  valve  comparisce  cre- 
nellato  tutto  alP  intorno  ;  il  cardine  non  e  obbliquo  come 
nella  precedente  [Ostrea  tuberculata^  Olivi)  ma  sibbene 
retto,  e  nelP  area  del  legamento  si  scorge  una  fossetta 
trasversalmente  bislunga.''  Brocchi^s  species  belongs 
to  the  section  which  comprises  our  Z.  Loscombii.  Loven 
adopted  Bronn's  genus  for  L.  Sarsii,  considering  it  to  be 
a  passage  towards  Limopsis,  and  says  that  the  mantle  of 
the  animal  has  no  cirri ;  but  Sars,  in  his  account  of  the 
Arctic  MoUusca  on  the  coast  of  Upper  Norway,  has 
since  observed  that  the  mantle  of  this  species  is  like 
that  of  the  rest,  and  set  with  proportionally  large  ten- 
tacles or  cirri  which  are  thick  and  ringed,  although  not 
particularly  numerous.  According  to  Searles  Wood, 
some  of  his  specimens  of  L.  subauriculata  from  the  Crag 
have  the  hinge-plate  minutely  crenulated.  The  same 
character  is  seen  in  many  species  of  Pecten,  These 
crenulations  probably  serve  for  the  firmer  attachment 
of  the  cartilage  to  the  hinge-plate,  and  not  for  a  separate 
fastening  as  in  the  interlocking  teeth  of  Area.  They 
are  too  slight  for  the  last-mentioned  purpose.  Norwe- 
gian specimens  of  L.  Sarsii  are  much  larger  than  ours. 
This  and  the  next  two  species  form  a  distinct  section, 
which  Klein  more  than  a  century  ago  called  Cienoides, 
and  for  which  Searles  Wood  has  proposed  the  subgenus 
Limatula, 


LIMA.  81 

2.  L,  ellip'tica^,  Jeffreys.  U    z  r'- 

L.  suhauriculata,  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  263  (partly),  pLliii.  f.  4,  5. 

Body  pale  orange:  tentacula  pale  pink:  foot  pale  orange. 
(F.  &  H.) 

Shell  oval  or  elliptical,  convex,  slightly  and  almost  equally 
expanding  towards  the  sides,  thin  and  glossy,  semitranspa- 
rent:  sculpture,  30-40  fine  longitudinal  ribs,  which  become 
very  faint  and  indistinct  as  they  approach  the  sides ;  one  of 
these  ribs,  near  the  middle  but  more  towards  the  posterior 
side,  is  rather  larger  than  the  rest,  and  a  corresponding  furrow 
is  formed  inside  each  valve,  appearing  outside  like  an  obhque 
white  line ;  the  ribs  are  crossed  by  extremely  delicate  and 
numerous  concentric  striae,  making  the  crests  beautifully 
serrate ;  the  substance  of  the  shell  also  exhibits  a  few  diagonal 
white  streaks  or  lines,  which  diverge  from  the  centre  to  each 
side :  colour  pearl-white :  margins  broadly  rounded  in  front, 
and  sloping  with  a  gentle  but  somewhat  flexuous  curve  up- 
wards to  the  ears,  much  compressed  at  the  sides :  heaks  ex- 
tremely prominent  and  gibbous,  projecting  considerably  be- 
yond the  hinge :  ears  triangular,  small,  erect :  cartilage  dia.- 
mond-shaped,  occupying  about  one-third  of  the  hinge,  and 
minutely  striate  across;  there  is  also  a  very  slight  and  in- 
distinct ligament  on  each  side  of  the  cartilage:  hhuje-line 
straight  except  in  the  middle,  where  it  is  incurved  to  receive 
the  cartilage :  hinge-plate  blunt :  cartilage-pit  forming  an  ob- 
tuse triangle,  smooth  ;  under  each  ear  is  a  shelving  triangular 
space  confined  below  by  a  narrow  rib :  inside  highly  nacreous, 
and  marked  by  a  furrow  which  runs  obliquely  down  the 
middle,  and  is  the  reverse  or  under  side  of  the  larger  rib  on 
the  outer  surface ;  it  is  also  indistinctly  grooved  by  the  im- 
pression of  the  ribs  ;  the  front  margin  is  slightly  notched  by 
the  edges  of  those  ribs :  muscular  scar  irregularly  circular  and 
distinct.     L.  0-55.   B.  0-35. 

Yar.  leviuscula.  Shell  nearly  smooth,  the  ribs  being  want- 
ing. 

Habitat  :  Sandy  mud,  in  15-85  fathoms,  off  the 
Shetland  Isles  and  west  coast  of  Scotland.  It  is  not 
uncommon  in  the  latter  district.     The  variety  is  from 

*  Elliptical. 

E  5 


82  PECTINID^. 

Skye ;  but  although  evidently  immature,  it  diflPers  from 
the  young  of  the  typical  form  in  being  destitute  of  ribs. 
SarSj  Lilljeborg,  and  Malm  have  taken  this  species  on 
different  parts  of  the  Scandinavian  coasts  from  Bergen 
southwards,  and  supposed  it  to  be  the  Pecten  subauri- 
culata  of  Montagu. 

It  does  not  appear  that  this  or  either  of  the  other 
species  in  the  present  section  is  a  nest-builder.  I  have 
often  dredged  living  specimens  in  every  stage  of  growth, 
but  always  found  them  free.  The  shell  of  L.  elliptica  is 
sometimes  covered  with  Foraminifera  and  Polyzoa  :  but 
this  does  not  prove  that  they  are  never  enclosed  in  cases, 
because  shells  of  L.  Mans,  taken  alive  from  their  nests, 
are  often  thus  encrusted. 

After  much  consideration  I  am  satisfied  that  Mon- 
tagues name  of  subauriculata  ought  to  be  assigned  to 
the  following  species  and  not  to  the  present.  His  de- 
scription and  figure  evidently  apply  to  the  other  species, 
which  occurs  in  the  same  locality  that  he  mentions,  viz. 
the  coast  of  Devon.  L.  elliptica  has  not,  I  believe,  been 
found  south  of  the  Hebrides.  Both  live  together  in  the 
northern  part  of  our  seas,  as  well  as  on  the  Scandina- 
vian coast.  Their  distinctive  characters  will  be  pointed 
out  after  describing  the  next  species.  Forbes  and 
Hanley  united  the  synonyms  and  localities  for  the  two 
species ;  but  their  description  appears  to  have  been  taken 
from  a  specimen  of  L.  elliptica. 

^lir-  3.  L.  SUBAURICULATA ^,(^Montagu)   ^f^5 

Pecten  subauriculata,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  Suppl.  p.  63,  t,  29.  f.  2. 

Body  milk-white  :  mantle  clothed  with  about  a  dozen  tubu- 
lar clear- white  tentacles  of  different  lengths,  which  are  closely 
ringed  and  ciliated :  foot  white  and  cylindrical. 

*  Slightly  eared. 


LIMA.  83 

Shell  oblong,  extremely  convex,  rather  thin  and  glossy, 
semitransparent :  sculpture,  24:  slight  but  sharp  ribs,  which 
radiate  from  the  beaks  and  do  not  extend  to  the  sides ;  the 
middle  rib  is  the  largest,  and  runs  straight  down  to  the  front 
margin ;  the  ribs  are  crossed  by  extremely  fine  and  numerous 
concentric  striae,  making  the  crests  appear  somewhat  jagged  : 
colour  milk-white:  margins  rounded  in  front,  and  sloping  with 
a  gentle  curve  upward  to  the  ears :  heaTcs  extremely  promi- 
nent and  gibbous,  projecting  considerably  beyond  the  hinge  : 
ears  triangular,  very  small,  hanging  a  little  downwards :  carti- 
lage diamond-shaped,  occupying  nearly  one-third  of  the  hinge  : 
ligament  narrow  and  slight :  hinge-line  straight  except  in  the 
middle,  where  it  is  incurved :  hinge-plate  sharp :  cartilage-pit 
forming  an  acute  triangle,  faintly  striate  across ;  under  each 
ear  is  a  shelving  triangular  space  as  in  L.  elliptica,  but  pro- 
portionally narrower  :  inside  highly  nacreous,  and  marked  by 
a  furrow  which  runs  down  the  middle,  and  is  the  reverse  or 
under  side  of  the  central  rib ;  it  is  also  indistinctly  grooved 
by  the  impression  of  the  outside  ribs ;  front  margin  slightly 
notched  by  the  edges  of  those  ribs:  muscular  scar  faint. 
L.  0-275.   B.  0-15. 

Habitat  :  Sandy  and  gravelly  ground  in  almost  every 
part  of  the  British  seas,  from  18  to  90  fathoms.  It  is 
also  a  Coralline  Crag  fossil.  Its  distribution  in  other 
parts  of  the  northern  hemisphere  is  very  extensive,  em- 
bracing Greenland,  Iceland,  Scandinavia,  the  Adriatic, 
both  shores  of  the  Mediterranean,  the  ^gean,  and  the 
Canary  Isles.  Nor  is  its  bathymetrical  range  in  widely 
separated  seas  less  worthy  of  remark.  Wallich  obtained 
it  by  means  of  his  deep-sea  soundings  in  the  North 
Atlantic  from  227  fathoms ;  and  M'^ Andrew  has  recorded 
the  depths  at  which  he  dredged  living  specimens  on  the 
coast  of  upper  Norway  as  15-150  fathoms,  and  Forbes 
in  the  iEgean  as  15-140  fathoms. 

The  animal  is  shy.  It  uses  its  foot  for  crawling.  The 
alimentary  and  branchial  current  enters  in  at  the  middle 
of  the  front  margin ;  and  the  excretory  current  passes 
out  below  the  ear  on  the  posterior  side.     In  a  single 


84  PECTINIDiE. 

valve  now  before  me,  one  of  the  ears  is  twice  the  size  of 
the  other.  The  fry,  ^th  of  an  inch  long,  are  roundish- 
oval  and  distinctly  ribbed. 

L.  subauriculata  differs  from  L.  elliptica  in  the  shell 
being  more  arched  or  equally  convex  throughout,  as 
well  as  much  smaller  and  longer ;  the  sculpture  is  coarser 
and  the  ribs  fewer;  the  ears  are  smaller  and  droop  a 
little;  and  the  furrow  is  straight  and  placed  in  the 
middle.  In  the  other  species  the  shell  is  considerably 
broader  and  more  expanded ;  the  sculpture  is  finer  and 
the  ribs  more  numerous ;  the  ears  are  larger  and  more 
erect  j  and  the  furrow  runs  obliquely,  and  is  placed 
somewhat  nearer  to  the  posterior  margin.  The  young 
of  each  species  have  corresponding  characters.  That 
of  L.  elliptica  resembles  L.  Sarsii  in  shape,  but  differs 
toto  coelo  in  the  sculpture  and  in  having  a  conspicuous 
furrow. 

The  present  species  is  the  L.  sulcata  {'^  Leach '')  of 
Moller,  L.  elongata  of  Forbes,  L.  subauricula  of  Phi- 
lippi,  L,  sulculus  ("  Leach ^^)  of  Loven,  audi,  unicostata 
of  Leach's  posthumous  work  on  the  Mollusca  of  Great 
Britain.  I  at  one  time  thought  it  might  also  be  the 
Ostrea  nivea  of  Renier,  which  has  been  well  described 
and  figured  by  Brocchi.  But  although  our  shell  is  found 
in  the  Adriatic,  and  may  therefore  have  been  the  species 
intended  by  Renier,  I  do  not  believe  it  occurs  in  the 
Subapennine  tertiaries,  so  as  to  have  fallen  under 
Brocchi's  observation ;  and  neither  of  these  authors  has 
noticed  the  central  groove  or  farrow,  which  is  so  charac- 
teristic of  this  species  and  L,  elliptica.  The  Ostrea 
subaurictdata  of  Turton^s  ' Conchological  Dictionary' 
appears  to  have  been  the  young  of  L.  Loscombii,  judging 
from  his  description  and  specimens. 


LIMA. 


85 


B.  Shell  inequilateral,  with  an  oblique  outline. 

V^.c^l  4.  L.  Loscom'bii^  G.  B.  Sowerby.  r  '  '^'^ 

L.  Loscombii,  Sow.  Qen.  Sh.  {Lima)  f.  4 ;  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  265,  pi.  liii.  f.1-3. 

Body  bright  orange-colour:  maniZe  having  its  edges  over- 
lapping one  another  in  front :  tentacles  of  different  lengths, 
ringed  or  verticillate  as  in  some  Nudibranchs,  and  arranged 
in  several  irregular  rows ;  the  front  row  is  folded  back  over 
the  outer  edge  of  the  shell :  foot  cylindrical  and  extensile, 
reddish -orange. 

Shell  rhomboidal,  twisted  to  one  side,  extremely  convex, 
thin,  rather  glossy  :  sculpture,  50-60  very  fine  and  sharp  ribs 
or  fluted  striae,  which  radiate  from  the  beaks  to  the  front  and 
sides,  but  become  faint  or  absent  on  the  sides  and  near  the 
hinge  ;  the  ribs  are  slightly  flexuous  and  of  unequal  size, 
often  alternately  large  and  small,  or  two  or  three  small  ribs 
between  some  of  the  larger  ones;  there  are  also  the  same 
microscopical  transverse  lines  as  in  L.  suhauriculata  and  other 
species,  producing  a  similar  serrature  or  corrugation  of  the 
ribs :  colour  snow-white :  margins  thin,  oblique,  bluntly 
rounded  in  front,  ventral  edge  compressed  and  nearly  straight, 
posterior  edge  rounded  and  sloping  from  the  front  and  hinge- 
line  to  an  obtuse  angle  about  one-third  down;  the  valves 
when  closed  gape  a  little  on  the  upper  part  of  the  dorsal  side : 
heaks  extremely  prominent  and  gibbous,  projecting  consider- 
ably beyond  the  hinge :  ears  triangular  and  very  small,  wrin- 
kled in  the  line  of  growth :  cartikige  large  and  yellow  :  liga- 
ment thin,  olive-green:  hinge-line  nearly  straight,  slightly 
curved  outwards :  hinge-plate  narrow  and  sharp :  cartikige- 
area  broad ;  triangular  space  on  each  side  of  the  beaks  and 
within  the  ears  small,  but  supported  by  a  stout  and  somewhat 
incurved  ledge  :  inside  pearly,  shghtly  granular,  showing  (al- 
though faintly)  the  impression  of  the  outside  ribs  ;  front  mar- 
gin crenulated  in  young,  but  thickened  in  adult  specimens  : 
muscular  and  pallial  scars  distinct.     L.  0*8.   B.  0*55. 

Habitat  :  With  the  last  species,  and  equally  distri- 
buted, but  usually  not  so  common  nor  at  such  great 

*  Named  in  honour  of  Mr.  C.  W.  Loscombe,  who  discovered  this  and 
other  shells  at  Exmouth. 


86  PECTINID^. 

depths.  Capt.  Beechey,  however,  dredged  a  living  spe- 
cimen off  the  Mull  of  Galloway  in  145  fathoms.  It 
occurs  fossil  in  our  Red  and  Coralline  Crag.  Abroad  it 
ranges  from  the  coast  of  East  Finmark  to  the  ^Egean 
and  the  North  African  coast  of  the  Mediterranean. 
Asbjornsen  gives  the  depth  at  which  he  found  this  spe- 
cies living  in  Christiania  fiord  as  5-20  fathoms. 

It  seldom  makes  a" nest '^;  but  I  have  one  enclosed 
in  this  way,  which  I  dredged  on  the  north  coast  of  Ire- 
land. The  case  lies  within  a  valve  of  Mytilus  modiolus, 
and  is  composed  of  large  fragments  of  shells,  crabs,  and 
barnacles.  Sars  obtained  a  similar  specimen  on  the 
Norwegian  coast.  In  all  probability  this  habit  depends 
on  the  nature  of  the  sea-bottom.  When  the  latter  is 
soft  mud  the  Lima  can  partly  bury  itself,  and  does  not 
require  to  be  otherwise  protected  from  its  voracious 
enemies.  The  haddock  seems  fond  of  it,  the  shells  being 
often  found  in  its  stomach.  The  animal  of  L.  Loscombii 
differs  but  little  from  that  of  L.  Mans.  The  pallial  ten- 
tacles are  somewhat  thicker,  and  the  foot  is  shorter  and 
of  a  paler  hue.  Mr.  Clark  has  seen  it  "  repeatedly  fix 
itself  by  fine  byssal  filaments,  then  detach  itself  and 
move  with  the  greatest  rapidity,  crossing  a  dish  of  six 
inches  diameter  whilst  one  could  be  counted.''  When 
it  crawls  it  uses  its  foot  in  the  same  way  as  Modiolaria 
discors,  by  extending  and  attaching  the  flexible  point  to 
the  surface  of  the  body  it  is  traversing,  and  then  draw- 
ing or  warping  itself  up.  This  mode  of  locomotion  is 
much  slower  than  the  usual  one  of  swimming  by  a  repe- 
tition of  jerks.  The  fry  are  ribbed  like  the  adult,  but 
the  lines  of  division  between  the  strise  in  the  former  are 
more  remote. 

It  is  the  Pecten  fragilis  of  Montagu  but  not  of  Chem- 
nitz, the  L.  bullata  of  Turton  but  not  the  Ostrea  bullata 


LIMA.  87 

of  Born,  and  tlie  L.  reticulata  of  Leach.  The  L.  Los- 
combea  of  the  last-named  author,  from  Torbay,  is  in  all 
probability  the  young  of  the  present  species ;  but  his 
diagnosis  is  very  obscure.  Philippi  considers  Turton^s 
L.  bullata  to  be  the  L.  strigilata  of  Scacchi  but  not  the 
Ostrea  strigilata  of  Brocchi.  The  latter  is  a  common 
miocene  fossil,  and  constitutes  the  type  of  Bronn^s 
erenus  Limea. 

N*?  ^-^  5.  L.  HI  ANs^,vGmelin))  )?(  ^i~- 

Ostrea  Mans,  Gmelin,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  ed.xiii.  p.  3332.    L.  Mans,  F.  &  H. 
ii.  p.  268,  pi.  lii.  f.  3-5,  and  (animal)  pi.  R,  as  L.  tenera. 

Body  of  different  shades  of  colour  between  pale  crimson  and 
intense  vermLlion :  mantle  of  an  orange  tint :  tentacles  very 
numerous,  arranged  in  rows  as  in  the  last  species :  foot  also 
similar. 

Shell  rhomboidal,  considerably  twisted  to  the  ventral  or 
anterior  side,  compressed,  rather  solid,  of  a  dull  aspect :  sculp- 
ture nearly  the  same  as  that  of  L.  Loscombii ;  but  the  ribs  are 
stronger,  and  often  become  coarse  and  rough  towards  the 
margins :  colour  snow-white  in  the  young,  but  dirty-brown  in 
old  specimens,  which  are  frequently  covered  with  fragments 
of  byssal  hau^s,  as  well  as  with  zoophytes  and  Foraminifera  : 
Dumjhis  thick,  oblique,  bluntly  rounded  in  front,  the  ventral 
or  anterior  edge  compressed  and  nearly  straight,  and  the  pos- 
terior edge  truncate  and  sloping  outwards  at  the  same  angle 
with  the  lower  margin  of  that  side  as  in  the  last  species  ;  the 
valves  when  closed  gape  very  widely  on  both  sides :  healcs 
prominent  and  gibbous,  not  projecting  much  beyond  the  hinge : 
ears  triangular,  strong,  and  unequal,  that  on  the  anterior  side 
being  longer  and  wider  than  the  other,  which  is  sharp-pointed; 
both  are  coarsely  wrinkled  in  the  line  of  growth :  cartilage 
and  ligament  large,  horncolour  :  hinge-line  formed  like  an  arch, 
and  increasing  with  age  in  the  degree  of  curvature  ;  its  length 
is  not  equal  to  one-third  of  the  entire  breadth  of  the  shell : 
hinge-plate  thick,  incurved  in  the  middle  to  receive  the  carti- 
lage :  cartilage-area  very  large,  causing  the  beaks  to  be  widely 
separated  when  the  valves  are  closed  ;  triangular  space  on  the 
anterior  side  indistinct,  but  that  on  the  other  side  is  deeply 
*  Gaping. 


88  PECTINIDiE. 

perforated  in  the  centre  and  strengthened  by  a  thick  rib :  in- 
side  pearly,  closely  granular,  slightly  impressed  by  the  ribs  ; 
front  margin  scalloped  or  fluted  in  the  young  and  very  thick 
in  the  adult :  muscular  and  pallial  scars  indistinct,  especially 
the  former.     L.  1-6.   B.  1. 

Var.  tenera.  Shell  smaller,  narrower,  and  more  depressed, 
with  fewer  ribs.  L.  tenera,  Turton  in  Zool.  Journ.  ii.  p.  362, 
t.  xiii.  f.  2.     L.  1.   B.  0-6. 

Habitat  :  Hard  ground,  in  12-40  fathoms,  very  com- 
mon in  the  West  of  Scotland;  Orkneys  (Thomas); 
Aberdeen  (Macgillivray) ;  north-east  coast  of  Ireland 
(Portlock,  Hyndman,  and  Waller) ;  Anglesea  (M^An- 
drew  and  Forbes);  Isle  of  Man  (Forbes).  A  specimen 
from  the  last-mentioned  locality,  which  I  received  from 
the  late  Professor  Forbes,  is  intermediate  between  the 
typical  form  and  the  variety,  as  well  as  a  specimen 
which  Mr.  W.W.Walpole  sent  me  from  Killiney  Bay, 
near  Dublin.  As  an  upper  tertiary  fossil  it  has  been 
noticed  by  the  late  Mr.  W.  Thompson  and  Mr.  Grainger 
in  a  bed  of  blue  clay  at  Belfast,  and  by  Mr.  Searles 
Wood  in  the  Coralline  Crag  at  Ramsholt.  The  variety 
is  found  on  the  southern  coast  of  Cornwall  and  in  the 
Channel  Isles.  It  is  not  uncommon  at  Herm,  under 
large  stones,  at  low-water  mark.  The  range  of  this 
variety  southward  is  very  extensive,  having  been  re- 
corded by  numerous  authors  in  different  parts  of  the 
Mediterranean,  -^gean,  and  North  Atlantic  seas,  as 
far  as  the  Canary  Isles,  Madeira,  and  the  Azores,  at 
depths  of  0-50  fathoms.  The  typical  or  northern  form 
inhabits  the  coasts  of  Norway  and  Sweden,  in  4-30 
fathoms.  Malm  found  a  specimen  in  the  stomach  of  a 
cod-fish. 

In  Mr.  Norman's  interesting  notices  of  the  Clyde 
Mollusca  (published  in  the  'Zoologist'  for  1858)  is  the 
following : — "  Nothing  can  be  more  lovely  than  the  ani- 


LIMA.  89 

mal  of  L.  Mans,  with  its  thousand  delicate  and  beauti- 
fully ringed  vermilion  tentacula,  each  maintaining,  as  it 
were,  a  life  independent  of  its  neighbours,  turning  and 
twisting  in  every  direction ;  the  rich  crimson  foot  and 
snow-white  shell  form  an  object  which,  to  my  eyes,  is 
unsurpassed  among  the  British  MoUusca/^  He,  however, 
adds  : — '^  There  is  but  one  thing  I  have  to  say  against 
this  interesting  molluscan ;  and  that  is,  the  animal  has 
a  peculiar,  tenacious,  and  to  me  sickening  odour :  after 
having  handled  a  number  of  them  it  is  no  easy  matter  to 
remove  the  smell  from  the  hands  with  soap  and  water ; 
and  so  strong  a  hold  has  the  nauseous  smell  sometimes 
taken  on  my  olfactory  nerves  that  a  whole  night  has 
scarcely  sufficed  to  remove  the  impression/'     Perhaps 
the  nasty  smell  may  be  accounted  for  by  presuming  that 
its  apartment  is  never  cleaned.     When  the  Lima  is  first 
taken  out  of  its  case  and  put  into  a  basin  of  sea- water, 
it  is  exceedingly  active   and   restless,  either  violently 
darting  round  the  sides  of  the  vessel,  or  else  gracefully 
careering  about,  with  its  long  and  thick  fringe  of  fila- 
ments trailing  behind  it.   In  the  course  of  a  few  minutes 
it  seems  to  get  tired,  or  reconciled  to  its  prison ;  and  it 
then  lies  on  its  back,  the  valves  of  the  shell  expanded, 
and  reposes  on  its  own  soft  luxurious  cushion.     The 
filaments  at  first  curl  and  entwine  round  one  another, 
a  perfect  nest  of  snakes,  but  afterwards  they  are  with- 
drawn and  become  contracted ;  a  circular  inner  row, 
like  a  coronet,  surrounds  the  slowly-flapping  gills ;  and 
the  outer  rows  fold  over  on  each  side  and  form  a  sort  of 
chevaux  de  frise.  Dr.  Landsborough  supposed  that  these 
filaments  were  useful  to  the  Lima  in  catching  its  prey. 
He  observed  that  they  are  very  easily  broken  off",  and 
that  they  seem  to  live  for  many  hours  after  being  de- 
tached from  the  body,  wriggling  about  like  so  many 


90  PECTINID^. 

worms.    The  fry  are  of  the  same  shape  as  the  adult,  and 
have  slight  but  distinct  ribs. 

The  habit  of  making  a  case  or  "  nest  '^  appears  to  be 
common  everywhere ;  nor  is  it  restricted  to  full-grown 
individuals.  The  Rev.  E-.  N.  Dennis  informs  me  that  he 
found  at  Herm  certainly  more  than  one  hundred  speci- 
mens of  the  variety  thus  enclosed,  and  that  they  were 
of  all  ages,  but  mostly  young.  He  adds,  "  The  nests 
were  generally  fixed  under  good-sized  stones  at  low- 
water  mark,  and  were  broken  in  turning  over  the 
stones,  when  the  Limas  swam  off  in  all  directions.  The 
largest  number  I  found  in  one  nest  was,  I  think,  seven ; 
the  largest  and  oldest-looking  specimens  were  alone  in 
the  nest.  I  did  not  find  a  single  specimen  out  of  a  nest. 
The  Herm  people  call  them '  Angels^-wings.^ "  The  nest 
of  L.  hians  measures  from  two  to  ten  inches  in  length, 
according  to  the  age  and  size  of  the  occupier  and  the 
supply  of  materials.  It  somewhat  resembles  the  case 
made  by  certain  species  of  Mytilus  (or  Modiola),  and 
has  no  analogy  to  the  nest  of  birds  and  some  fishes, 
being  permanently  inhabited  by  the  Lima  itself,  or  a 
colony  of  them.  The  fry  are  always  left  to  provide  for 
themselves,  and  do  not  require  any  parental  care.  This 
kind  of  "  nest-hunting,^^  therefore,  is  not  a  cruel,  though 
an  unusual  sport.  In  a  review  of  my  first  volume  in 
'  Blackwood^s  Magazine,'  the  writer  referred  the  pursuit 
of  natural  history  to  a  Nimrod  instinct.  Perhaps,  after 
all,  he  touched  the  right  chord ;  for  although  we  dignify 
hunting  for  shells,  insects,  and  fiowers  by  the  imposing 
names  of  Conchology,  Entomology,  and  Botany,  such 
researches  may  partake  as  much  of  an  innate  love  of 
sport  as  of  the  spirit  of  scientific  inquiry.  Dredging 
for  Lima^s  nests  is  at  any  rate  an  amusement  more 
suitable  to  grave  naturalists,  than  looking  after  the  eggs 


LIMA.  91 

of  our  feathered  songsters  in  woods  and  hedges,  like 
schoolboys.  A  very  intelligent  naturalist,  Mr.  David 
Robertson  of  Glasgow,  has  favoured  me  with  more  in- 
formation respecting  the  habits  of  L.  Mans  in  Scotch 
waters.  He  says,  "  In  confinement  they  build  freely ; 
and  so  far  as  my  observations  go,  they  live  longer  in 
that  state  when  they  are  supplied  with  the  requisite 
materials,  but  failing  such  supply  they  frequently  make 
nests  of  their  own  byssus.  They  also  spin  their  byssal 
threads  to  assist  them  in  ascending  perpendicular  or 
steep  places ;  and,  like  the  common  mussel,  the  Lima 
often  suspends  itself  by  one  or  more  fibres.  Its  attach- 
ment, however,  is  only  slight;  for  the  least  irritation 
or  alarm  causes  it  to  detach  itself  from  the  cable  and 
bound  off".  It  does  not  seem  to  be  particular  as  to  the 
kind  of  building- material  which  it  uses.  At  Lochronsa 
in  Arran  I  found  their  nests  among  the  muddy  roots  of 
Phyllophora  rubens,  without  the  addition  of  any  harder 
substance.  At  Rothesay  the  nests  are  made  of  small 
gravel ;  and  at  Cumbrae  they  soon  fill  the  dredge,  being 
formed  of  thick  and  matted  clusters  of  nuUipore.  On 
this  bank  I  never  find  them  free  ;  they  are  all  encased, 
at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  young  and  old,  from  the  size 
of  a  pea  to  the  full-grown  state,  each  having  its  own 
separate  nest.  A  remarkable  peculiarity  of  Lima  con- 
sists in  the  tenacious  grasp  of  its  tentacles.  Some- 
times when  my  finger  touched  the  animal,  it  was  rapidly 
seized  by  the  tentacles,  as  by  those  of  an  Actiniaj  and 
so  firmly  that  I  have  thus  dragged  the  Lima  round  the 
tank.  It  seldom  let  go  its  hold  till  the  tentacles  were 
torn  away,  or  (as  I  believe)  voluntarily  thrown  off  by 
the  animal.  The  tentacles  so  detached  still  adhere 
closely  to  the  object  they  have  grasped,  their  free  ends 
twisting  about  as  if  in  conscious  life,  and  they  are  with 


92  PECTINIDiE. 

difficulty  taken  off.  Notwithstanding  this  property,  I 
frequently  find  a  small  crab  (Porcellana  longicornis)  in 
their  nests,  and  not  unfrequently  an  annelid  (Polynoe), 
but  almost  invariably  a  greenish  gelatinous  annelid. 
This  last  kind  I  have  noticed  lying  across  the  tentacles 
of  a  large  Lima,  which  seemed  to  be  quite  at  its  ease 
and  by  no  means  incommoded  by  its  neighbour.  I 
have  frequently  kept  L.  Mans  in  captivity  for  many 
months.  I  have  now  (January  1863)  one  which  I  took 
in  May  last,  and  it  looks  in  good  health.  It  com- 
menced building  in  a  day  or  two  after  it  was  put  into 
the  tank,  and  has  ever  since  lived  under  its  own  roof, 
adding  from  time  to  time  to  the  size  of  its  oblong  nest. 
This  word  (^  nest ')  is,  in  a  wide  sense,  not  inappro- 
priate as  applied  to  the  mode  of  architecture ;  but  it 
must  not  lead  to  the  idea  of  incubation,  with  which  the 
structure  seems  in  no  way  connected.^^  I  am  indebted 
also  to  Mr.  Robertson  for  another  important  observa- 
tion, viz.  that  he  has  seen  some  individuals  of  L.  Mans 
shedding  blood-red  ova,  and  others  spermatozoa  at  the 
same  time,  and  that  the  flow  of  ova  continued  for  about 
fifteen  minutes,  and  to  all  appearance  in  two  streams. 
This  observation  is  of  great  value  as  regards  the  genera- 
tive system  of  the  Lamellibranch  MoUusca;  but  we 
must  not  overlook  the  possibility  that  each  individual 
may  be  of  both  sexes,  although  the  period  may  vary  for 
the  development  of  its  organs — i,  e,  that  it  may  be  male 
at  one  time  and  female  at  another,  as  is  said  to  be  the 
case  with  Valvata  and  Ancylus  among  the  freshwater 
univalves.  Or  it  may  be  analogous  to  what  takes  place 
in  certain  flowering  plants.  Lobelia  is  hermaphrodite, 
but  usually  sheds  its  poUen  before  the  anther  is  pre- 
pared to  receive  it,  so  that  self-fertilization  is  seldom 
effected,  and  the  pollen  of  a  neighbouring  plant  with  the 


AVICULIDiE.  93 

aid  of  winds  or  insects  is  almost  always  necessary  to 
ensure  propagation.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  some  expe- 
rienced physiologist  will  investigate  the  subject  in  all 
its  bearings  and  set  at  rest  this  long-agitated  question. 

L.  Mans  differs  from  L,  Loscombii  in  its  much  larger 
size,  being  more  depressed,  and  widely  gaping  at  both 
sides  instead  of  at  the  dorsal  side  only.  It  is  the  L. 
fragilis  of  Fleming,  L.  vitrina  of  Brown,  L.  aperta  of 
Sowerby,  L.  inflata  of  Forbes,  and  L.  tenuis  of  Leach. 
The  original  describer  of  the  species  was  Schroter  j  but 
the  name  he  gave  it,  being  in  his  own  language,  is  not 
admissible  according  to  scientific  rules.  The  Ostrea 
tenera  of  Chemnitz  is  a  West  Indian  species  of  Lima  and 
very  different  from  the  southern  variety  of  L,  hians. 

I  found  a  very  small  and  imperfect  single  valve  of 
L.  inflata  (Philippi)  in  trawl-refuse  from  the  Plymouth 
coast.  It  is  rather  common  in  the  Mediterranean.  The 
shell  is  tumid  and  very  strong  for  its  size ;  the  surface 
is  coarsely  decussated  or  reticulate  by  strong  longi- 
tudinal ribs  and  transverse  plates ;  the  ears  are  remark- 
ably smaU ;  and  the  hinge  is  furnished  with  a  horizontal 
cartilage-pit  as  in  Pecten.  Lamarck^s  species  of  the 
same  name  is  distinct  from  this ;  and  according  to  him 
it  inhabits  "  TOcean  americain.^^ 


**  Mantle  open  in  front,  and  forming  at  the  posterior  side 
(rarely  at  both  sides)  one  or  two  tubes,  which  are  mostly 
sessile. 

Family  IV.  AVICU'LIDiE,  Swainson. 

Body  obUquely  oval  or  oblong,  compressed :  mantle  open, 
and  free  at  its  edges,  which  are  fringed  with  cirri :  foot  small 
and  cylindrical,  furnished  with  a  byssal  groove. 


94  AVICULIDvE. 

Shell  shaped  like  the  animal,  inequilateral,  scaly  outside 
and  nacreous  within:  beaks  straight:  ligament  long  and 
narrow,  mostly  internal  and  contained  in  a  groove. 

In  this  distinct  family  we  have  only  two  genera,  each 
containing  but  a  single  species,  which  widely  differs 
from  the  other.  The  intermediate  links  are  wanting  at 
our  northern  end  of  the  chain.  Elsewhere  both  genera 
and  species  abound  in  great  variety;  and,  in  remote 
periods  of  the  earth's  history,  what  are  now  called  the 
British  seas  had  also  their  full  share.  In  studying  the 
particular  fauna  of  any  district  we  are  too  apt  to  regard 
it  in  an  isolated  point  of  view,  instead  of  associating  it 
with  the  faunse  of  other  and  distant  regions.  No  mem- 
ber of  this  large  family  has  been  noticed  as  inhabiting 
the  north-east  coast  or  the  northern  part  of  the  western 
coast  of  America,  nor  is  any  one  enumerated  in  the 
lists  of  Arctic  or  Scandinavian  MoUusca.  The  shell  is 
composed  of  outer  and  inner  layers.  The  outer  layers 
are  of  a  fibrous  texture,  and  consist  of  extremely  minute 
and  closely-packed  tubes  or  cells,  which  exhibit  on 
their  surface  irregularly  hexagonal  prisms;  they  are 
separated  from  each  other  by  a  deposit  of  unusually 
thick  animal  matter ;  and,  upon  being  steeped  for  some 
time  in  caustic  potash,  they  easily  become  disintegrated 
and  fall  asunder,  resembling  in  that  state  extremely 
short  threads  of  spun  glass.  The  inner  layers  are  more 
compact  and  highly  iridescent.  The  surface  of  the 
shell,  both  in  Avicula  and  Pinna,  appears  under  the 
microscope  to  be  finely  punctured,  as  in  some  species  of 
Lepton.  The  anterior  adductor  muscle  is  small,  showing 
a  transition  from  the  Monomyaria  to  the  Dimyaria. 
Leach  included  this  family  in  the  first-mentioned  di- 
vision. 


AVICULA.  95 

Genus  I.  AVrCULA*,  Klein.     PL  II.  f.  3. 

Body  oval :  palj^s  or  labial  appendages  large :  hyssus  fibrous, 
coarse,  and  thin. 

Shell  square  or  elliptical,  often  winged  or  lobed,  inequi- 
valve ;  upper  margin  of  the  lower  or  left  valve  notched  for 
the  passage  of  the  byssus :  hedks  placed  nearer  the  anterior  or 
narrower  end,  but  never  terminal:  hinge  furnished  with 
teeth. 

This  genus  is  distinguished  by  the  nacreous  and 
iridescent  lining  of  its  shell,  which  in  one  species  pro- 
duces the  oriental  pearl,  and  in  another  is  extensively 
used  for  inlaying  and  button-making. 

N^-7^     1.  AvicuLA  hirun'do  tj  Linne.  j^^-  zy. 

Mytilm  hirundo,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1159.    A.  Tarentina,  F.  &  H.  ii. 
p.  251,  pi.  xlii.  f.  1-3,  and  (animal)  pi.  S.  f.  4. 

Body  suboval,  yellowish-white  mottled  with  brown :  cirri 
arranged  in  two  rows,  numerous  and  close -set,  those  in  the 
front  or  outer  row  being  longer  than  those  in  the  inner  row : 
foot  white. 

Shell  eUiptical,  resembling  that  of  a  Pinna,  with  the 
addition  of  an  unequal  wing-like  appendage  on  each  side  of 
the  beak,  very  inequivalve  in  the  young,  but  less  so  in  the 
adult  state,  the  upper  or  right  valve  being  larger  than  the 
other,  much  compressed  towards  the  margins,  rather  fragile, 
more  or  less  glossy :  sculpture,  thin  concentric  plates  or  scales, 
which  irregularly  imbricate  the  surface  and  are  sometimes 
spinous  towards  the  anterior  margin,  besides  superficial  micro- 
scopic and  close-set  punctures :  colour  yellowish-brown,  with 
purphsh  streaks  which  radiate  from  the  beaks  and  are  fre- 
quently interrupted  or  zigzag :  margins  very  thin,  rounded  in 
front,  more  or  less  deeply  incurved  on  the  upper  part  of  each 
side  in  consequence  of  the  projection  of  the  wings,  straight  or 
nearly  so  behind :  heaJcs  small,  sharp,  and  slightly  projecting 
over  the  hinge :  wings  triangular  and  bluntly  pointed ;  they 
are  of  unequal  size,  those  on  the  anterior  side  being  small, 

»  A  little  bird.  t  Swallow. 


96  AVICULID^. 

and  the  opposite  ones  from  six  to  ten  times  as  long  in  full- 
grown  specimens :  hinge-line  very  long :  ligament  broad,  sepa- 
rating the  beaks,  so  as  to  form  a  rather  wide  area :  hin^e-plate 
thick,  strong,  and  rounded :  teeth  consisting  of  a  blunt  tubercle 
in  the  upper  valve,  placed  a  little  in  front  of  and  below  the 
hinge,  and  a  double  tooth  in  the  other  valve,  into  which  the 
tubercular  tooth  locks:  inside  highly  and  beautifully  irides- 
cent, marked  with  faint  and  irregular  grooves  which  diverge 
from  the  beaks :  muscular  scars  distinct,  especially  that  of  the 
posterior  adductor.     L.  3.   B.  1-65. 

Habitat  :  Plymouth  offings  procured  by  the  trawlers 
in  20-25  fathoms,  sometimes  attached  to  species  of 
Gorgonia  and  Sertularia.  It  is  said  also  to  have  been 
found  in  Dublin  and  Bantry  Bays ;  but  this  wants  con- 
firmation. Dr.  Turton's  specimen  from  the  first  of 
these  localities  looks  too  highly  coloured  to  be  British, 
and  is  more  probably  of  foreign  extraction.  The  collec- 
tion of  Irish  shells  made  by  the  late  Mr.  T.  W.  Warren, 
and  now  in  the  museum  of  the  Royal  Dublin  Society, 
contains  a  single  valve  of  A.  hirundoy  which,  according 
to  Mr.  Warren^s  Catalogue,  was  found  by  him  at  Port- 
marnock.  This  specimen  has  been  kindly  sent  to  me 
by  Dr.  Carte,  the  Superintendent  of  the  museum,  for 
my  inspection.  Together  with  it,  and  on  the  same 
tablet,  is  a  young  shell  of  a  tropical  species  of  Avicula 
(or  Meleagrina)  y  which  is  not  unfrequently  met  with  on 
the  bottoms  of  vessels  from  South  America,  The  pre- 
sent species,  being  in  our  seas  an  inhabitant  of  deep 
water  and  always  attached,  is  not  likely  to  be  thrown  up 
on  a  sandy  shore.  I  have  never  heard  of  a  Pinna  being 
picked  up  as  a  similar  waif  of  the  ocean.  Dr.  Carte  in- 
forms me  that  wrecks  too  frequently  occur  in  Dublin 
Bay,  which  is  completely  exposed  to  eastern  gales  and 
situate  in  very  nearly  the  same  parallel  of  latitude  as 
Liverpool,   to   which   port  the  unfortunate  merchant 


AVICULA.  97 

vessels  are  bound.  Miss  Hutchings,  who  (according  to 
the  late  Mr.  James  Sowerby)  discovered  this  species  in 
Bantry  Bay,  was  infinitely  better  acquainted  with  sea- 
weeds than  with  shells.  I  have  some  of  the  latter  which 
Mr.  Dillwyn  received  from  that  lady,  as  collected  by  her 
in  Bantry  Bay,  and  which  are  unquestionably  Mediter- 
ranean and  not  Irish.  One  of  them  is  Area  barbata. 
Such  mistakes  often  happen  in  spite  of  the  best  inten- 
tions. I  do  not  say,  however,  that  A.  hirundo  has  never 
been  found  in  Ireland,  or  that  it  may  not  hereafter  be 
rediscovered  there.  It  occurs,  but  very  rarely,  in  the 
Coralline  Crag.  Its  exotic  distribution  is  wide,  and 
comprises  both  sides  of  the  Mediterranean,  as  well  as 
the  Adriatic  and  ^gean  Seas,  the  Canary  Isles,  Madeira, 
and  the  Azores.  Mr.  M'Andrew  has  taken  it  on  the 
shore  near  Gibraltar,  and  in  the  Canaries  as  deep  as  50 
fathoms. 

The  shell  has  a  very  remarkable  shape,  not  unlike 
that  of  a  swallow  on  the  wing.  Two  of  Lamarck's 
species  of  Avicula  {Atlantica  and  Tarentina)  appear  to 
be  the  same  as  the  present  species,  representing  the 
younger  and  mature  states  of  growth.  The  former  he 
describes  as  having  the  valves  unequal  in  size,  and  the 
latter  as  being  equal-valved.  If  one  of  these  specific 
names  had  to  be  selected,  the  description  of  "Atlan- 
tica ''  would  therefore  be  more  appropriate  than  that  of 
''  Tarentina  ^'  to  our  shell.  Linne's  diagnosis  of  Mytilm 
hirundo  is  equally  applicable ;  and  it  would  be  a  pity  to 
reject  that  time-honoured  name  in  favour  of  any  other 
given  by  subsequent  writers.  Turton  was  mistaken 
when  he  described,  in  his  ^  Conchological  Dictionary,'  a 
second  species  {A.  morio)  as  British,  on  the  authority  of 
Dr.  Leach.  The  latter  distinctly  stated  that  species  to 
be  exotic;   but  in  his  account  of  the  genus  Avicula 

¥ 


98  AVICULID^. 

(contained  in  the  ^  Zoological  Miscellany '  for  1814)  he 
mentioned  that  '^  one  indigenous  species  '^  had  been  dis- 
covered at  Plymouth  by  Mr.  Prideaux.  In  his  'Synopsis 
of  the  British  Mollusca '  he  gave  the  last-mentioned 
species  the  name  of  Britannica. 

Perna  alata  {Crenatula  Travisii  of  Turton)  is  a  native 
of  tropical  seas,  but  was  accidentally  imported  into  this 
country  on  the  bottom  of  a  ship  which  came  into  Scar- 
borough. Many  foreign  mollusca  have  been  introduced 
in  the  same  way.  They  continue  to  live  for  some  time 
after  entering  our  colder  seas,  but  they  never  become 
acclimatized. 

Genus  II.  PINNA  *,  Lister. 
Frontispiece  and  PI.  III.  f.  I. 

Body  oblong  and  attenuated  :  paljps  small :  hyssus  silky  and 
copious. 

Shell  forming  an  elongated  triangle,  equivalve,  widely 
gaping  in  front,  and  slightly  on  the  anterior  side  for  the  passage 
of  the  byssus  :  nmrgins  entire :  heaks  terminal  and  pointed : 
hinge  toothless. 

We  now  approach  the  Mussels,,  to  which  the  shells 
composing  the  present  genus  bear  a  considerable  resem- 
blance. The  principal  distinction  is  that  the  former 
have  the  valves  entirely  closed,  while  in  the  latter  they 
gape  widely  at  the  larger  end,  as  well  as  that  the  beaks 
in  Mytilus  and  its  allies  are  not  placed  at  one  end  of  the 
shell  as  in  Pinna.  According  to  Da  Costa  the  shell  of 
Pinna  is  called  in  France  "jambon^^  and  '^jambon- 
neau"  ;  and  it  looks  exceedingly  like  a  small  ham.  In 
another  point  of  view  it  is  a  wingless  Avicula.  Pliny's 
account  of  the  little  pea-crab,  which  is  so  often  found  in 
this  mollusk  (as  well  as  in  Mytilus  modiolus  and  Cyprina 

*  I*rom  the  Trivva  of  Aristotle,  who  first  mentioned  this  mollusk. 


PINNA.  99 

Islandica),  and  of  its  playing  the  part  of  jackal  to  the 
lion,  has  been  so  often  repeated,  that  I  will  not  inflict  it 
again  on  my  readers.  Cicero  was  fully  persuaded  of  the 
truth  of  this  pretty  fable,  and  he  used  it  as  an  illustra- 
tion in  his  treatise  ^  De  Natura  Deorum.^  Swan,  in  his 
'Speculum  Mundi,^  moralized  upon  it  as  follows: — 
''  And  thus  day  by  day  they  get  their  living,  like  a  com- 
bined knot  of  cheaters,  who  have  no  other  trade  than 
the  cunning  deceit  of  quaint  cousenage  ;  hooking  in  the 
simple  sort  with  such  subtill  tricks,  that  be  their  purses 
stuft  with  either  more  or  lesse,  they  know  a  way  to 
sound  the  bottome,  and  send  them  lighter  home  :  lighter 
in  purse,  though  heavier  in  heart/'  But  Pierius,  in  his 
^  Hieroglyphica,'  draws  a  different  conclusion ;  for,  after 
quoting  Theophrastus  ("  vita  fortasse  conchis  servari  non 
potest,  nisi  ope  cancri  '^),  he  commends  the  example  of 
the  Pinna  and  its  companion  to  any  one  who  cannot  do 
without  the  aid  and  counsel  of  another.  Poli  gave  the 
name  ChimcBra  to  the  animal  of  this  genus,  and  fully 
treated  its  anatomical  details,  the  illustration  of  which 
occupies  no  less  than  four  plates  of  his  magnificent  work. 
But  he  denied  it  a  foot  (''pes  nullus"),  and  stated  that  the 
byssus  issued  from  the  base  of  an  organ  which  he  called 
"ligula."  Another  Neapolitan  writer  (Giannettasi), 
although  not  also  a  naturalist,  celebrated  the  Pinna  at 
great  length  in  the  eighth  book  of  his  '  Halieuticon.' 

/VfyL  .         1.  Pinna  ru'dis"^,  Linne.  W-zt 

P.  ntdis,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1159.  P.  pectinata,  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  255,  pi.  xliii. 
f.l,2,andpl.liii.f.8. 

Body  large,  reddish -brown  or  yellowish :  cirri  arranged  in 
two  rows  on  the  posterior  margin  of  the  mantle,  and  in  one 
only  on  the  anterior  margin  :  foot  conically  subcylindrical,  and 
having  a  byssal  groove  at  the  posterior  bend. 
*  Eough. 

r2 


100  AVICULID^. 

Shell  tapering  to  a  point  at  one  end  and  expanding  at  the 
other  to  an  obtusely  rounded  or  slightly  truncate  edge,  convex, 
with  a  gradual  slope  towards  the  sides,  rather  thin  for  its  size, 
more  or  less  glossy :  sculpture,  8-12  long  delicate  ribs  on  the 
dorsal  portion,  radiating  from  the  beaks,  and  sometimes  nume- 
rous shorter  ribs  on  the  anterior  portion  of  the  sheU,  extend- 
ing to  that  margin ;  these  ribs  often  rise  at  irregular  intervals 
into  vaulted  prickles  in  consequence  of  an  exfoliation  of  the 
outer  layers ;  the  whole  surface  is  also  covered  with  the  mi- 
croscopical punctures  peculiar  to  this  family  :  colour  yellow- 
ish-brown :  margins  very  thin  in  front  and  on  the  anterior 
side,  but  thickened  on  the  dorsal  side,  which  is  straight  or 
occasionally  a  little  incurved,  and  sloping  gradually  on  the 
other  side  (with  the  exception  of  a  slight  indentation  for  the 
byssus)  to  a  blunt  angle,  where  it  meets  the  front  margin : 
heaks  strong  and  exceedingly  prominent,  much  worn  and 
broken  in  adult  specimens,  and  furnished  inside  with  a  series 
of  concentric  plates,  in  consequence  of  the  successive  shift- 
ings  and  advance  of  the  anterior  adductor  muscle  :  hinge- 
line  extremely  produced,  occupying  two-thirds  of  the  entire 
length :  ligament  homy,  narrow,  very  strong  and  elastic : 
hinge-plate  folded  over  the  ligament,  so  as  to  contain  it  in  a 
kind  of  sheath  or  groove,  closed  or  firmly  soldered  for  a  short 
distance  beyond  the  posterior  termination  of  the  ligament: 
inside  highly  nacreous  and  iridescent,  of  a  darker  colour  on 
the  upper  half  than  below:  muscular  scars  very  distinct. 
L.  10-5.   B.  6. 

Habitat  :  Sparingly  and  locally  distributed  on  all  the 
British  coasts,  but  gregariouS;,  from  low-water  mark  to 
80  fathoms,  in  muddy  or  sandy  gravel.  Fragments  have 
been  found  in  the  Coralline  Crag.  Its  foreign  range 
extends  south  to  both  sides  of  the  Mediterranean,  and 
also  to  the  Canary  Isles.  It  has  not  been  noticed  as 
occurring  anywhere  north  of  Shetland. 

The  "  fan-mussel "  is  by  far  our  largest  shell,  mea- 
suring sometimes  fifteen  inches  in  length  and  eight  in 
breadth.  It  varies  greatly  in  proportions  and  sculptm'e. 
Specimens  in  some  situations  have  a  tendency  to  ex- 
pand, and  become  distorted  in  consequence  of  their  con- 
fined position.     The  fry  have  spoon-shaped  and  some- 


PINNA.  101 

what  incurved  beaks,  and  in  that  state  no  ribs  or  striae  are 
formed.  Dr.  Walker  says  that  the  Gaelic  name  of  the 
shell  is  ^'  feaskand."  Very  little  appears  to  be  known  in 
this  country  as  to  the  animal.  Pennant  gravely  called  it 
'^  a  slug."  Montagu,  and  recently  Mr.  Couch,  imagined 
that  it  could  close  the  larger  end  for  the  same  purpose 
as  that  stated  by  the  ancients,  viz.  to  catch  little  fish  ! 
Many  writers  have  supposed  that  it  can  weigh  anchor 
when  it  pleases,  and  remove  to  a  better  feeding-ground ; 
but  it  would  not  seem  to  be  fond  (if  capable)  of  changing 
its  place  of  abode,  unless  when  very  young,  and  before 
it  has  settled  down  for  life.  The  worn  state  of  the 
beaks  and  the  not  unfrequently  distorted  contour  of  the 
shell  show  that  it  lies  partly  buried  in  the  ground  and 
continues  for  a  long  time  in  the  same  place.  If  it  is 
forcibly  torn  or  driven  from  its  anchorage,  it  can  un- 
doubtedly spin  a  new  byssus  and  reattach  itself.  The 
fibre  of  this  curious  appendage  or  "  beard "  is  tubular 
like  hair.  When  dried  it  is  stifi"  and  wiry ;  but  if  used 
fresh  it  is  sufficiently  flexible  to  be  woven  into  gloves 
and  stockings.  Tarento  is  a  noted  place  of  manufac- 
ture for  such  articles;  and  at  our  last  International 
Exhibition  a  Cornish  muff  made  of  this  material  might 
have  been  seen  by  those  who  were  disposed  to  venture 
into  an  obscure  gallery  in  search  of  the  few  objects  of 
natural  history  for  which  any  space  was  allotted.  Ac- 
cording to  Verany  the  byssus  is  a  successful  remedy  for 
the  ear-ache ;  but  he  does  not  say  in  what  manner  it  is 
applied.  However,  this  production  is  evidently  of  more 
use  to  the  Pinna  than  it  can  be  to  man.  Most  other 
bivalves  are  provided  with  the  same  apparatus.  Reau- 
mur justly  remarked  that  the  sea  has  her  spinners  in 
the  mussels,  as  the  earth  has  in  her  caterpillars  and 
spiders.     The  animal  is  said  to  be  good  to  eat ;  but  it 


102  MYTILIDiE. 

requires  five  or  six  hours'  stewing,  and  then  is  not  so 
tender  as  a  scallop.  The  fibrous  particles  which  com- 
pose the  shell  are  crystalline,  and  very  beautiful  objects 
for  the  microscope.  Mr.  Spence  Bate  informs  me  that 
the  trawlers  at  Plymouth  call  these  shells  "caper- 
longers/'  and  that  they  avoid  the  Pinna-ground  for  fear 
of  their  nets  being  torn.  The  shells  are  described  as 
standing  upright  on  their  narrow  end,  and  as  bearing 
some  resemblance  to  trees  in  a  thick  forest.  The  word 
"caperlonger ''  appears  to  be  a  corruption  of  Cappa  lung  a, 
by  which  name  the  Pinna  is  known  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean. So  many  of  our  men-of-war  have  been  at 
Naples,  that  the  familiarity  of  Plymouth  seamen  with 
such  Italian  words  is  easily  explained. 

Owing  to  the  variableness  of  its  sculpture  and  solidity, 
this  species  has  received  many  names  from  British  con- 
chologists,  viz.  borealis,  pectinata,  fragilisy  muricata, 
ingenSj  laevis,  papyracea,  rotundata,  and  elegans.  It 
may,  however,  be  observed  that  the  P.  muricata  of 
Linne  has  never  been  found  in  this  country,  and  that 
"  India''  is  stated  to  be  the  habitat  of  his  P.  pectinata. 


Family  V.  MYTI'LID^,  Fleming. 

Body  thick  and  rather  convex  :  mantle  more  or  less  open  in 
front,  and  usually  folded  on  the  posterior  side  into  a  wide  ex- 
current  tube  or  slit ;  foot  shaped  like  a  strap  or  worm,  and 
having  a  byssal  groove. 

Skell  obliquely  oblong,  oval,  or  rhomboidal,  equivalve,  in- 
equilateral, and  covered  with  an  epidermis  :  healcs  incurved : 
ligament  long  and  narrow,  mostly  internal,  and  contained  in  ^ 
groove. 

The  Mussel  family  dififers  from  the  last  in  the  mantle 
not  being  open  throughout,  but  having  its  edges  united 


MYTILUS.  103 

behind,  so  as  to  form  a  separate  opening  for  excretal 
purposes,  as  well  as  in  the  shell  increasing  excentrically, 
and  not  being  scaly  but  provided  with  an  epidermis, 
and  in  its  beaks  being  incurved  instead  of  straight. 
Although  all  mussels  spin  a  byssus,  and  are  commonly 
attached  by  this  mode,  some  of  them  have  a  consider- 
able power  of  locomotion,  dropping  their  anchors  and 
casting  new  ones  at  will.  The  composition  of  their 
shells,  according  to  Mr.  Sorby,  is  calcite,  and  ought 
therefore  to  be  durable;  but  I  have  generally  found 
them  to  be  much  decomposed  in  the  newer  tertiaries. 
The  anterior  adductor  muscle  is  very  small  and  placed 
immediately  within  the  beaks  of  the  shell. 

Genus  I.  MY'TILUS  ^  Linn^.     PI.  III.  f.  2. 

Body  subcorneal :  mantle  widely  open  in  front :  foot  strap- 
shaped. 

Shell  oblong  or  oval:  hinge  often  furnished  with  small 
tubercular  teeth. 

The  Linnean  characters  of  Mytilus  were  very  various, 
and  comprised  freshwater  as  well  as  marine  shells. 
Bruguiere  was  the  first  to  restrict  and  define  the  genus 
as  it  is  now  recognized.  Lamarck  separated  from  it 
certain  species  to  form  his  genus  Modiola ;  but  I  believe 
the  opinion  that  they  ought  to  be  reunited  is  held  by 
most  authors  who  have  bestowed  much  attention  on  the 
classification  of  the  MoUusca.  The  only  indications 
which  Lamarck  has  given  to  distinguish  Modiola  from 
Mytilus  are  that  the  beaks  of  the  shell  in  the  first  of 
these  genera  are  not  quite  terminal,  and  that  the  ani- 
mal is  seldom  fixed  by  a  byssus.  But  on  neither  ground 
can  the  genera  be  separated.     Any  one  who  has  exa- 

*  From  fivTiXos,  a  name  given  by  the  Greeks  to  this  sort  of  shell-fish. 


104  MYTILIDvE. 

mined  the  beaks  in  a  common  mussel  must  see  that 
they  are  not  placed  at  the  end.  Their  comparative 
distance  from  this  point  is  in  every  case,  whether  of 
Mytilus  or  Modiola,  a  mere  question  of  degree.  The 
so-called  Modiola  are  invariably  fixed  by  a  byssus ;  and 
the  typical  species  (M.  modiolus)  are  attached  to  the  beds 
on  which  they  congregate  precisely  in  the  same  way  as 
Mytilus  edulis.  The  only  appreciable  difierence  in  a 
generic  point  of  view  that  I  can  detect  between  M.  mo- 
diolus and  M.  edulis  is  that  in  the  latter  the  front 
edges  of  the  mantle  are  fringed,  while  in  the  former  they 
are  plain,  and  also  that  the  small  tubercles  of  the  hinge 
in  M.  edulis  only  occur  in  the  very  young  of  M.  modiolus, 
and  not  in  a  subsequent  stage  of  growth.  In  M,  pha- 
seolinuSf  however  (which  has  always  been  regarded  as  a 
Modiola),  these  tubercles  are  represented  by  minute 
but  distinct  crenulations.  The  shells  of  all  the  British 
species  of  Mytilus  are  smooth.  The  byssus  proceeds 
from  a  gristly  shaft,  which  appears  to  support  the  bundle 
of  filaments  like  the  handle  of  a  broom.  Mytilus  is  a 
very  ancient  name,  and  was  also  spelt  by  classic  authors 
Mytulus,  Mitulus,  and  Mutulus.  The  animal  is  the  CaU 
litriche  of  Poli. 

^'^T  1.  Mytilus  edu'lis"^,  Linne.       stet.    N!' 6  c 

^f.  edulis,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1157 ;   F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  170,  pi.  xlviii.  f.  1-4, 
and  (animal)  pi.  Q.  f.  5. 

Body  varying  in  colour  from  white  to  orange-yellow,  with 
a  tint  of  reddish-brown  or  purple :  ma.ntle  having  two  mar- 
gins ;  outer  one  plain ;  the  inner  one  pinnated,  or  fringed  on 
the  ventral  and  anterior  sides  with  15-25  tentacular  cirri,  and 
serrated  on  the  branchial  portion  :  foot  dark  brown,  occasion- 
ally streaked  with  white  down  the  middle. 

Shell  irregularly  triangular,  expanding  from  the  smaller 
*  Eatable. 


MYTILUS. 


105 


end  to  an  obtusely  rounded  edge,  gibbous  with  a  gradual  slope 
towards  the  front  and  sides,  rather  thin  and  glossy  :  sculpture^ 
concentric  and  indistinct  lines  of  increase:  colour  bluish  or 
purple  :  epidermis  dark  brown  or  olive,  occasionally  yellowish 
or  having  a  reddish  tint,  rarely  black,  microscopically  striated 
lengthwise  and  shagreened,  sometimes  puckered  in  particular 
spots :  margins  rather  thick,  nearly  straight  on  the  ventral 
side  and  arched  behind,  obliquely  rounded  in  front :  beaks 
blunt,  more  or  less  divergent,  placed  a  little  below  the  termi- 
nation or  point  of  the  shell,  which  is  formed  by  the  dorsal 
edge  of  the  first-formed  part  or  nucleus ;  beneath  the  beaks 
is  an  imperfect  lunule  or  heart-shaped  impression,  which 
often  appears  to  be  repeated,  showing  the  marks  of  successive 
growth:  hinge-line  nearly  straight,  occupying  almost  the 
upper  half  of  the  dorsal  margin :  ligament  very  thick  ^  and 
strong :  hinge-plate  partly  folded  over  the  ligament,  the  middle 
of  which  is  consequently  exposed  :  hinge  furnished  with  3-10 
small  tubercular  teeth  in  each  valve :  inside  chalky- white, 
slightly  nacreous  at  the  edges,  and  pitted  (as  in  Unio  margari- 
t'lfer)  by  the  impressions  of  the  mantle :  muscular  scars  very 
distinct.     L.  2-3.   B.  1-2. 

Var.  1.  ungulata.  Shell  larger,  more  pointed  at  the  nar- 
rower end,  and  sometimes  angular  at  the  other,  with  the 
ventral  margin  incurved :  heaks  more  widely  separated  than 
usual.     M.  ungulatus,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1157.  ^^^\*^^ r»<^i>) 

Var.  2.  incurvata.  Shell  stunted  and  bent,  often  marked 
by  longitudinal  raj^s  of  purple.  M.  incurvatus,  Pennant,  Brit. 
Zool.  iv.  p.  111,  pi.  64.  f.  74. 

Var.  3.  Galloprovincialis.  Shell  broader  and  flatter,  with 
the  ventral  margin  somewhat  prominent  and  the  posterior 
angle  more  acute  than  in  the  typical  form :  beaks  incurved. 
M.  Galloprovincialis,  Lamarck,  An.  sans  Vert.  vi.  p.  126. 

Var.  4.  pelludda.  Shell  thin,  narrower,  less  gibbous,  and 
beautifully  streaked  by  longitudinal  rays  of  dark  brown  or 
purple,  which  are  in-egulaiiy  disposed.  M.  pellv^dus,  Penn. 
op.  c.  p.  112,  pi.  63.  f.  75. 

Habitat  :  Abundant  everywhere  and  gregarious,  from 
high-water  mark  to  the  depth  of  a  few  fathoms,  on  a 
rocky,  stony,  or  muddy  bottom.  Var.  1.  Cornwall  and 
Channel  Isles^  at  low  spring  tides.     This  variety  is  the 

f5 


106  MYTILID^. 

M.  hesperianus  of  Lamarck.  It  attains  a  considerable 
size,  and  I  have  a  specimen  which  measures  nearly  five 
inches  in  length.  I  may  here  observe  that  Mr.  Barlee^s 
shell,  recorded  in  the  ^  British  MoUusca  ^  as  belonging 
to  this  species  and  eight  inches  and  a  half  long,  is  M. 
modiolus.  Var.  2.  On  all  rocky  coasts,  filling  crevices 
and  crowded  together,  so  as  to  prevent  the  free  deve- 
lopment of  each  individual.  Var.  3.  Solitary  and  there- 
fore larger  and  more  expanding.  Var.  4.  On  floating 
buoys  and  sunken  wrecks,  often  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance from  land.  Young  shells  of  the  ordinary  kind 
often  resemble  the  last  variety  in  substance  and  markings. 
The  common  mussel  is  found  in  all  our  upper  tertiaries ; 
but  only  the  sublittoral  variety  [M.  hesperianus)  occurs 
in  the  Coralline  Crag.  It  is  distributed  throughout  the 
northern  hemisphere  from  the  polar  circle  to  the  ^gean 
Sea  and  the  coast  of  Morocco,  and  it  seems  to  thrive 
equally  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  The  M.  trossulus 
of  Gould,  from  Vancouver's  Island,  probably  differs  in 
no  other  respect  than  being  called  a  "  representative  '^ 
species. 

Although  M.  edulis  here  inhabits  the  coast-line  only. 
Dr.  Walker  is  said  to  have  dredged  it  in  Baffin's  Bay  at 
a  depth  of  140  fathoms.  I  once  obtained  a  fresh  single 
valve  in  between  70  and  80  fathoms  about  forty  miles 
off  the  Shetlands ;  but  it  had  perhaps  been  voided  by  a 
coal-fish  [Gadus  carbonarius) y  which  frequents  the  shore 
in  the  spawning-season.  The  mussel  is  occasionally  found 
with  the  common  periwinkle  {Littorina  litorea),  living 
on  the  shore  in  a  stream  of  perfectly  fresh  water  during  the 
recess  of  the  tide.  The  common  cockle  {Cardium  edule) 
and  My  a  arenaria  have  the  same  habit;  and  I  have 
even  seen  the  two  latter  species  associated  with  fresh- 
water mollusca.     All  of  these  can  exist  for  many  days 


MYTILTJS.  107 

out  of  water.  Young  shells  of  M.  edulis  are  coated  with 
short  hristly  hairs,  and  resemble  in  shape  those  of  M. 
modiolus.  They  grow  very  rapidly.  According  to  Mr. 
Clark,  if  the  fishermen's  lobster-pots  are  left  for  a  week 
or  two  in  the  autumn,  they  will  be  covered  with  mussels 
more  than  half  an  inch  long.  M.  Bouchard-Chan- 
tereaux  has  often  watched  this  mollusk  in  the  act  of 
spinning  its  byssus.  He  says  that  when  put  into  a 
vessel  of  sea-water,  it  first  creeps  along  the  bottom  by 
means  of  its  foot  and  tries  to  ascend  the  side.  After  a 
while  it  deposits  from  the  end  of  its  foot  a  speck  of  white 
transparent  matter,  which  spreads  out  and  immediately 
hardens  like  china-cement.  This  plate  serves  as  a  base 
of  attachment ;  and  from  the  centre  of  it  the  mussel 
secretes  very  slowly  and  by  a  backward  movement  a 
gluey  thread,  repeating  this  process  ten  or  twelve  times 
in  a  circular  direction.  The  threads  become  homcolour 
in  from  twenty-four  to  thirty  hours  after  being  spun. 
It  is  said  to  have  the  power  of  contracting  its  byssus  at 
will  j  but  I  should  be  inclined  to  doubt  it.  The  mussel 
is  on  the  whole  a  respectable  and  stay-at-home  cha- 
racter, seldom  leaving  its  place  of  abode  unless  it  has 
been  dislodged  by  an  unusually  boisterous  wave  or  by 
the  equally  rude  and  violent  hands  of  man.  Charles 
Lamb  speaks  of  its  "  dignified  leisure,^'  while  traversing 
the  circuit  of  two  inches  square,  within  which  it  swings 
by  the  aid  of  its  elastic  cables.  When  confined  in  a 
prison  called  an  aquarium,  it  appears  to  be  more  rest- 
less than  in  its  native  haunts,  perhaps  trying  to  escape 
from  the  unaccustomed  quarters  in  which  it  finds  itself, 
and  in  vain  awaiting  the  welcome  refluence  of  the 
tide.  It  may  then  be  observed  making  occasional  jour- 
neys from  one  part  to  another,  and  leaving  at  every 
stage  or  halting-place  a  bundle  of  filaments  attached  to 


108  MYTILIDiE. 

the  glass.     It  is  also  curious  to  notice  a  young  mussel 
in  a  rock-pool,  slowly  and  painfully  warping  itself  along 
by  its  extensile  foot,  the  point  of  which  is  attached  like 
the  sucker  of  a  leech.     The  foot  is  stretched  far  beyond 
the  beak  of  the  shell  on  the  anterior  side.     For  anato- 
mical details  of  the  animal  I  would  refer  my  readers  to 
the  admirable  treatise  of  Professor  Loven  on  the  deve- 
lopment of  the  Lamellibranchiate  Acephala.     The  fry 
has  two  very  distinct  eyes,  which  soon  disappear  and 
are  quite  absent  in  the  adult.     The  cilia  which  clothe 
the  gills  are  extremely  beautiful  and  interesting  objects 
of  microscopical  examination.     If  a   small  portion  of 
one  of  the  gills  is  cut  off  and  put  into  sea-water,  it  will 
swim  about  for  a  considerable  time  by  means  of  these 
cilia,  appearing  like  an  independent  animal.     The  shell 
sometimes  grows  to  a  colossal  size.     In  the  '  Transac- 
tions^ of  the  Imperial  University  of  Moscow  for  1863 
is  a  notice  by  Dr.  Nordmann  of  a  gigantic  form  of  the 
present  species  found  by  Holmberg  on  Edgecombe  Isle 
in  Russian  North  America.     One  specimen,  which  is 
figured   of  the   natural   size,  measures   upwards  of  9 
inches  in  length  and  4^  in  breadth,  and  is  stated  to 
weigh  1  lb.  5  dr.  16  gr.     The  stunted  variety  [incurvata) 
forms  on  some  parts  of  our  rocky  coast  a  mass  so  closely 
packed  that  the  point  of  a  knife  could  scarcely  be  thrust 
between  them.     This  was  probably  the  "  amazing  bed 
of  small  mussels  '^  mentioned  by  Pennant  in  his  ^Intro- 
duction to  Arctic  Zoology,^  and  as  to  which  he  remarks, 
^'  I  think  they  were  brought  there  by  sea-fowl  to  eat  at 
leisure '' !     Fabricius  says  it  is  viviparous,  and  that  in 
the  spring  he  has  found  the  fry  lodged  within  the  hinge 
of  their  parentis  shell ;  but  it  seems  more  probable  that 
this  was  only  a  place  of  temporary  shelter  for  them. 
In  the  Shetland  Isles  the  edible  mussel  is  called  ''Crock- 


MYTILUS.  109 

ling/'  being  evidently  a  corruption  of  the  Icelandic 
word  '^  Krseklingur,"  having  the  same  signification.  The 
hinge-teeth  are  usually  three  or  four  only.  The  shell  is 
often  distorted. 

The  mussel  has  been  from  time  immemorial  a  fa- 
vourite article  of  food  in  this  and  other  maritime  coun- 
tries. Pennant,  after  a  preface  of  "  Ne  fraudentur 
gloria  sua  littora/'  especially  praises  those  from  Lan- 
cashire. Large  quantities  are  regularly  brought  to 
Billingsgate  from  the  Dutch  coast.  A  small  kind, 
called  in  Brittany  "  Cayeu,"  is  chiefly  in  request  there, 
being  esteemed  more  delicate  and  digestible.  "  Potage 
aux  monies ''  is  by  no  means  to  be  despised  at  the  table 
d'hote  of  the  Hotel  de  PEpee  at  Quimper.  Herr 
Adolphe  Meyer  informs  me  that  boughs  of  elm  and 
other  trees  are  laid  down  in  the  Bay  of  Kiel,  and  taken 
up  at  the  end  of  three,  four,  or  five  years,  between 
December  and  March,  being  then  covered  with  fine 
mussels.  These  laden  boughs  are  sold  by  weight,  and 
the  shell-harvest  is  sent  into  the  interior  of  Germany, 
where  it  is  in  great  request.  He  adds  that  the  mussel 
is  not  reckoned  wholesome  in  summer.  Many  cases  of 
serious  illness,  and  even  of  death,  have  resulted  from  its 
occasionally  deleterious  quahties.  "  The  faculty ''  seem 
to  be  completely  at  fault  as  to  the  nature  of  this  poison. 
By  some  it  is  attributed  to  the  mussels  living  among 
putrescent  matters,  as  in  docks  and  near  the  outlet  of 
public  sewers ;  by  others  to  their  feeding  on  the  spawn 
of  starfish,  which  are  well  known  to  be  poisonous ;  by 
others  to  their  being  too  freely  eaten  and  causing  a  sur- 
feit, or  to  a  morbid  state  of  the  system  in  the  persons 
eating  them ;  by  a  few  to  their  imbibing  into  their 
tissues  a  solution  of  copper;  and  Delle  Chiaje  showed 
that  in  many  instances  it  was  owing  to  these  mollusks 


110  MYTILIDiE. 

being  at  the  time  in  spawn  and  therefore  out  of  season. 
A  strange  notion  once  prevailed  that  the  poor  little  pea- 
crab  was  the  author  of  all  this  mischief;  and  it  was  con- 
sequently stigmatized  as  ^^  malignant/^ 

Nor  is  it  only  as  an  article  of  food  that  these  sheU-fish 
are  of  use  to  man.  In  Lister^ s  time  live  mussels  were 
gathered  and  spread  over  the  fields  in  Lancashire  for 
manure.  Fabricius  mentions  that  the  fish  eaten  raw  is 
an  excellent  remedy  for  sore  eyes_,  and  that  the  shell 
serves  as  a  razor  to  shave  with.  I  should  not  like  to 
try  the  latter  experiment  on  a  frosty  morning,  or  when 
late  for"  breakfast.  Mohr  says  that  mussels  are  not 
eaten  in  Iceland,  but  that  lime  is  made  from  their  cal> 
cined  shells,  and  is  much  more  binding  and  becomes 
harder  than  mortar  made  from  limestone.  They  are 
also  used  extensively  for  bait  in  our  long-line  fisheries ; 
and  Asbjornsen  has  given,  in  his  '  Christianiafjordens 
Litoralfauna,'  some  interesting  particulars  of  the  mus- 
sel-fishings on  that  part  of  the  Norwegian  coast,  and 
especially  with  regard  to  an  epidemic  that  in  the  summer 
of  1852  destroyed  millions  of  them  and  caused  great 
distress  to  the  poor  fishermen.  In  Drummond's  '  Letters 
to  a  Young  Naturalist'  it  is  stated  that  mussels  are 
used  at  Bideford  to  fix  by  means  of  their  byssus  the 
stones  of  a  bridge,  which  is  difficult  to  keep  in  repair 
owing  to  the  rapidity  of  the  tide.  The  interstices  of  the 
bridge  are  filled  with  them,  and  it  is  said  that  only  their 
strong  threads  support  the  fabric  and  prevent  its  being 
carried  away.  It  is  one  of  the  instances  of  contrivance 
enumerated  by  Paley  in  illustration  of  his  chapter  on 
compensation,  and  to  show  that  the  works  of  the  Deity 
are  known  by  expedients.  He  says,  "  A  muscle,  which 
might  seem,  by  its  helplessness,  to  lie  at  the  mercy  of 
every  wave  that  went  over  it^  has  the  singular  power  of 


MYTILUS.  Ill 

spinning  strong  tendinous  threads,  by  which  she  moors 
her  shell  to  rocks  and  timbers/'  Pearls  too  are  pro- 
duced by  them  in  considerable  quantities,  although  of 
an  irregular  shape  and  indifferent  lustre.  Formerly 
they  were  applied  medicinally  as  an  absorbent.  Great 
numbers  are  still  collected  at  the  mouth  of  the  River 
Conway  in  North  Wales,  the  fish  being  boiled  and  trodden 
out  by  the  naked  feet  of  women.  What  is  done  with 
these  '^  seed-pearls ''  is  a  mystery.  I  have  been  told 
that  the  Jews  purchase  them  for  the  Birmingham  mar- 
ket; and  a  correspondent  in  Loudon's  Magazine  of 
Natural  History  for  1830  mentions  a  surmise  that  they 
are  exported  to  India  to  be  dissolved  in  the  sherbet  of 
the  nabobs ! 

This  species  in  a  recent  and  fossil  state  has  received 
twenty-eight  different  names.  Its  variability  is  coex- 
tensive with  its  diffusion, 

'^■^'  •         2.  M.  MODi'oLus*,(Linne.)  ^  ■  17 

M.  Tnodioltts,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1158.    Modiola  Tmdioltts,  F.  &  H.  ii. 
p.  182,  pi.  xHv.  f.  1, 2. 

Body  dark  orange,  speckled  with  white  and  often  tinted 
with  brown:  mantle  having  both  margins  plain  throughout, 
but  finely  ciliated :  foot  red  on  the  upper  part,  and  whitish  at 
the  base,  where  it  is  very  thick  and  strongly  wrinkled. 

Shell  oblong,  bluntly  rounded,  nearly  square  at  the  smaller 
end  and  expanding  outwards  to  a  semicircular  edge  in  front, 
convex,  and  gibbous  towards  the  beaks,  solid  and  glossy: 
scidpture,  fine  concentric  Hues  of  increase :  colour  purplish- 
yellow  :  epidermis  thick,  dark  brown  or  dusky,  almost  black 
in  the  adult,  minutely  striate  lengthwise,  foliated  in  the 
young  and  produced  into  long  thom-Hke  filaments,  which  are 
plain  at  their  edges  and  arranged  in  concentric  rows  on  the 
posterior  side  and  in  front:  margins  thick,  straight  or  but 
sHghtly  incurved  on  the  ventral  side,  obtusely  rounded  be- 
hind and  semicircular  in  front :  beaks  blunt,  divergent  and  in- 

*  The  box  of  a  pump. 


112  MYTILID^. 

curved,  placed  a  little  below  the  point  of  the  shell  and  at  a 
short  distance  from  the  anterior  margin;  hinge-line  gently 
curved,  occupying  nearly  the  upper  half  of  the  dorsal  margin : 
ligament  extremely  strong,  partly  exposed  :  hinge-plate  solid  : 
hinge  toothless,  reflected:  inside  nacreous  and  often  studded 
with  incipient  pearls :  muscular  and  paUial  scars  very  distinct. 
L.  5.  B.  2-5. 

Var.  1.  ovata.  Shell  smaller,  narrower  at  the  smaller  end 
and  broader  at  the  other.     L.  3.   B.  2. 

Var.  2.  umhilicata.  Shell  narrower;  anterior  margin  in- 
flected and  forming  a  deep  sinuosity.  M.  umbilicatus,  Penn. 
Brit.  Zool.  iv.  p.  112,  pi.  65.  f.  76. 

Habitat  :  Coasts  of  England,  Wales,  Ireland,  and 
Scotland,  from  low- water  mark  to  80  fathoms,  and  at  a 
distance  of  more  than  forty  miles  from  land,  in  muddy 
gravel.  It  is  not  common  in  the  first  two  localities, 
but  abundant  and  gregarious  in  the  north  and  west  of 
Scotland  and  Shetland,  at  depths  varying  from  2  to 
20  fathoms.  Var.  1.  Lismore  (Bedford) ;  Portmamock 
and  county  Antrim  (J.  G.  J.).  Var.  2.  Cork  Harbour 
(Humphreys).  The  species  occurs  in  all  our  upper  ter- 
tiaries,  and  especially  in  the  glacial  beds.  It  ranges 
from  Behring's  Straits  (Wosness),  New  England  (Stimp- 
son),  and  Iceland  (Steenstrup)  to  the  Danish  coasts  of 
the  Baltic ;  but  I  am  not  aware  that  it  has  been  noticed 
further  south.  In  Calabria,  however,  it  is  fossil,  and  was 
described  by  Philippi  under  the  name  of  Modiola  grandis. 
This  is  another  proof  of  arctic  conditions  having  for- 
merly pervaded  the  South  of  Europe. 

Pennant  must  have  considered  this  to  be  a  fiish,  when 
he  says  it  "  often  seizes  the  bait  of  the  ground-lines." 
It  is  now  and  then  caught  by  the  beard  and  hooked  up 
in  this  way.  In  some  parts  of  Shetland  and  the  north 
of  Ireland  it  is  eaten  by  the  poorer  class ;  and  every- 
where it  is  reckoned  an  excellent  bait  for  fish.    The  epi- 


MYTILUS.  113 

dermis  of  immature  shells  is  yellowish-brown^  and  has 
an  agglutinating  property,  being  frequently  coated  with 
gravel  and  bits  of  shell.  In  this  state  the  dorsal  angle 
is  more  acute.  Rude  nests  or  cases  are  occasionally 
made  by  the  young  for  their  protection.  The  spots 
where  pearls  are  in  course  of  formation  exactly  corre- 
spond with  the  holes  drilled  by  species  of  the  curious 
sponge  called  Cliona  from  the  outside  of  the  shell.  A 
transverse  section  admirably  displays  the  mode  of  growth 
and  secretion  of  colour.  The  outside  layers  are  purple ; 
while  the  inner  layers,  which  are  three  times  as  thick 
and  numerous  as  the  others  in  full-grown  shells,  are 
white.  The  "  horse-mussel/'  as  it  is  called,  attains  an 
enormous  size  under  favourable  circumstances.  One  of 
my  specimens,  which  Professor  King  got  on  the  Nor- 
thumberland coast,  is  about  nine  inches  and  a  quarter 
long  and  of  a  proportionate  breadth  and  capacity.  It 
would  have  made  a  dainty  drinking-cup  for  Mimer,  or  a 
pretty  toy  for  one  of  the  other  giants,  of  whom  Ohlen- 
slager  sung  in  his  '  Nordische  Guder,' 

"  And  all  round  the  cavern  might  plainly  be  seen, 
Where  Giants  had  once  been  at  play ; 
For  the  ground  was  with  heaps  of  huge  muscle-shells  strewn, 
And  strange  fish  were  mark'd  in  the  clay," 

This  is  the  Modiola  papuana  of  Lamarck,  but  not  the 
Mytilus  Papuanus  of  D'Argenville,  which  is  a  tropical 
species.  The  former  referred  to  his  Modiola  tulipa  the 
Mytilus  modiolus  of  Linne.  Mr.  Hanley  also  states  that, 
from  an  examination  of  the  typical  specimens,  the  M. 
modiolus  of  Linne  is  not  our  species  but  the  Modiola 
tulipa  of  Lamarck.  This  shows  the  discrepancy  between 
the  Linnean  collection  of  shells  and  the  ^  Systema  Na- 
turae,^ and  how  little  reliance  can  now  be  placed  on  the 
former  for  identifying  some  of  the  species.     Linne's  de- 


114  MYTILIDiE. 

scription  agrees  ad  amussim  with  the  common  shell  which 
is  usually  regarded  as  M.  modiolus,  the  animal  of  which 
he  says  is  eaten  in  Norway.  According  to  Lamarck^  his 
Modiola  tulipa  inhabits  "  les  mers  d'Amerique."  Our 
shell  is  the  Modiola  vulgaris  of  Fleming.  The  young  is 
the  Mytilus  curtus  of  Pennant  and  the  Modiola  barbata 
of  Macgillivray. 

\lo\se,\\cK    b^rb^'+'^c  (^L»V».) 

^  •  '^]  ■  3.  M.  barba'tus  *,  Linne.      rv4v  . 

M.  harhatus,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1156.   Modiola  barhata,  F.  &  H.  ii,  p.  190, 
pi.  xliv.  f.  4. 

Body  reddish -brown :  mantle  not  folded :  gills  narrow, 
coarsely  pectinated ;  lower  pair  more  than  twice  the  depth  of 
the  upper  ones. 

Shell  irregularly  triangular,  pointed  at  the  smaller  end  and 
expanding  obliquely  outward  to  a  broad  and  obtusely  rounded 
edge  in  front,  compressed,  but  gibbous  towards  the  beaks,  solid, 
somewhat  glossy  on  the  upper  part,  but  elsewhere  of  a  duU 
hue  owing  to  the  close  investment  of  the  bearded  epidermis  : 
scvlpture,  numerous  concentric  membranaceous  ridges  :  colour 
yellowish-red,  or  scarlet:  epidermis  thick,  yellowish-brown, 
minutely  but  deeply  striated  lengthwise,  thickly  foliated,  and 
rising  on  the  posterior  side  and  in  front  into  a  fringe  of  thorn- 
hke  projections,  which  are  distinctly  serrated  or  barbed  on  the 
side  facing  the  ventral  portion ;  the  epidermis  is  reflected  over 
the  front  edge  and  forms  a  glistening  band  inside  it :  margins 
thick,  straight  or  incurved  on  the  ventral  side,  angulated 
behind,  and  obtusely  rounded  in  front :  hyssal  sinus  large  and 
rather  long :  heahs  small,  close  together,  incurved,  placed  (as 
in  M.  edulis)  very  near  the  point  of  the  shell:  hinge-line 
straight,  occupjdng  about  one-haK  of  the  dorsal  margin  :  liga- 
ment narrow,  much  sunk:  hinge-plate  thick,  deeply  grooved 
for  the  reception  of  the  Hgament :  hinge  toothless,  reflected  : 
inside  highly  nacreous  and  iridescent,  sometimes  beautifully 
stained  with  purple  on  the  posterior  side  and  occasionally 
studded  with  sessile  pearls :  muscular  scars  indistinct :  pallial 
scar  well  defined.     L.  1-8.   B.  1. 

Yar.  ohlonga.     Shell  more  elongated  and  tumid ;  ventral 
*  Bearded. 


MYTILUS.  115 

side  incurved,  and  dorsal  side  arched  instead  of  being  angu- 
lated. 

Monstr.  Upper  valve  nearly  flat  and  much  smaller  than  the 
other. 

Habitat  :  Not  uncommon  on  the  southern  and  west- 
ern coasts  of  Englandj  Wales,  and  Ireland,  and  found 
by  Mr.  Bean  at  Scarborough,  on  rocky  and  stony  ground, 
from  low-water  mark  to  18  fathoms.  Var.  Portsmouth 
(J.  G.  J.).  Monstr.  South  Devon  (Mus.  Loscombe). 
This  species  is  a  Eed  Crag  fossil.  It  has  not  been  re- 
corded from  any  place  north  of  England;  but  its  south- 
ern range  extends  to  the  ^gean  and  Algeria. 

According  to  Mr.  Clark  the  gills  ^^  entirely  coast  the 
body,  being  brought  close  to  the  posterior  extremity  to 
receive  the  water.  This  structure  of  the  branchiae  is 
the  substitute  for  the  absence  of  tubes  or  any  sort  of 
siphonal  fold  of  the  mantle.^^  The  shaggy  beard  of  the 
shell  is  very  peculiar.  Montagu  says  that  it  is  partly 
owing  to  the  epidermis  being  broken  and  divided  into 
fibres;  and  he  also  observes  that,  while  in  a  soft  and 
glutinous  state,  it  arrests  such  extraneous  matter  as 
comes  in  contact.  Gould  suspected  that  the  epidermis 
was  a  parasitic  vegetable ;  but  he  evidently  had  not  then 
had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  it.  The  byssus  resembles 
a  bundle  of  fine  tow.  M.  barbatus  differs  from  the  young 
of  M.  modiolus  in  the  shell  being  narrower  at  the  an- 
terior and  much  broader  in  proportion  at  the  posterior, 
side,  as  well  as  in  the  angularity  of  the  dorsal  margin, 
straight  hinge-line,  strong  laminar  ridges,  reddish  colour, 
and  the  epidermis  being  serrated  or  barbed  on  one  side 
instead  of  being  plain  as  in  that  species. 

This  species  does  not  appear  to  inhabit  the  north  of 
Europe,  unless  it  is  the  shell  noticed  by  Miiller  in  his 
'  Zoologia  Danica '  as  smaller  than  M,  modiolus,  with  a 


^ 


116  MYTILID^. 

black  epidermis  and  quite  of  a  purple  colour  inside  to- 
wards the  broader  end,  and  having  the  valves  less  raised 
near  the  hinge  and  compressed  in  front.  The  M.  bar- 
batus  of  his  '  Prodromus '  is  probably  the  young  of  M. 
modiolus.  Linne  also  described  the  present  species  in 
his  '  Fauna  Suecica/  but  not  with  sufficient  precision. 
It  is  the  Modiola  Gibbsii  of  LeacVs  ^  Zoological  Miscel- 
lany/ and  Mytilus  Gibbsianus  of  his  work  on  British 
Mollusca  edited  by  Dr.  Gray. 

*]  4.  M.  Adria'ticus  ^,  Lamarck.         K^^3 

Modiola  adriatica,  Lam.  An.  s.  Vert.  vi.  p.  112.     Modiola  tulipa,  F.  &H. 
ii.  p.  187,  pi.  xlv.  f.  7 ;  pi.  xlviii.  f.  6;  and  (animal)  pi.  Q.  f.  6. 

Body  pale  red  with  a  yellowish  tint :  mantle  forming  two 
incomplete  very  wide  and  short  tubes,  which  are  of  equal  length 
and  scarcely  separated  from  each  other ;  the  mouth  of  each 
tube  is  fringed  with  about  twenty  close-set  short  cirri :  gills 
pale  brown :  foot  long,  flattish  and  slender,  divided  lengthwise 
by  a  flake-white  line,  and  having  a  byssal  groove  which  in- 
creases in  depth  from  point  to  heel :  hyssus  strong,  yellowish. 

Shell  oval,  inclining  to  rhomboidal,  bluntly  pointed  or 
rounded  at  the  smaller  end,  and  expanding  outwards  as  in  the 
last  species,  convex,  extremely  gibbous  towards  the  beaks,  thin 
and  of  a  delicate  texture,  glossy :  sculpture,  fine  but  irregular 
lines  of  growth :  colour  yellowish,  with  usually  rose- red  rays 
on  the  posterior  half,  occasionally  purple ;  these  rays  or  streaks 
resemble  those  of  a  tulip,  and  are  very  beautiftd ;  they  are 
variously  arranged,  and  sometimes  broken  or  interrupted : 
epidermis  thin,  yellowish,  and  like  a  coat  of  varnish,  some- 
times a  little  exfoHated  on  the  dorsal  side  and  in  front,  and 
forming  slight  hairs,  marked  lengthwise  by  minute  Hues  or 
scratches :  margins  thin,  straight  on  the  ventral  side,  angu- 
lated  behind  and  rising  into  a  shoulder  or  sharp  keel  towards 
which  the  posterior  sides  are  compressed,  semicircular  in  front : 
hyssal  sinus  represented  by  a  narrow  slit :  healcs  small,  close 
together,  inflected,  placed  at  comparatively  a  considerable  dis- 
tance from  the  anterior  margin  :  hinge-line  gently  curved, 
occupying  about  one -half  of  the  dorsal  margin :  ligament  nar- 

*  Inhabiting  the  Adriatic. 


MYTILUS.  117 

row,  much  sunk :  Mnge-plate  thin,  with  a  deep  ligamental 
groove  beneath  it,  which  is  supported  by  a  strong  rib  :  hinge 
toothless,  reflected :  inside  nacreous  and  iridescent,  sometimes 
red  or  tinged  by  the  outside  rays  :  scars  rather  distinct.  L.  1'2. 
B.  0-7. 

Yar.  ovalis.  Shell  much  larger  and  narrower,  almost  cylin- 
drical, more  solid ;  ventral  margin  slightly  incurved :  colour 
yellow,  with  dark-purple  rays :  epidermis  horncolour  or 
brownish-yellow.  L.  2.  B.  0-85.  Modiola  ovalis,  Sowerby, 
111.  Ind.  Brit.  SheUs,  pi.  7.  f.  7. 

Habitat  :  By  no  means  rare,  although  not  common, 
in  the  South  of  England  and  the  Channel  Isles,  as  well 
as  on  the  coasts  of  North  and  South  Wales  and  Ireland, 
in  7-40  fathoms,  muddy  gravel  or  sand.  I  know  of  only 
three  localities  for  it  in  Scotland,  viz.  Firth  of  Forth 
(Forbes);  off  Foula,  Zetland,  in  45  fathoms  (M'An- 
drew) ;  and  Loch  Carron,  Ross-shire,  in  28  fathoms 
(J.  G.  J.).  A  specimen  dredged  by  me  in  the  last-men- 
tioned place  is  of  a  uniform  pale  yellow  and  much  larger 
than  those  from  the  south,  as  might  have  been  expected. 
The  variety  is  rather  plentiful  in  one  part  of  Falmouth 
harbour ;  and  I  have  also  taken  it  off  Guernsey,  but  of 
small  size.  The  same  variety  occurred  in  excavating 
a  channel  in  Belfast  harbour,  and  may  be  considered  a 
newer  pliocene  fossil.  Lilljeborg  has  found  this  species 
in  Finmark,  Malm  on  the  coast  of  Sweden  in  10-15 
fathoms  (in  one  case  attached  by  the  byssus  to  Corallina 
officinalis),  and  Haellebsek  on  the  Baltic  coast  of  Zea- 
land. Its  distribution  southward  extends  to  the  ^gean 
and  the  Gulf  of  Tunis,  at  depths  varying  from  2  to  50 
fathoms. 

This  prettily  painted  mussel  often  makes  in  its  young 
state  a  case  like  that  of  M.  modiolus.  When  the  animal 
is  dead,  the  shell  floats  on  the  surface  of  water,  by 
reason  of  its  lightness  and  being  perhaps  buoyed  up  by 


118  MYTILID^. 

gas  generated  in  the  process  of  decay.  The  thin  texture 
of  the  shelly  the  coloured  rays^  and  the  greater  distance 
of  the  beaks  from  the  anterior  margin  will  readily  serve 
to  distinguish  this  species  from  the  young  of  M.  modio- 
lus. It  differs  from  M.  barbatus  in  its  rhomboidal 
shape^  in  being  much  more  convex,  and  its  paler  colour, 
as  well  as  in  the  rays,  position  of  the  beaks,  sculpture, 
and  epidermis. 

M.  Adriaticus  appears  to  have  been  known  to  Mon- 
tagu ;  for  in  his  account  of  M.  barbatus  he  says,  "  A 
variety  is  faintly  radiated.^^  The  Modiola  tulipa  of 
Lamarck  (for  which  the  British  species  has  been  mis- 
taken) is  described  as  a  native  of  the  American  seas, 
and  a  variety  of  it  as  coming  from  New  Holland.  The 
tropical  shell  is  of  a  diflPerent  shape  and  substance  from 
ours,  and  they  only  agree  in  the  style  of  colouring. 
Lamarck  pointed  out  the  distinction  between  them. 
The  present  species  may  be  the  Mytilus  pictus  of  Gmelin 
(from  Bonanni),  which  is  said  to  inhabit  the  coasts  of 
Spain ;  but  the  diagnosis  given  by  him  is  too  slight  for 
the  purpose  of  identification,  and  the  Modiola  picta  of 
Lamarck  is  another  species  and  better  known.  In 
Thorpe^s  ^  Marine  Conchology '  our  shell  has  the  appro- 
priate name  of  ^^  radial  a,"  which  appears  to  have  been 
given  to  it  by  the  late  Captain  Brown. 

5.  M.  phaseoli'nus*,  Philippi.      K^  bi^ 

Modiola  phaseolina,  Phil.  Moll.  Sic.  ii.  p.  51,  tab.  xv.  f.  14;    F.  &  H.ii. 
p.  186,  pi.  xUv.  f.  3. 

Body  reddish-brown:  foot  long  and  cylindrical:  byssns 
strong,  Hght  homcolour. 

Shell  conformable  with  its  name,  obHquely  expanding  from 
*  Shaped  like  a  kidnej-bean. 


\^-^r 


MYTILUS.  119 

a  blunt  point  to  a  rounded  edge,  remarkably  convex  and  gib- 
bous, rather  solid  and  glossy:  sculpture,  fine  but  irregular 
lines  of  gi'owth  :  colour  beneath  the  epidermis  yellow  tinged 
with  purple  :  epidermis  thick,  yellowish-brown  and  of  a  darker 
hue  on  the  sides,  exfoliated  in  all  parts  except  towards  the 
anterior  margin,  and  rising  into  numerous  stiff  beard-like 
points  of  different  lengths,  those  on  the  lower  part  of  the 
ventral  side  being  the  finest :  margins  thick,  incurved  on  the 
ventral  side,  rounded  behind,  both  these  margins  being  nearly 
parallel,  semicircular  in  front :  hyssal  sinus  narrow  but  dis- 
tinct :  heahs  small,  blunt,  and  inflected,  lying  horizontally  on 
the  point  of  the  shell,  sUghtly  diverging  from  each  other,  and 
placed  at  a  very  short  distance  from  the  anterior  margin : 
hiwje-line  slightly  curved,  occupying  less  than  two-fifths  of 
the  dorsal  margin :  ligament  thick  and  strong,  very  little  ex- 
posed :  hinge-plate  solid,  with  a  deep  ligamental  groove  as  in 
the  last  species,  and  the  rib  is  continued  within  the  anterior 
margin,  so  as  to  form  a  small  vaulted  chamber  below  the 
hinge;  inner  edge  of  the  dorsal  margin  finely  crenulated 
across :  hinge  thick  and  prominent,  also  finely  crenulated  or 
toothed :  inside  nacreous  and  iridescent,  purplish-yellow,  and 
stained  with  brown  on  the  dorsal  side  and  in  front :  scars  in- 
distinct.    L.  0-65.   B.  0-375. 

Habitat  :  On  all  our  coasts,  from  the  extremity  of 
Shetland  to  the  Land's  End  and  Jersey,  rather  common 
on  rocky  and  hard  ground  from  low- water  mark  to  86 
fathoms.  It  appears  to  be  a  Coralline  Crag  fossil,  as  I 
observed  in  Mr.  Searles  Wood's  collection  some  speci- 
mens mixed  with  the  young  of  M.  modiolus  from  that 
deposit.  Steenstrup  found  it  in  Iceland;  and  it  has 
been  enumerated  by  all  writers  on  the  Scandinavian 
moUusca  as  occurring  from  Vadso  (near  the  North 
Cape)  southwards  at  depths  ranging  from  30  to  160 
fathoms.  A  living  specimen  has  been  taken  at  Cannes 
by  M.  Mace.  It  was  first  described  by  Philippi  from 
the  upper  tertiary  beds  of  Calabria  and  Sicily. 

The  animal  is  rather  active  when  detached  from  its 
byssus,  using  its  extensile  foot  for  creeping  like  its  con- 
geners, and  moving  with  considerable  agility.     It  often 


120  MYTILID^. 

invests  itself  in  a  case  of  gravelly  and  shelly  fragments. 
The  fry  are  of  a  rhomboidal  shape.  The  size  of  adult 
specimens  does  not  appear  to  exceed  three-quarters  of 
an  inch^  those  from  the  south  being  much  smaller  than 
northern  ones.  The  shell  resembles  that  of  Modiolaria 
in  the  denticulation  of  the  dorsal  margin.  It  differs 
from  the  young  of  M.  modiolus  in  having  this  peculiar 
character,  as  well  as  in  being  much  thicker,  more  con- 
vex, of  a  darker  colour,  and  angulated  behind. 

Allied  to  M.phaseolinus  in  respect  of  the  denticulated 
hinge  and  dorsal  margin  is  the  M.  crenatus  of  Lamarck, 
which  was  imported  in  1816  into  Portsmouth  harbour 
on  the  bottom  of  H.  M.  S.  Wellesley  from  Bombay; 
but  it  has  not  become  naturalized.  M.  bidens  of  Linne 
and  M.  Africanus  of  Chemnitz  were  subsequently  intro- 
duced  in  the  same  manner,  and  with  a  like  result,  into 
Scarborough  and  Plymouth.  The  former  is  a  West- 
Indian,  and  the  latter  a  West-African  species.  Modiola 
agglutinans  of  Cantraine  {M.  vestita,  Philippi)  is  said  to 
have  been  once  found  in  Ardmore  Bay,  near  Youghal, 
and  was  described  by  Captain  Brown  under  the  name 
oi  Modiola  Ballii.  It  is  a  Mediterranean  species.  The 
Mytilus  {Lithodomus)  aristatus  of  DiUwyn  was  found 
many  years  ago  in  a  piece  of  ballast  limestone  imported 
into  this  country  from  the  West  Indies,  and  was  for- 
merly included  among  British  shells. 

Genus  II.  MODIOLA'RIA^  Beck.    PI.  III.  f.  3. 

Body  suboval :  mantle  folded  in  front  into  a  wide  incurrent 
tube,  and  behind  into  a  conical  excurrent  tube :  foot  strap- 
shaped. 

Shell  rhomboidal,  sculptured  by  two  rows  (one  on  each 
side)  of  striae  which  radiate  from  the  beaks,  leaving  the  middle 

*  Allied  to  the  genus  Modiola  of  Lamarck. 


MODIOLARIA.  121 

portion  smooth :  healcs  incui-ved :  hinge  mostly  toothless,  but 
sometimes  crenulated  :  Mrtge-plate  finely  notched. 

This  genus  differs  from  Mytilus  in  the  mantle  being 
folded  into  a  distinct  tube  for  the  supply  of  food  and 
aerated  water,  as  well  as  in  the  remarkable  sculpture  of 
the  shell.  The  hinge-plate  is  crenulated  as  in  Mytilus 
phaseolinus.  The  foot  is  very  flexible  and  extensile ;  and 
when  fully  stretched  out,  it  is  two  or  three  times  as  long 
as  the  shell,  and  becomes  almost  thread-shaped.  The 
animal  can  crawl  rather  fast  along  a  level  surface  by 
extending  and  fixing  the  point  of  its  foot  in  front,  using 
it  as  a  fulcrum,  and  then  dragging  itself  forwards ;  and 
it  occasionally  floats  on  its  back  like  Kellia  suborbicu- 
laris  and  other  small  bivalves.  One  species  (M.  mar- 
morata)  burrows  into  the  tunic  or  outer  coat  of  Asci- 
dians,  and  others  form  nests  or  wrapping-cases  with  the 
aid  of  their  byssus.  It  would  seem,  however,  that  the 
European  habit  of  infesting  Tunicata  is  not  possessed  by 
any  Transatlantic  species. 

Although  Beck  has  the  credit  of  founding  the  genus 
Modiolaria,  and  it  has  been  adopted  by  Loven,  Mid- 
dendorff,  and  other  writers  on  the  northern  moUusca, 
it  has  never  been  described  or  characterized  by  any  of 
them.  The  same  remark  applies  to  the  genera  La- 
nistes  of  Humphreys  and  Lanistina  of  Gray,  both  of 
which  are  synonyms  of  the  present  genus.  Modiolaria 
may  be  distinguished  from  Brown's  genus  Crenella  byi 
the  shell  of  the  latter  being  covered  all  over  with  striae 
or  ribs,  and  by  its  having  a  strong  and  crenulated 
tooth  in  the  hinge  of  each  valve.  The  animal  also 
differs  in  some  important  particulars,  which  will  be  pre- 
sently noticed.  Whether  all  these  differences  are  gene- 
ric or  subgeneric,  may  be  a  moot  question ;  but  as  the 
lines  of  demarcation  between  any  one  group  of  animals 

G 


122  MYTILID^. 

and  those  on  each  side  of  it  in  the  same  family  are 
never  capable  of  being  precisely  defined,  it  is  obviously 
undesirable  to  encumber  our  system  of  classification 
with  more  divisions  and  names  than  are  necessary  to 
separate  and  recognize  the  species  contained  in  such 

2.r-  1.  MoDiOLARiA  marmora'ta  *_,^rorbes^     t^C^U 

Mytilus  marmoratus,  Forb.  Mai.  Mon.  p.  44.   Crenella  marmorata,  F.  &  H. 
ii.  p.  198,  pi.  xlv.  f.  4. 

Body  thick,  pale-yellow:  hicurrent  tube  large  and  bag- 
shaped,  formed  of  two  pendulous  puckered  flaps  of  the  mantle, 
mottled  with  purplish-  or  reddish-brown  and  white  flakes ; 
margin  plain  :  ecccurrent  (or  anal)  tube  small  and  conical,  of 
the  same  colour  as  the  larger  tube,  furrowed  at  the  base,  and 
having  the  mouth  or  opening  fringed  with  four  or  five  minute 
dark  cirri :  foot  white,  very  long  and  almost  cylindrical,  with 
a  deep  byssal  groove :  byssus  semitransparent  but  strong. 

Shell  oval,  very  gibbous  and  obhquely  angular,  rather 
thin,  glossy,  and  somewhat  iridescent :  sculpture,  15-18  lon- 
gitudinal ribs  on  the  anterior  side  and  20-25  on  the  other 
side ;  these  ribs  or  striae  occupy  the  two  sides  only ;  the  inter- 
mediate space  is  smooth,  with  the  exception  of  very  fine  and 
crowded  transverse  lines,  which  traverse  the  whole  surface 
and  give  the  ribs  an  appearance  of  being  minutely  punctured  : 
colour  yellowish,  irregularly  mottled  with  purplish-  or  red- 
dish-brown spots  or  blotches,  sometimes  forming  zigzag 
streaks,  occasionally  of  a  uniform  orange  hue  :  epidermis  light 
green :  margins  rounded  and  obliquely  truncate  at  the  ante- 
rior end,  nearly  straight  and  slightly  gaping  on  the  ventral 
side,  wedge-shaped  or  bluntly  pointed  at  the  posterior  end, 
whence  they  slope  backwards  with  a  gentle  curve  to  the  dorsal 
angle  or  hinge-line :  byssal  sinus  long  and  narrow :  beaTcs 
smaU,  swollen,  inflected  (as  in  the  genus  Verticordia),  and 
divergent,  placed  near  the  anterior  margin:  ligament  thick 
and  strong,  yeUowish-brown,  nearly  concealed  in  the  embrace 
of  the  hinge-plate  :  hinge-line  shghtly  curved,  occupying  the 
whole  of  the  dorsal  margin :  hinge-plate  strengthened  by  an 
internal  rib  and  receiving  the  ligament  in  a  shallow  groove ;  it 

*  Marbled. 


5t,«ri.  5^.Jl  K->  'H^,*,*/^  *f*rc«    MODIOLARIA.  123 

is  obliquely  and  finely  crenulated :  Jiinge  reflected  and  deeply 
"indented:  inside  nacreoiife  and  iridescent,  notched  all  round 
the  edge,  except  on  the  ventraFside  :  muscular  scars  slight  and 
scarcely  perceptible.     L.  0-75.    B.  0-45. 

Habitat  :    Imbedded  in  the  skin  or  outer  integu-  \ 
ment  of  Ascidia  mentula  and  other  simple  Tunicata,  or  ! 
attached  by  its  byssns  to  old  shells,  in  the  Laminarian  ' 
and  Coralline  zones  on  all  our  coasts.      It  is  by  no  \^ 
means  rare ;  and  sometimes  a  score  of  specimens  may  : 
be  extracted  from  a  large  Ascidia.     In  a  fossil  state  it  I 
occurs  in  the  Red  and  Coralline  Crag.     The  limits  of  its 
foreign  distribution  comprise  the  sea- bed  lying  between 
Finmark  and  the  ^gean,  and  reach  westward  to  the 
Canaries.      On  the  Norwegian  coast   Asbjornsen   has 
given  10,   and   Danielssen  150  fathoms  as  its  bathy- 
metrical  range.     It  has  not  been  quoted  in  any  list  of 
Icelandic,  or  of  North  American  shells. 

On  being  dislodged  from  its  usual  place  of  abode, 
M.  marmorata  puts  out  its  foot  and  feels  its  way  in 
search  of  another  retreat ;  and  when  it  has  found  one  to 
its  liking,  it  immediately  spins  a  byssus  and  securely 
fastens  itself,  sometimes  on  or  within  the  fold  of  a 
seaweed,  or  in  the  crevice  of  a  stone.  I  have  seen  it  (as 
if  acting  on  a  sudden  impulse,  or  disliking  to  be  watched) 
detach  itself  from  its  mooring  and  set  out  again  on  its 
travels  to  select  a  more  sheltered  or  suitable  spot.  The 
genesis  or  development  of  the  animal  has  been  fully  and 
most  ably  elucidated  by  Loven. 

This  species  used  to  be  called  the  Mytilus  discors  of 
Linne;  and  it  is  not  improbable  that  in  his  descrip- 
tion he  included  it  with  the  Mytilus  discrepans  of  Mon- 
tagu, which  we  now  refer  to  Linnets  species.  But  the 
epithet  "  fasca "  in  the  '  Systema  Naturae '  is  scarcely 
applicable  to  the  present  species;  and  as  one  of  the 


124  MYTILID^. 

localities  given  by  Liune,  on  the  authority  of  his  pupil 
Zoega,  is  Iceland  (where  M.  marmorata  has  not  since 
been  found),  it  may  be  on  the  whole  better  to  confine 
the  specific  name  of  discors  to  the  other  species.  Leach 
was,  I  believe,  the  first  to  call  in  question  the  identity 
of  M.  marmorata  with  the  Mytilus  discors  of  Linne. 
In  his  monograph  of  the  genus  Modiola,  published  in 
the  'Zoological  Miscellany^  (vol.  ii.  p.  56),  he  says,  as 
to  the  species  in  one  section,  "  Montagu  described  two 
species  as  natives  of  Great  Britain :  one  he  named  M. 
discors  (but  I  am  by  no  means  satisfied  that  it  is  the 
discors  of  Linne) ;  the  other,  which  is  a  very  distinct 
species,  discrepansJ^  The  change  of  name  afterwards 
proposed  by  Forbes  was  not  efi'ected  without  much 
opposition.  Philippi  called  it  Poliana,  in  the  Supple- 
plement  to  his  work  on  the  Sicilian  MoUusca,  in  the 
'  Zeitsclirift  fiir  Malakozoologie '  for  June  1844 ;  Hanley 
substituted  another  name  {tumida),  in  his  Appendix  to 
Wood's  '  Index  Testaceologicus ';  and  D'Orbigny  after- 
wards added  a  fourth,  viz.  Europcsa.  Lamarck  had 
described  it  in  1819  as  Modiola  discrepans.  If  the 
Linnean  collection  of  shells  had  been  preserved  intact, 
instead  of  being  so  often  and  so  carelessly  disarranged  and 
rearranged  by  Sir  James  Smith's  pupils  and  various 
other  persons,  it  might  have  helped  to  explain  some  of 
the  short  and  doubtfal  descriptions  contained  in  the 
'  Systema  Naturae '  and  other  works  of  the  great  Cory- 
phaeus of  northern  naturalists,  and  would  have  pre- 
vented much  of  the  confusion  which  has  prevailed  with 
regard  to  the  species  above  alluded  to.  Even  the  num- 
bers marked  on  some  of  the  specimens,  with  reference 
to  those  works,  cannot  be  identified  with  the  handwriting 
of  Linne ;  and  it  is  extremely  rare  to  find  a  case  where 
the  name  has  been  so  inscribed. 


MODIOLARIA.  125 

AT*  6-7  2.    M.  COSTULA'TA^,(RisSO.)  K     ^^ 

Modiolus  costulatics,  Risso,  Hist.  nat.  I'Eur.  merid.  iv.  p.  324,  f.  165. 
Crenella  costulattty  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  205,  pi.  xlv.  f.  1. 

Shell  oblong,  narrower  at  the  anterior  than  at  the  opposite 
end,  convex,  rather  thin,  and  glossy :  sculpture,  about  10  ribs 
on  the  anterior  side  and  twice  as  many  on  the  other  side ; 
middle  area  somewhat  depressed,  destitute  of  ribs,  but  the 
whole  surface  of  the  shell  is  marked  by  very  numerous  and 
wavy  transverse  striae,  which  gives  it  a  silky  appearance : 
colour  cream-white,  beautifully  mottled  with  rich  purplish- 
brown  streaks  often  arranged  in  a  zigzag  pattern :  epidermis 
thin,  light  green :  margins  rounded  at  the  anterior  end,  nearly 
straight  or  slightly  incurved  on  the  ventral  side,  broad  and 
rounded  at  the  posterior  end,  and  forming  a  gentle  curve  on 
the  dorsal  side :  beahs  small,  inflected  and  divergent,  not  so 
much  swollen  as  in  M.  mMrmorata,  nor  placed  so  near  the 
anterior  margin :  hyssal  sinus,  ligament,  and  hinge-line  as  in 
that  species :  hinge-plate  strengthened  by  an  internal  rib  or 
ledge  and  strongly  toothed  ;  ligamental  groove  narrow :  hinge 
reflected  and  slightly  indented  or  notched :  inside  highly  na-  i^  ^,, 
creous,  and  of  a  deep  purplish-brown  except  at  the  edge, 
which  is  finely  crenulated  on  the  anterior  and  posterior  sides  : 
scars  indistinct.     L.  0*4.    B.  0*2.    % 

Habitat  :  Under  stones  and  among  small  sea-weeds 
in  rock-pools  at  low  spring-tides  on  the  south  coasts  of  a 
Devon  and  Cornwall ;  Herm  (MaccuUoch) ;  Oxwich  Bay, 
near  Swansea  (J.  G.  J.) ;  and  Bundoran,  co.  Donegal 
(Waller).  It  is  rather  local,  but  not  uncommon.  Searles 
Wood  has  found  it  in  the  Red  and  Coralline  Crag.  It 
appears  to  be  a  southern  form,  and  to  range  from  Brittany 
(Mace)  to  Sicily  (Philippi)  and  the  Canaries  (Webb  and 
Berthelot) . 

This  very  pretty  shell  differs  from  M.  marmorata  in 
being  less  gibbous  or  tumid,  much  narrower,  and  of  a 
brighter  and  more  variegated  colour;  the  posterior 
margin  is  regularly  curved  instead  of  obliquely  wedge- 

*  Slightly  ribbed. 


126  MYTILIDiE. 

shaped ;  the  central  area  is  depressed ;  and  the  beaks 
are  placed  at  a  greater  distance  from  the  anterior 
margin.  Mr.  Dennis  says  that  it  is  frequently  iml^edded 
in  a  very  snng  little  nest  on  sea- weeds,  but  never  amoiig 
their  roots,  where  M.  discors  takes  up  its  abode  and 
occurs  in  great  numbers.  My  largest  specimen  is  half 
an  inch  long;  but  I  believe  it  is  usually  very  much 
smaller,  and  that  in  cubical  contents  it  is  not  a  tenth  of 
the  last  species. 


H-^^-  3.  M.  Dis'coRS^,\Linne.\    H".^^ 


rT 


Mytilus  discors,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1159.     Crenella  discors,  F.  &H.  ii. 
p.  195,  pi.  xlv.  f.  5,  6 ;  and  pi.  xlviii.  f.  5. 

Body  yellowish-white,  with  a  few  scattered  minute  specks 
of  flake-white :  incurrent  tube  formed  by  a  wide  protube- 
rant slit  of  the  mantle  in  front  for  the  admission  of  food  and 
water:  excurrent  tvJje  conical,  and  projecting  considerably 
beyond  the  shell  at  the  posterior  or  broader  end :  foot  strap- 
shaped,  capable  of  being  extended  more  than  twice  the 
length  of  the  shell,  and  used  (hke  that  of  Mytilus  edulis)  for 
crawling. 

Shell  _ovalj  much  broader  than  either  of  the  other  species 
above  described,  somewhat  compressed,  rather  thin~usuairy 
not  glossy:  sculpture,  10-12  remote  ribs  on  the  anterior  side, 
and  30-40  close-set  ribs  on  the  other  side;  middle  area  de- 
pressed and  smooth ;  transverse  striae  very  minute  and  fine : 
colour  yellowish-brown :  jpiclermis  rather  thick,  Hght  green  : 
margins  rounded  on  all  sides,  except  the  ventral,  which  is 
nearly  straight :  heaJcs  small,  rather  prominent,  incurved  and 
diverging,  placed  near  the  anterior  margin :  hyssal  sinus, 
ligament,  and  hinge-line  as  in  the  other  species :  hinge-plate 
strengthened  by  an  internal  rib,  and  obUquely  and  strongly 
_toothed ;  ligamental  groove  narrow :  hinge  slightly  reflected 
and  thickened,  crenidated :  inside  highly  nacreous,  purplish - 
,yfillQWi>r  liver- colour,  with  the  anterior  and  posterior  edges 
finely  notched :  scars  rather  distinct.     L.  0-5.   B.  0-35. 

Yar.  1.  angustior.    Shell  smaller,  narrower,  and  more  glossy. 
*  Disagreeing. 


.tASi  •    $^'^^^^^i^  '  '^'>-*^- ****^  MODIOLARIA.  127 

Yar.d.semilcevis.  Shell  narrower,  yellowish-homcolour;  ribs 
on  the  posterior  area  slight'  and  scarcely  perceptible,  L.  0-175. 
B.  0-1. 

Habitat  :  Gregarious  at  the  roots  of  seaweeds  (espe- 
cially Corallina  officinalis)  between  tide-marks,  and  in 
the  Laminarian  zone  everywhere  from  Shetland  to  the 
_the  Channel  Isles.  Var.  1.  Southampton  (J.  G.  J.); 
estuary  of  the  Orwell,  Suffolk  (Clarke).  Var.  2.  Staffa 
(Alder).  Some  specimens  from  Lismore  near  Oban 
also  have  no  trace  of  ribs  on  the  upper  part  of  the  pos- 
terior area.  Having  had  an  opportunity  of  carefully 
examining  and  comparing  an  extensive  series  of  speci- 
mens of  Modiola  l(£vigata,  Gray,  and  the  variety  sub- 
striata y  from  different  parts  of  the  Arctic  seas,  I  am  con- 
vinced that  they  are  not  distinct  from  the  present  spe- 
cies. The  gradual  passage  from  any  one  of  these  forms 
to  another  is  very  evident,  if  a  sufficient  number  of 
examples  of  all  ages  and  from  many  localities  are  sub- 
mitted to  the  inspection  of  a  tolerably  practised  ob- 
server; and  the  deplorable  fashion  of  species-making 
might  be  in  some  measure  restrained  by  adopting  this 
method  in  all  cases,  instead  of  selecting  a  few  particu- 
lar specimens  and  discarding  young  sheUs  and  those 
which  offer  inconvenient  proofs  of  transition.  As  an 
upper  tertiary  fossil  the  variety  l(Bvigata  has  been  found 
at  Elie  in  Fifeshire  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Brown,  and  the 
typical  form  occurs  in  the  mammalian  bed  at  Chilles- 
ford.  It  has  a  wide  extra-British  range,  from  North 
Greenland  and  New  England  to  the  ^gean. 

This  little  creature  is  a  very  industrious  seamstress  ; 
for  Mr.  Alder  says  it  "  forms  for  itself  a  kind  of  nest  or 
case  by  stitching  together  the  small  seaweeds  or  coral- 
lines with  its  byssal  threads. ^^  Forbes  and  M 'Andrew 
dredged  it  at  a  depth  of  30  fathoms  in  the  Irish  Sea,  off 


128  MYTILID^. 

Anglesea,  in  the  line  of  strong  currents,  enveloped  in 
similar  nests.  Dr.  Gray  has  observed  that  ^^  it  creeps 
with  the  foot  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  with  the  shell 
downwards  like  a  Cyclas,  and  it  has  the  power,  like  that 
genus,  of  crawling  up  the  smooth  surface  of  glass  or 
china.'^  The  old  northern  writers  called  it  "  anatum 
cibus,^^  its  littoral  habitat  rendering  it  a  tempting  prey- 
to  wild-fowl.  According  to  Fabricius  it  is  eaten,  al- 
though seldom,  by  the  Greeiilanders. 

The  meaning  of  the  specific  name  has  reference  to 
the  opposite  direction  in  which  the  two  sets  of  ribs  or 
striae  appear  to  diverge.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  this 
discordance  has  extended  to  the  synonymy.  Montagu 
called  the  present  species  Mytilus  discrepans ;  and  more 
than  ten  years  afterwards  Lamarck  used  the  same  name 
for  Modiolaria  marmorata,  as  well  as  for  M.  impacta, 
a  tropical  shell. 

4.  M.  ni'gra*   Gray.         rv^f  (.j 

Modiola  nigra,  Gray,  Supp.  to  App,  to  Parry's  First  Voyage  to  the  North 
Pole,  p.  ccxliv.  Crenella  nigra,  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  202,  pi.  xliv.  f.  5,  and 
(animal)  pi.  Q.  f.  7. 

Body  "  of  a  transparent  white  hue,  with  the  margin  of  the 
cloak  and  siphon  tinged  with  pink,  and  speckled  with  bro^^Ti 
and  opaque  white."  (Alder.) 

Shell  oval,  inclining  to  oblong,  compressed,  rather  thin, 
moderately  glossy  and  slightly  iridescent :  sculpture ,  about  a 
dozen  remote  ribs  on  the  anterior  side,  and  50-60  close-set 
and  thread-hke  ribs  on  the  other  side,  which  latter  become 
finer  towards  the  middle  of  the  shell;  ventral  area  not  de- 
pressed, but  without  ribs  ;  transverse  striae  numerous,  coarse, 
and  flexuous,  sometimes  forming  tubercles  or  a  rough  net- 
work where  they  intersect  the  longitudinal  ribs :  colour 
purplish-brown :  epidermis  rather  thick,  fawn-colour  in  the 
young,  olive-green  at  a  subsequent  stage  of  growth,  and  dark 

*  Black. 


MODIOLARIA.  129 

brown  or  even  pitch-black  in  .aged  examples  :  margins  rounded 
on  all  sides  except  the  ventral,  which  is  nearely  straight: 
heciks  small,  prominent,  incurved,  and  diverging,  placed  at 
some  distance  from  the  anterior  margin  :  hyssal  sinus,  ligament, 
and  hinge-line  as  in  the  other  species :  hinge-plate  strength- 
ened by  a  rib  to  receive  the  ligament,  and  finely  notched ; 
ligamental  groove  narrow  and  deep  :  hinge  crenulated  :  inside 
highly  nacreous,  purplish -brown,  finely  notched  on  the  ante- 
rior and  posterior  edges,  and  showing  the  impressions  of  the 
ribs  as  well  as  faint  traces  of  similar  but  finer  striae  on  the 
middle  area  :  scars  distinct.     L.  1-5.   B.  0-65. 

Habitat  :  Muddy  gravel,  at  depths  varying  from  7 
to  90  fathoms  on  the  coasts  of  Yorkshire,  Northumber- 
land, and  Durham,  both  sides  of  Scotland,  and  the  Shet- 
land Isles.  Although  not  generally  distributed,  it  is  not 
uncommon  in  some  places,  and  in  the  Firth  of  Forth  it  is 
called  by  the  fishermen  the  ''  corduroy  mussel."  The 
Dogger  bank  appears  to  be  its  southernmost  limit  in  our 
seas.  The  Rev.  H.  W.  Crosskey  found  a  siagle  valve  in  a 
postglacial  bed  in  the  Kyles  of  Bute.  Meyer  and  Mobius 
obtained  specimens  by  dredging  in  the  bay  of  Kiel,  on 
the  German  coast  of  the  Baltic,  whence  the  species 
ranges  northwards  along  the  Scandinavian  shores  to 
Nova  Zembla  on  the  east,  and  Iceland  on  the  west.  On 
the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic  it  inhabits  the  coasts  of 
Greenland,  Newfoundland,  New  England,  and  Massa- 
chusetts. 

This  fine  species  may  be  at  once  known  from  M. 
discors  by  its  sculpture.  There  are  nearly  twice  as 
many  ribs  on  the  posterior  area,  and  the  transverse  striae 
or  wrinkles  are  so  coarse  as  to  give  a  granular  appear- 
ance to  that  part  of  the  shell.  Besides,  the  anterior 
margin  is  more  produced,  and  consequently  the  beaks 
recede  further  from  that  extremity.  The  fry  are  quite 
smooth  and  have  a  prismatic  lustre.  The  largest  speci- 
mens I  have  seen  were  lately  procured  on  the  Durham 

65 


130  MYTILIDiE. 

coast,  one  of  them  measuring  nearly  two  inches  and 
a  half  in  length. 

Chemnitz  and  Fabricins  considered  it  to  be  a  variety 
of  M.  discors ;  and  Montagu  noticed  it  as  a  large  form 
of  his  Mytilus  discrepans.  Leach,  in  his  'Zoological 
Miscellany/  excellently  described  it  by  the  last-men- 
tioned name;  and  he  referred  the  Devonshire  speci- 
mens of  M.  discors  to  a  small  variety  of  the  same  species. 
This  was  many  years  before  Gray^s  publication;  and 
perhaps,  in  strict  justice,  the  name  of  discrepans  ought 
to  be  restored  and  applied  to  the  present  species.  But 
I  will  mercifully  abstain  from  increasing  the  perplexity 
which  has  so  long  involved  the  nomenclature  of  the 
Modiolarice, 

Genus  III.  CRENE'LLA*,  Brown.     PI.  III.  f.  4. 

Body  roundish-oval :  mantle  open  in  front,  and  folded  be- 
hind into  a  sessile  excurrent  tube:  foot  worm-shaped,  the 
point  being  disk-Hke  and  issuing  out  of  a  sheath. 

Shell  oval  or  rhomboidal,  cancellated  by  longitudinal  ribs 
and  transverse  plates:  beaks  straight:  ligament  small:  hinxfe 
of  each  valve  furnished  with  an  upright  tooth,  which  is  crenu- 
lated  as  well  as  the  hinge-plate. 

The  name  of  this  genus  was  probably  derived  from 
the  circumstance  of  the  hinge-plate  being  slightly 
notched.  The  shell  is  entirely  composed  of  nacre,  and 
has  a  silvery  hue  when  deprived  of  the  epidermis :  in 
this  respect  it  resembles  that  of  Nucula.  The  animal  is 
unlike  that  oi  Modiolctria,  It  has  the  mantle  completely 
open  in  front,  instead  of  being  folded  into  a  special  tube 
for  the  entry  of  food  and  water ;  the  excretory  tube  is 
exceedingly  short,  and  sessile,  instead  of  being  produced 

*  A  little  notch. 


CRENELLA.  131 

and  conical ;  and  the  foot  is  a  very  extraordinary  organ. 
This  is  formed  of  two  parts  :  one  is  the  stalky  of  a  cylin- 
drical form ;  and  from  the  upper  end  of  it,  as  if  from  a 
sheath,  issues  a  tongue-shaped  disk  which  serves  for 
crawling.  The  animal  does  not  spin  a  thick  byssus, 
like  Modiolaria,  but  secretes  only  a  single  slight  thread 
or  filament  as  a  point  of  attachment,  and  by  means  of 
which  it  holds  itself  suspended  in  the  water. 

Herrmannsen  supposed  that  the  genus  was  synonv- 
mous  with  Limopsis  and  belonged  to  the  Arcidce.  Mac- 
gillivray  placed  it  with  Ldma  and  Anomia  in  his  family 
Pectinina. 

f/^  7i       1.  Crenella  rhom'bea*,  Berkeley.  ^^  ^  ^^ 

Modiola  rhomhea,  Berk,  in  Zool.  Joum.  iii.  p.  229.     C.  rJwmbea,  F.  &  H. 
ii.  p.  208,  pl.xlT.  f.3. 

Shell  obliquely  rhomboidal,  gibbous,  rather  solid,  somewhat 
glossy  and  iridescent :  sculpture,  60-70  fine  longitudinal  ribs, 
crossed  by  12-15  transverse  plates ;  the  former  radiate  from 
the  direction  of  the  beaks,  and  occasionally  bifurcate  or 
branch  off  towards  the  margin;  the  latter  form  imbricated 
ridges,  and  are  stronger  on  the  posterior  slope  :  colour  pearl- 
white  :  epidermis  extremely  thin  and  easily  rubbed  off,  pale 
yeUow :  margins  truncate  or  obtusely  rounded  on  the  anterior 
side,  sHghtly  incurved  in  front,  produced  into  a  semicircular 
lobe  on  the  posterior  side,  and  forming  a  wing  or  arched  crest 
behind:  hyssal  sinus  small:  beaks  globular  and  prominent, 
placed  close  to  the  anterior  margin,  minutely  striate  in  a 
transverse  direction,  but  not  sculptured  in  any  other  way: 
Vujament  narrow  but  thick,  yellowish-brown,  occupying  about 
two-thirds  of  the  hinge-line  :  hinge-line  straight :  hinge-plate 
rather  broad  and  strong,  finely  crenulated:  hinge  furnished  with 
a  rather  large  wedge-shaped  serrated  tooth  in  each  valve,  one  of 
which  interlocks  within  the  other  :  inside  nacreous  and  glossy, 
showing  distinctly  the  impression  of  the  ribs  ;  inner  margins 
notched  all  round :  muscular  scars  very  slight.  L.  0*13.   B.  0*2. 

Habitat  :   Rocks   and   gravelly  bottoms,  from  low- 
*  Ehomboidal. 


132  MYTILIDyE. 

water  mark  to  20  fathoms,  on  the  coasts  of  Cornwall, 
Devon,  Dorset,  and  the  Channel  Isles.  The  collection 
of  Mr.  George  Humphreys,  the  well-known  dealer  in 
shells,  made  in  the  last  century,  contained  a  single 
valve  labelled  "  Ireland  " ;  but  if  the  locality  was  cor- 
rectly stated,  this  species  has  not  been  rediscovered 
there.  I  am  only  aware  of  a  few  (ten)  places  where  it  has 
been  discovered  in  England,  though  it  is  tolerably  com- 
mon at  Lulworth  and  Guernsey.  Single  valves  are  very 
abundant  in  the  Coralline  Crag  at  Sutton.  M.  Martin 
has  found  it  in  the  Gulf  of  Lyons,  and  Mr.  M^Andrew  in 
the  Gulf  of  Tunis  and  the  Canary  Isles. 

Dr.  Lukis  informed  me  that  some  of  his  finest  speci- 
mens were  taken  alive  in  a  rock-pool  lying  immediately 
below  half-tide  mark  on  the  western  shore  of  Guernsey. 
They  occupied  a  chink  in  the  rock  a  little  under  the 
surface  of  the  water.  The  transverse  ridges  perhaps 
denote  the  annual  growth  of  the  shell.  The  fry  are  so 
totally  dissimilar  from  the  adult,  that  I  was  misled  into 
describing  and  figuring  the  former  under  the  name  of 
Limopsis  pellucida  in  the  ^Annals  and  Magazine  of 
Natural  History '  for  January  1859.  They  are  smooth 
and  oval,  resembling  a  minute  Ungulina  in  shape ;  the 
hinge  is  placed  exactly  in  the  middle  of  the  dorsal 
margin  ;  and  the  arrangement  of  the  teeth  or  crenula- 
tions  on  the  hinge-line  further  indicates  the  affinity  of 
Crenella  to  Nucula. 

Dr.  Leach  admirably  described  this  lovely  and  re- 
markable shell  in  his ^ Zoological  Miscellany^  (1814)  as 
"  Modiola  PrideauxJ^  Unfortunately  the  termination 
of  the  specific  name  is  not  in  accordance  with  the  rules 
of  zoological  nomenclature,  and  it  must  therefore  be  re- 
jected. It  is  true  that  Capt.  Brown  altered  the  name  to 
Prideauxiana  in  his  '  Illustrations  of  British  Concho- 


CRENELLA.  133 

logy/  published  in  1827,  being  the  same  year  as  that  in 
which  Mr.  Berkeley's  notice  appeared  in  the  ^  Zoological 
Journal/  a  circumstance  that  undoubtedly  must  have 
some  weight  with  a  scientific  jury ;  but  after  consider- 
ing the  whole  case,  and  taking  into  account  the  positive 
disadvantage  which  would  result  from  a  change  of  any 
name  that  has  been  generally  recognized,  I  must  give 
my  verdict  in  favour  of  Mr.  Berkeley.  This  species  is 
the  Modiola  asperula  of  Searles  Wood^s  Catalogue  of 
Crag  fossils. 

2.  C.  DECUssA'TA*,yVIontagu.>  ^.ir- 

Mytilus  decKssatus,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  Suppl.  p.  69.    C.  decussatus,  F.  &  H. 
ii.  p.  210,  pi.  xlv.  f.  2. 

Body  grepsh-white :  mantle  quite  open  in  front,  and  folded 
at  the  posterior  or  broader  end  of  the  shell  to  form  an  excre- 
tory tube ;  edges  fringed  with  verj'  short  and  minute  gHstening 
cilia,  which  correspond  with  the  ribs  of  the  shell :  tube  very 
short  and  sessile,  with  a  plain  margin :  foot  worm- shaped,  con- 
sisting of  a  long  stalk  with  a  sheath  at  the  end,  from  which 
proceeds  an  oval  creeping-disk. 

Shell  obhquely  oval,  with  a  slight  approach  to  a  rhomboidal 
form  when  viewed  sideways,  rather  solid,  somewhat  glossy  and 
prismatic :  sculpture,  50-60  fine  longitudinal  ribs,  crossed  by 
40-50  transverse  striae ;  the  former  resemble  those  of  the  last 
species ;  the  latter  are  thread-like  and  form  minute  nodules  or 
beads  on  the  ribs  at  the  points  of  intersection :  colour  pearl- 
white  :  epidermis  rather  thick  and  yellowish-brown  :  margins 
rounded  on  all  sides  except  at  the  back,  where  an  obtuse 
angle  separates  the  hinge-line :  heahs  globular  and  prominent, 
placed  close  to  the  anterior  margin,  over  which  they  slightly 
project;  they  are  quite  smooth,  with  the  exception  of  some 
dehcate  transverse  striae  :  ligament  thick,  reddish-brown : 
hinge-line  nearly  straight :  hinge-plate  rather  broad,  finely  cre- 
nulated  :  hinge  toothed  as  in  the  last  species :  inside  nacreous, 
showing  more  or  less  distinctly  the  impression  of  the  ribs ; 
inner  margin  notched  all  round :  scars  more  perceptible  than 

*  Divided  crosswise. 


134  MYTILID^. 

in  C.  rhombea,  owing  to  the  greater  thickness  of  the  inner  coat 
of  nacre.     L.  0-15.   B.  0-12. 

Habitat  :  Coasts  of  Yorkshire,  Northumberland,  An- 
trim, and  Scotland  from  the  Clyde  district  and  Firth  of 
Forth  north  to  the  Shetlands,  in  gravelly  sand  from  3 
to  70  fathoms.  It  appears  to  be  gregarious.  Post- 
glacial deposit  at  Elie,  Fifeshire  (Rev.  T.  Brown).  It 
inhabits  the  seas  of  Scandinavia,  Iceland,  Greenland, 
and  New  England,  occurring  at  various  depths  from 
low-water  to  150  fathoms. 

This  exquisite  gem  of  a  mollusk  is  hardy  and  active. 
Not  being  able  to  examine  living  specimens  at  the  time 
they  were  taken,  I  picked  out  a  few  from  a  small  heap 
of  dredged  sand,  which  had  been  lying  on  a  pathway  for 
two  days,  exposed  to  continual  rain  and  partly  trodden 
underfoot.  After  keeping  them  eighteen  hours  in  a 
smaU  glass  vessel  of  sea- water,  they  revived  and  were 
alive  for  many  days,  the  water  being  occasionally  re- 
newed. While  crawling  about,  they  sometimes  carried 
the  sheU  erect  with  the  beaks  in  front,  but  more  fre- 
quently in  a  slanting  position.  They  seemed  fond  of 
getting  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  when  the  Crenella 
would  spin  with  its  foot  a  single  pellucid  thread,  which 
it  fixed  to  the  side  of  the  vessel,  and  it  would  hang  (like 
a  Sphcerium)  for  hours  thus  suspended,  the  beaks  of  the 
shell  being  undermost.  The  shell  being  nearly  trans- 
parent during  the  lifetime  of  the  animal,  the  green  liver 
is  distinctly  seen  through  it,  occupying  the  umbonal 
region.  The  foot-stalk  or  pedicle  is  semicylindrical, 
and  becomes  twisted  if  the  animal  is  placed  on  the  wrong 
side.  The  creeping-disk  or  lobe  is  very  flexible  and  in 
some  degree  extensile.  It  is  half  as  broad  again  as  the 
stalk,  and  proportionally  thicker.  A  dusky  line  runs 
down  the  middle  of  the  stalk,  apparently  showing  the 


CRENELLA.  135 

muscle  which  connects  the  terminal  lobe  with  the  basal 
attachment  of  the  foot  to  the  body.  While  the  animal 
is  crawling  a  tremulous  movement  is  seen  to  pervade 
the  lobe.  The  stalk  and  sheath  are  faintly  wrinkled 
across.  The  foot  is  protruded  from  the  ventral  opening 
in  the  mantle,  and  extends  in  a  direction  opposite  to 
that  of  the  beaks. 

Col.  Montagu  described  and  established  this  species 
from  a  single  valve,  which  was  found  by  his  friend 
Capt.  Laskey  at  Dunbar ;  but  he  erroneously  supposed 
it  might  be  the  Mytilus  faba  of  Miiller.  It  is  the 
Modiola  cicercula  of  Moller,  but  not  the  M.  glandula  of 
Totten,  which  latter  species  (as  Sars  has  remarked)  is 
more  rhomboidal  and  broader,  besides  being  three  or 
four  times  the  size  of  our  shell.  C.  glandula  and  C, 
faba  are  more  nearly  allied.  The  Mytilus  decussatus  of 
Lamarck  is  a  large  South  American  mussel. 

Two  specimens  of  C,  faba  were  procured  some  years 
ago  by  Professor  King  from  the  stomach  of  a  wild  duck 
that  was  shot  near  Newcastle ;  and  one  of  them  is  in 
my  collection.  This  shell  is  common  in  the  arctic  zone 
on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  The  bird  may  have  picked 
up  the  shells  in  upper  Norway  or  Iceland ;  and  better 
evidence  is  wanting  before  C.  faba  can  be  admitted  into 
the  British  fauna. 

Another  species,  however,  of  a  much  more  novel  and 
interesting  kind  has  been  taken  on  our  northern  coasts 
under  similar  circumstances.  During  the  severe  winter 
of  1855  several  birds  of  passage  were  kiUed  near  Scar- 
borough. One  of  them  came  into  the  possession  of 
Mr.  Alfred  Roberts,  an  intelligent  bird-stuffer,  who 
found  a  number  of  small  shells  in  its  crop.  These  he 
gave  to  Mr.  Bean,  and  they  proved  to  be  the  young  of 
Mytilus  edulis  and  Littorina  litorea,  and  an  unknown 


136  MYTILIDJE. 

bivalve.  Mr.  Bean  kindly  sent  me  a  specimen  of  the 
latter,  and  I  described  it  in  the  ^  Annals  and  Magazine 
of  Natural  History'  for  January  1859  (p.  40)  under  the 
name  of  Modiola  cuprea.     I  subjoin  the  description  : — 

"  Testa  ovato-trapezoidoa,  gibbosa,  solidula,  nitida,  epider- 
mide  prismatica,  fulva  (antice  flava),  pilosa  vestita,  siibtus 
albida,  rugis  concentricis  raris  irregulariter  notata;  angulo 
transversah  ex  apicibus  ad  latus  posticum  oblique  decurrente ; 
umbonibus  obtusis ;  lateribus,  dorsali  rectiusculo  elevatiore 
postice  rotundato,  antico  abrupte  truncate,  ventrali  convexo 
subsinuato  antice  declivi,  posteriore  quadrate  ;  marginibus  in- 
tegris ;  bysso  ex  filis  perpaucis  curtis  crassulis  composite ; 
long.  -J-,  lat.  ^  unc." 

But  this  description  is  incomplete,  inasmuch  as 
no  mention  is  made  of  the  internal  structure  of  the 
hinge.  Having  succeeded  in  opening  the  shell,  after 
steeping  it  for  a  long  time  in  water,  I  am  now  enabled 
to  supply  this  deficiency ;  and  the  result  has  compen- 
sated for  the  care  and  patience  bestowed  on  the  opera- 
tion. Each  valve  has  on  the  anterior  side  of  the  beak 
four  small  but  prominent  tubercular  teeth,  and  on  the 
posterior  side  the  same  number  of  angular  teeth,  which 
are  set  obliquely  and  resemble  in  shape  those  of  Nucula 
or  Leda.  The  hinge-line  is  microscopically  but  indis- 
tinctly notched,  as  in  Crenella  and  some  species  of  Area. 
I  do  not  know  if  this  peculiar  arrangement  of  tuber- 
cular teeth  on  one  side  and  of  lamellar  teeth  on  the 
other  side  of  the  hinge  has  any  parallel  in  bivalve 
shells,  unless  it  be  the  genus  Nuculocardia  of  D'Orbigny. 
The  little  shell  in  question  is  evidently  littoral,  judging 
from  the  habits  of  the  other  species  which  were  found 
with  it  in  the  bird's  stomach.  From  what  coast,  or 
from  what  part  of  the  northern  hemisphere,  it  was 
brought  to  our  shores,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  con- 
jecture.    The  animal  was  preserved  in  my  specimen, 


ARCIDiE.  137 

and  does  not  seem  to  have  undergone  the  least  decom- 
position; and  the  shell  still  retains  its  original  colour 
and  gloss.  The  species  has  not  been  noticed  by  any 
other  writer^  nor  have  I  detected  anything  approaching 
it  in  the  extensive  collections  made  by  Dr.  Torell  on 
the  coasts  of  Iceland,,  North  Greenland,  and  Spitzbergen. 
There  is  some  doubt  as  to  the  kind  of  bird  from  whose 
crop  the  shells  were  extracted.  Mr.  Bean  asserts  that 
that  it  was  a  Sanderling.  Mr.  Roberts  is  equally  posi- 
tive that  it  was  a  Brent-goose ;  and  he  supports  his  state- 
ment by  the  following  domestic  anecdote.  Having 
heard  that  a  Brent-goose  was  excellent  eating,  he  de- 
pended on  this  bird  for  his  Sunday  dinner;  but,  to 
his  disgust,  when  his  wife  was  preparing  it  for  the  spit, 
it  smelt  so  very  ^'  loud,'^  that  bread  and  cheese  had  to 
be  substituted.  He  attributed  the  smell  to  the  decay- 
ing Ulva  on  which  the  bird  had  fed,  and  among  which 
were  the  shells  he  had  given  Mr.  Bean.  Mr.  Roberts 
therefore  had  good  reason  for  remembering  what  bird  it 
was  that  caused  so  much  pleasure  to  Mr.  Bean,  but  disap- 
pointment to  himself.  Several  specimens  of  this  sin- 
gular bivalve  were  taken  on  the  above  occasion.  It 
is  figured  in  Sowerby's  Illustrated  Index  to  British 
Shells,  pi.  7.f.ll. 


Family  VI.  AE'CID^,  Lowe.    . 

Body  thick,  corresponding  in  shape  with  the  shell :  mantle 
open  in  front,  but  in  some  genera  forming  a  single  fold  or  two 
tubes  at  the  posterior  end :  gills  two  on  each  side,  arranged  in 
pairs :  foot  shaped  hke  a  disk,  worm,  axe,  or  tongue,  capable 
of  burrowing,  creeping,  or  spinning  a  byssus. 

Shell  triangular,  oval,  wedge-shaped,  round,  oblong,  or 
rhomboidal,  equivalve,  inequilateral :  epidermis  thick  :  liga- 
ment external ;  certain  genera  have  an  internal  cartilage  in 


138  ARCID^. 

addition  to,  or  subtitution  of,  the  ligament :  hinge-plate  fur- 
nished with  a  row  of  close-set  teeth  in  each  valve,  which 
mutually  interlock  :  muscular  scars  lateral,  deep  or  distinctly- 
marked. 

The  old  and  characteristic  genus  Area  of  Linne  has 
multiplied  so  fast  since  his  time,  that  it  now  forms  a 
very  numerous  family.  The  quota  which  has  been  con- 
tributed to  it  by  palaeontology,  or  the  record  of  extinct 
races  and  generations,  is  nearly  equal  to  that  of  recent 
genera ;  and  in  this  sense  the  march  of  science  may  be 
said  to  advance  with  almost  the  same  rapidity  in  a  re- 
trograde as  in  a  forward  direction.  Both  zoologists 
and  palaeontologists  are  strenuous  in  the  race ;  but  in- 
stead of  being  hostile  rivals,  the  only  object  of  their 
emulation  is  to  assist  each  other  and  thus  promote  the 
common  cause. 

The  character  which  makes  this  group  (whether  we  re- 
gard it  as  a  genus,  a  family,  or  a  set  of  families)  so  distinct 
and  self-contained  is  the  peculiar  structure  of  the  hinge. 
Instead  of  having,  like  other  bivalves,  only  one,  two,  three, 
or,  at  the  most,  four  tubercular  teeth  under  the  beak,  and 
occasionally  a  single  or  double  laminar  fold  on  each  side, 
all  the  ArcidcB  are  furnished  with  a  symmetrical  row 
of  these  processes,  occupying  the  whole  of  the  hinge  in 
each  valve,  and  interlocking  like  the  real  teeth  of  many 
kinds  of  fish.  This  apparatus,  aided  by  stout  retractor 
muscles  and  an  elastic  ligament,  and  in  some  genera  by 
a  strong  internal  cartilage,  enables  the  moUusk  to  keep 
its  house  closed  against  most  of  its  predatory  enemies ; 
and  it  is  only  when  the  shell  is  drilled  by  some  canalifer- 
ous  Gasteropod,  or  else  swallowed  whole  by  a  voracious 
fish  or  by  a  member  of  the  Bulla  family,  that  its  days 
are  numbered.  Those  species  of  Area  which  habitually 
shelter   themselves  in  the  crevices  of  rocks,  and  are 


} 

ARCIDiE.  139 

attached  by  a  solid  byssus,  may  escape  this  doom  for  a 
longer  period.  The  thickness  and  apparent  longevity  of 
specimens  of  A.  tetragona  and  A.  lac  tea  may  be  thus 
accounted  for.  Lamarck  proposed  the  expressive  name 
of  "  Polyodontes  "  for  the  present  family.  According 
to  Dr.  Carpenter,  a  microscopical  examination  of  the 
shell  shows  in  many  of  the  genera  a  tubular  structure 
intersecting  the  upper  layer  and  spreading  outwards,  the 
lower  or  inside  layer  being  nacreous. 

The  Arcidce  may  be  conveniently  divided  into  two 
sections,  viz. 

t  Shell  triangular  or  wedge-shaped :  epidermis  smooth  and 
glossy :  beaks  close  together  and  recurved :  hinge  fur- 
nished with  a  row  of  teeth  set  like  those  of  a  comb,  on 
each  side  of  an  oblique  spoon-shaped  process,  which 
contains  a  cartilage. 

*  Shell  triangular. 

1.  NUCULA. 

**  Shell  wedge-shaped. 

2.  Leda. 

ft  Shell  round,  oblong,  or  rhomboidal:  epidermis  hairy  or 
fibrous  :  beaJcs  separated  by  the  ligamental  area,  and  in- 
curved :  hinge  furnished  with  a  single  continuous  row 
of  plate-like  teeth,  destitute  of  an  intermediate  cartilage 
or  pit. 

*  Shell  round. 

3.  LiMOPSis. 

4.  Pectuncijltjs. 

**  Shell  oblong,  or  rhomboidal. 

5.  Aeca. 


140  ARCID.E. 

Genus  I.  NU'CULA*,  Lamarck.     PI.  IV.  f.  1. 

Body  roundish-oval,  somewhat  compressed  :  mantle  open  in 
front  and  at  both  sides :  gills  unequal  in  size,  one  pair  over- 
lapping the  other :  lips  or  palpi  long  and  pendulous  :  foot  oval 
and  having  its  margin  serrated  or  notched. 

Shell  triangular  and  compressed,  highly  nacreous :  margin 
of  the  posterior  side  rounded :  lunule  or  area  below  the  beaks 
heart-shaped  :  ligament  partly  internal :  cartilage  internal  and 
contained  in  a  spoon-shaped  cavity :  teeth  sharp  and  recurved, 
those  on  the  anterior  side  being  fewer  than  those  on  the  other 
side :  pallial  scar  entire. 

The  Nucula  inhabit  mud,  sand,  and  gravel  in  all  the 
marine  zones  on  our  coast ;  and  they  appear  to  be  gre- 
garious. They  are  found  in  every  degree  of  longitude 
and  latitude  throughout  the  globe.  The  umbonal  area, 
or  that  part  of  the  shell  which  is  terminated  by  the 
beak,  is  often  eroded  and  the  nacreous  layers  exposed, 
probably  owing  to  the  action  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen, 
which  is  evolved  from  animal  matter  in  a  state  of  de- 
composition contained  in  the  mud.  Sometimes  the 
beak  is  encrusted  with  a  ferruginous  or  mineral  deposit. 
The  lunule  in  the  present  genus  and  Leda  projects  con- 
siderably, so  as  to  resemble  a  pair  of  pouting  lips.  Each 
organ  (in  the  mollusk  as  well  as  in  Woman)  encloses  a 
row  of  dazzling  white  teeth.  But  here  the  analogy  ends. 
Such  comparisons  of  natural  beauty  constitute  one  of 
the  minor  charms  of  science,  and  may  be  pardoned  in 
an  enthusiastic  naturalist. 

I  am  not  prepared  to  accept  D'Orbigny^s  proposition, 
which  has  been  adopted  by  Gray  and  other  concho- 
logists,  that  this  genus  ought  to  form  a  distinct  family. 
The  genus  Nuculana  of  Searles  Wood  resembles  Nucula 
in  shape,  but  has  teeth  like  those  of  Pectunculus,  and  no 

*  A  small  nut. 


NUCULA.  141 

cartilage ;  while  Limopsis  has  the  form  of  Pectunculus, 
with  a  cartilage  and  a  cavity  for  its  reception,  as  in  the 
so-called  Nuculida,  although  placed  differently,  viz.  out- 
side the  hinge,  instead  of  in  the  middle  of  it.  Stimpson 
advocates  the  separation  of  Nucula  from  the  Arcida  be- 
cause of  the  want  of  a  byssus ;  but  Pectunculus  has  none. 
This  appendage  is  only  necessary  when  the  habitation  is 
rocky  or  "  hard.^'  In  sandy  and  muddy,  or  "  soft  '* 
ground  the  foot  is  used  for  burrowing,  instead  of  spin- 
ning a  byssus;  and  it  is  consequently  larger  in  Nucula, 
Leda,  Limopsis^  and  Pectunculus^  which  live  in  such 
situations,  than  in  Area,  which  attaches  itself  to  rocks 
and  old  shells.  Recluz  suggested  the  removal  of  Leda 
from  the  Arcidce  and  Nuculida,  and  considered  that  all 
of  them  belonged  to  different  tribes ;  but  our  progress  in 
classification  has  not  yet  advanced  sufficiently  to  allow 
of  such  extreme  subdivision.  Gray  placed  Nuculidce 
between  the  families  represented  by  Solen  and  My  a,  and 
in  another  order  than  that  which  contains  Area,  Pec- 
tunculus and  Limopsis.  Leaches  arrangement  is  rather 
more  eccentric  or  opposed  to  general  views.  His  fami- 
lies of  Nuculadce  and  Pectunculidce  lie  between  Mactra 
and  Verms,  and  his  Arcadce  {longo  intervallo)  between 
Pinna  and  Avicula.  The  late  Mr.  G.  B.  Sowerby  was 
the  first  to  point  out  the  separation  of  Leda  and  Nucula 
from  Area. 


A.  Inner  margin  notched. 
H'.VT        I.  NucuLA^'suLCATA*,  Bronn. 


H 


N.  sulcata,  Bronn,  Italiens  Tertiargebilde,  p.  109,  no.  633.     N.  decussata, 
F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  221,  pi.  xlvii.  f.  1-3. 

Shell  obtusely  triangular,  rather  convex,  solid,  of  a  dull 
hue:  sculpture,  numerous  transverse  striae  or  ridges,  which 

*  Furrowed. 


142  ARCIDiE. 

are  crossed  by  finer  longitudinal  strise  or  ribs,  giving  the  sur- 
face a  cancellated  appearance ;  these  markings  are  coarser  and 
more  irregular  at  the  sides,  but  they  do  not  extend  to  the 
lunule  or  space  below  the  beaks :  colour  flake- white  under  the 
epidermis,  which  is  thickish,  olive-green,  and  microscopically 
striate  like  hair-cloth  in  a  transverse  direction :  margins  an- 
gular and  slightly  truncate  on  the  anterior  side,  curved  in 
front,  and  expanding  on  the  posterior  side  to  a  wedge-shaped 
but  rounded  angle :  heaks  rather  prominent  and  blunt,  slightly 
recurved :  lunule  furrowed  obliquely  by  strong  and  irregular 
wrinkles  (being  a  continuation  of  the  transverse  striae),  and 
indented  or  grooved  in  the  direction  of  the  beaks ;  it  is  sepa- 
rated from  the  rest  of  the  shell  by  a  ledge,  and  projects  in  the 
middle  so  as  to  form  a  distinct  keel :  ligament  narrow  but 
strong :  cartilage  small,  pear-shaped,  contained  in  a  narrow 
cavity  underneath  the  beaks  and  projecting  inwards  :  hinge- 
line  gently  curved :  hinge-plate  broad  and  strong,  occupying 
the  whole  of  the  dorsal  space  and  rather  more  than  one-tiiird 
of  the  circumference  of  the  shell :  teeth  sharply  pointed,  10-12 
on  the  anterior  side  and  20-24  on  the  posterior  side  of  the 
cartilage-pit,  arranged  in  nearly  straight  rows,  which  diverge 
outwards  at  almost  a  right  angle ;  they  become  larger  as  they 
recede  from  the  beak,  in  consequence  of  the  progress  of 
growth:  inside  cream-colour  and  slightly  iridescent,  faintly 
striated,  or  marked  with  lines  which  radiate  from  the  beak  and 
terminate  in  distinct  notches  or  crenulations  on  the  anterior 
angle  and  in  front ;  but  these  notches  do  not  extend  to  the 
posterior  angle :  muscular  scars  oval  and  conspicuous.  L.  0*65. 
B.  0-7. 

Habitat  :  Sandy  mud  and  clay  on  the  west  coast  of 
Scotland,  at  various  depths,  as  well  as  in  Dublin  Bay 
(Branscombe  and  Warren) ;  Bantry  Bay  (Humphreys) ; 
and  south-west  coast  of  Ireland  (M^Andrew).  Captain 
Bedford  has  dredged  it  in  a  semifossil  state  at  Lismore, 
imbedded  in  a  concrete  of  indurated  clay.  It  is  a  local 
species.  Loven,  Asbjomsen,  and  Malm  have  recorded 
it  from  several  parts  of  the  Scandinavian  coasts,  the 
second  of  these  authors  gi\ang  15-20,  and  the  last  14-35 
fathoms.  It  also  inhabits  the  coasts  of  Spain  and  both 
sides  of  the  Mediterranean,  as  well  as  the  ^gean,  where 


NUCULA.  143 

Forbes  obtained  it  at  depths  varying  from  45  to  145 
fathoms.  Bronn  and  Pliilippi  have  described  it  as  a 
fossil  of  the  Subapennine  tertiaries ;  and  I  have  found  it 
in  upper  miocene  strata  at  Biot  near  Antibes. 

This  is  the  largest  British  species  of  Nucula,  It  can 
hardly  be  the  N.  decussaia  of  Sowerby's  '  Conchological 
Illustrations/  because  the  description  and  figure  do  not 
answer  to  our  shell,  and  that  species  is  stated  to  have 
come  from  the  Gulf  of  Guinea.  It  may  be  his  N.  rugu- 
losa,  which  is  said  to  be  of  the  size  of  N.  nitida,  although 
the  locality  is  not  mentioned.  At  all  events  Bronn^s 
name  has  the  precedence  of  many  years  over  those  of 
Sowerby.  Philippi  described,  in  the  first  volume  of  the 
'  Sicilian  Testacea/  the  present  species  under  the  name 
of  N.  Polii.  Bronn^s  diagnosis  exactly  agrees  with  our 
shell;  and  he  justly  observes  that  it  is  larger  and 
broader  than  N.  nucleus.  In  the  '  Proceedings  ^  of  the 
Zoological  Society  for  1856,  another  species  from  New 
Zealand  has  been  called,  by  Mr.  A.  Adams,  N.  sulcata. 

^/^^^^.  2.  N.  Nu'cLEus  */^Linne.l  j>(    i^ 

Area  nuckus,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1143.    N.  nucleus,  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  216, 
pi.  xlvii.  f.  7,  8,  and  (animal)  pi.  P.  f.  4. 

Body  suboval,  cream-colour,  mottled  with  flake- white:  man- 
tle having  a  plain  margin :  c/ilJs  triangular  and  elongated, 
finely  striated  on  the  outer  and  inner  surfaces,  and  of  a  brown 
colour ;  the  upper  lamina  of  each  pair  is  by  far  the  larger  of 
the  two,  and  entirely  covers  the  other :  lips  pendulous,  and 
transversely  striated,  each  of  them  folded  inwards  or  doubled : 
foot  oval,  pale  yellow,  deeply  serrated  at  the  margin,  and  ex- 
hibiting about  fifty  denticles. 

Shell  hke  that  of  the  last  species  in  shape,  but  much  smaller, 
shorter,  and  more  tumid,  as  well  as  more  triangular  in  con- 
sequence of  the  posterior  side  being  less  produced  :  sculpture, 

*  A  small  nut. 


144  ARCID.E. 

numerous  fine  striae  which  radiate  from  the  beak,  and  a  few 
irregular  lines  of  growth  which  form  dark  zones  but  do  not 
intersect  the  longitudinal  striae  ;  these  striae  are  wanting 
on  the  lunule  and  dorsal  area :  colour  grejish- white  under 
the  epidermis,  which  is  yellowish-green  and  very  closely  and 
microscopically  wrinkled  in  a  transverse  direction :  margins 
angular  and  somewhat  truncate  on  the  anterior  side,  curved 
in  front,  and  obtusely  wedge-shaped  and  rounded  on  the 
posterior  side  ;  heahs  prominent  but  blunt,  slightly  recurved  : 
lunule  marked  obliquely  by  the  lines  of  growth,  and  strongly 
indented  or  grooved  across  below  the  beaks ;  it  is  defined  by 
a  slight  furrow,  and  projects  a  little  outwards,  so  as  to  form  a 
blunt  and  indistinct  keel :  ligament  shght :  cartilage  oval,  con- 
tained in  a  short  projecting  cavity  underneath  the  beaks: 
hinge-line  somewhat  curved :  hinge-plate  as  in  the  last  species  : 
teeth  sharply  pointed  and  slightly  recurved,  about  15  on  the 
anterior,  and  25  on  the  posterior  side :  inside  nacreous  and 
highly  iridescent,  striated  and  notched  as  in  N.  sulcata,  but  in 
the  present  species  the  crenulations  extend  to  the  posterior 
angle :  muscular  scars  oval  and  distinct.     L.  0'475.  B.  0*475. 

Var.  1.  radiata.  SheU.  larger,  flatter,  more  decidedly  tri- 
angular and  produced  at  the  posterior  side,  and  marked  with 
numerous  purplish-brown  streaks,  which  radiate  from  the 
beaks  outwards.  L.  0-6.  B.  0-6.  N.  radiata,  F.  &  H.  ii. 
p.  220,  pi.  xlvii.  f.  4,  5,  and  xlviii.  f.  7. 

Var.  2.  tumidula.  SheU  smaller,  more  triangular  and  con- 
vex.    N.  tumidula,  Malm,  Proc.  Scand.  Soc.  (1862),  p.  621. 

Habitat  :  Common  in  sand  and  gravel  on  all  our 
coasts  from  Shetland  to  the  Channel  Isles,  at  various 
depths  ranging  from  3  to  85  fathoms.  Capt.  Beechey 
dredged  it  off  the  MuU  of  Galloway  in  145  fathoms. 
Var.  1.  More  local,  but  widely  distributed  in  the  British 
seas,  as  well  as  from  the  Swedish  coast  (Malm)  to 
Algeria  and  Sicily  (M^Andrew) .  Var.  2.  Off  Unst,  in 
85  fathoms ;  very  rare.  This  variety  is  also  Scandi- 
navian, and  was  obtained  by  Dr.  Torell  in  80  fathoms. 
The  typical  form  and  the  first  variety  occur  in  all  the 
upper  tertiaries,  both  in  Great  Britain  and  the  south  of 
Europe.    Beyond  our  shores  the  recent  species  inhabits 


NUCULA.  145 

every  coast  from  the  Faroe  Isles  to  Sicily  and  the 
^geaiij  and  also  the  North  African  side  of  the  Medi- 
terranean. 

Mr.  Clark  says  that  the  animal  is  timid,  and  therefore 
difficult  to  observe.  When  in  motion,  its  foot  becomes 
a  flat  and  nearly  circular  disk;  its  progress  is  not 
direct,  but,  turning  round  as  on  a  pivot,  its  path  de- 
scribes an  irregular  ellipse.  M.  Gay  of  Toulon  informs 
me  that  he  constantly  finds  empty  but  perfect  shells, 
with  the  epidermis  entire,  inside  starfishes,  which  would 
therefore  seem  to  have  the  power  of  killing  the  animal 
and  sucking  it  out  of  the  shell,  after  swallowing  it. 
Petiver  called  this  pretty  kind  the  ^'silver  cockle^';  and 
it  is  a  favourite  prize  of  children  when  they  gather  their 
sea-side  harvest  in  the  autumn, 

"  On  the  beached  margent  of  the  sea." 

It  may  be 

"The  shell  from  the  bright  golden  sands  of  the  ocean. 
Which  the  emerald  waves  at  your  feet  gladly  threw," 

alluded  to  by  Keats  in  his  delightful  sonnet  to  some 
ladies.  Specimens  are  now  and  then  found  more  convex; 
than  others,  even  from  the  same  locality.  Occasionally 
the  lines  of  growth  are  raised ;  and  where  they  cross  the 
longitudinal  striae  a  decussated  appearance  is  the  result. 
My  first  impression,  that  the  N.  radiata  of  Forbes 
and  Hanley  was  a  distinct  species,  has  yielded  to  a  con- 
trary conviction,  in  consequence  of  having  compared 
numerous  specimens  of  all  ages  and  sizes  from  various 
places ;  and  I  feel  myself  bound  to  reunite  it  with 
N,  nucleus.  Typical,  and  even  ordinary  specimens  of 
each  form  cannot  be  confounded  with  each  other ;  but 
I  have  some  from  Plymouth  and  Tenby,  which  may  be 
referred  to  either  form.  The  grounds  of  supposed  dif- 
ference are  the  comparative  size,  shape,  convexity,  and 

H 


146  ARCID^. 

colouring.  The  first  ground  is  evidently  untenable, 
because  size  is  notoriously  dependent  on  food,  shelter, 
and  the  proportionate  quantity  of  carbonate  of  lime  con- 
tained in  sea-water,  according  to  its  proximity  to  the 
shore,  or  distance  from  it,  and  to  the  action  of  fresh- 
water and  marine  currents.  The  second  ground,  or  the 
degree  of  those  angles  which  affect  the  contour  of 
Nucula,  is  influenced  by  the  growth  of  the  shell  in  any 
particular  direction.  All  the  Nucul<B  represent  an  iso- 
sceles triangle,  the  beak  or  point  of  one  angle  always  re- 
maining the  same,  while  the  sides  or  points  of  the  other 
two  angles  extend  pari  passu  by  the  addition  of  new 
layers  in  either  direction.  If  one  of  these  sides  is  more 
produced  than  the  other  while  the  angle  of  each  is 
greater  or  less  than  that  of  the  beak,  a  scalene  triangle 
is  the  result.  This  is  the  case  with  N.  radiata ;  and  if 
it  were  a  permanent  or  invariable  character,  I  should 
regard  it  as  having  considerable  weight  in  deciding  the 
question.  But  were  the  most  acute  mathematician  to 
measure  the  angles  in  certain  specimens  of  the  two  so- 
called  species,  he  would  assuredly  fail  to  detect  any 
sensible  difierence.  As  to  convexity,  it  is  true  that  spe- 
cimens of  N.  radiata  are  usually  more  compressed  than 
those  of  N.  nucleus.  Other  specimens,  however,  of  both 
species  are  equally  convex.  The  coloured  rays  are 
clearly  a  varietal,  and  not  a  specific  character.  They 
are  even  more  conspicuous  in  another  species  [N.  nitida), 
which  has  commonly  a  plain  and  sober  hue.  Instances 
of  a  similar  diversity  in  this  respect  occur  in  Astarte 
triangularis  and  many  other  marine  shells,  as  well  as  in 
species  of  the  freshwater  genus  Unio.  The  nature  and 
cause  of  colour  in  shells  has  not  yet  received  that  atten- 
tion from  philosophical  chemists  which  the  interest  of 
this  curious  subject  demands.     Probably  the  most  in- 


NUCULA.  147 

structive  and  elaborate  examination  of  this  problem  will 
be  found  in  the  essay  of  Professor  Lacaze-Duthiers, 
entitled  "Natural  History  of  the  Purple  of  the  Ancients/' 
to  which  I  have  referred  in  the  Introduction  to  the  first 
volume  (p.  Ixvii),  and  which  I  shall  again  have  occasion 
to  notice.  There  seems  to  be  no  doubt  that  all  colours 
are  of  mineral  origin,  and  that  they  are  secreted,  by  the 
Mollusca  and  other  animals,  from  inorganic  matter  by 
special  glands.  But  there  is  no  necessary  connexion 
between  the  colour  of  the  mollusk  and  that  of  its  shell. 
The  plain  variety  of  our  native  Cowry  [Cypraa  Europcsa) 
is  a  familiar  illustration  of  this  fact.  While  the  shell 
is  of  a  uniform  porcelain-white  colour,  its  inhabitant 
and  fabricator  exhibits  most  varied  and  brilliant  tints  of 
vermilion,  yellow,  brown,  green,  and  red.  The  coloured 
markings  of  shells  cannot  be  relied  upon  as  a  specific 
test,  especially  when  the  same  hue  predominates;  and 
N.  radiata  is  in  this  respect  undistinguishable  from 
N.  nucleus.  Taking  into  consideration  the  question  of 
locality,  with  reference  to  the  remarks  which  I  made  in 
the  Introduction  to  Vol.  I.  (pp.  xix  and  xx),  I  believe  it 
will  be  found  that  the  two  forms  do  not  live  together. 
I  have  never  taken  them  in  the  same  spot ;  and  Forbes 
and  M ^Andrew  have  observed  that  N.  radiata  occurs 
at  Milford  Haven  "  always  in  separate  parts  of  the  bay 
from  nucleus.''  This  circumstance  would  of  itself  in- 
cline me  to  doubt  the  propriety  of  separating  these  forms 
unless  as  varieties.  Sufficient  weight  does  not  seem  to 
have  been  given  to  the  remarkable  occurrence  in  the 
same  locality  of  diifferent  species  of  marine  animals 
which  are  bisexual  but  require  mutual  impregnation  *. 

*  Oppian  speaks  of  this  mode  of  generation  with  abhorrence : — 
Eire  TTjO^s  d\\r]\Mv,  repas  dypiov,  eKcpvovTui, 
N6<T^i  ttoOmv,  Kai  v6<j(pi  ydfxtjv,  Kai  voacpi  tokoio. 

h2 


148  ARCIDiE. 

The  difficulty  arising  from  the  sterility  of  hybrids  among 
unisexual  animals  being  thus  removed,  how  does  it 
happen  that  so  many  distinct  but  allied  species  assem- 
ble and  live  together  without  interbreeding  or  mingling 
their  respective  races  ?  There  is  no  fusion,  there  are 
no  intermediate  forms  or  gradations  from  one  to  an- 
other; each  pursues  its  own  course  and  mode  of  life, 
and  appears  to  have  no  communion  with  its  neighbour. 
Surely  this  emboldens  naturalists  to  maintain  the  in- 
tegrity of  species  as  at  present  existing,  however  much 
they  may  have  changed  in  the  course  of  bygone  ages. 
We  take  Nature  as  it  is  and  apparently  has  been — not  as 
it  might  have  been  ;  and  all  speculations  as  to  the  origin 
of  species,  although  ingenious  and  interesting,  are  useless, 
for  want  of  sufficient  data  to  guide  us  in  the  inquiry. 

The  variety  tumidula  resembles  N.  nitida  in  shape; 
but  the  surface  is  not  glossy  as  in  that  species,  and  the 
sculpture  is  the  same  as  in  N.  nucleus. 

The  present  species  seems  not  to  be  liable  to  distor- 
tion ;  but  a  valve  now  before  me  from  Guernsey  has  a 
fold  on  the  posterior  slope,  contracting  the  shell,  and 
somewhat  resembling  the  sinuosity  of  Axinus  fleoouosus. 
Specimens  from  the  Hebrides  and  the  south-west  of  Ire- 
land are  larger  than  any  I  have  seen  from  other  parts, 
whether  British  or  foreign.  Besides  the  characters  above 
noticed  in  the  description  of  this  species,  it  differs  from 
N.  sulcata  in  sculpture,  in  the  beaks  being  more  promi- 
nent, the  hinge-line  more  curved,  and  the  cartilage-pit 
shorter  and  broader,  in  having  more  teeth  on  the  ante- 
rior side,  and  in  the  crenulations  of  the  inside  margin 
extending  further  towards  the  posterior  angle. 

It  is  the  Area  margaritacea  of  Bruguiere,  and  Gly- 
cymeris  argentea  of  Da  Costa.  The  fry  is  the  Nucula 
argentea  of  Brown. 


NUCULA.  149 

f</f  ifl       3.  N.  ni'tida^,  G.  B.  Sowerby.  K-  ^^f 

N.  nitida,  Sow.  Conch.  Bl.  (Nucula)  p.  5.  f.  20 ;  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  218,  pi.  xlvii. 
f.  9. 

Body  similar  to  that  of  N.  nucleus ;  but  the  gills  are  light 
brown,  smoother  outside,  and  more  strongly  striated  on  the 
inner  surface :  foot  of  a  paler  colour,  and  its  disk  less  deeply 
serrated  at  the  margin. 

Shell  acutely  triangular,  convex  towards  the  beaks,  but 
compressed  in  front,  moderately  solid,  remarkably  glossy : 
sculpture  nearly  the  same  as  in  i\^.  nucleus ;  but  the  longi- 
tudinal striae  are  slighter,  and  the  transverse  striae  are  stronger, 
especially  at  the  sides,  giving  the  surface  a  partly  cancellated 
or  notched  appearance  at  the  points  of  intersection ;  the  lunule 
is  only  marked  by  the  lines  of  growth,  and  the  dorsal  area  is 
smooth:  colour  milk-white  under  the  epidermis,  which  is 
yellowish -brown,  highly  polished  and  lustrous,  without  anj- 
trace  of  the  microscopical  lines  or  wrinkles  observable  in 
the  foregoing  species;  the  latter  is  sometimes  beautifully 
tinted  with  yellow  or  purplish -brown  longitudinal  streaks, 
which  are  arranged  in  irregular  bundles,  and  resemble  the 
rays  of  the  setting  sun:  margins  truncate  on  the  anterior 
side,  forming  an  obtuse  angle  where  it  joins  the  ventral  range, 
rounded  in  front,  and  slightly  produced  or  wedge-shaped  at 
the  posterior  side :  heaks  prominent,  apparently  overhang- 
ing the  anterior  margin  owing  to  its  truncature,  and  re- 
curved :  lunule  as  in  the  last  species,  but  deeper  immediately 
below  the  beaks,  and  not  so  much  raised,  separated  from  the 
rest  of  the  shell  by  a  blunt  ridge  in  each  valve :  ligament  very 
slight:  cartilage  pear-shaped;  cavity  larger  and  projecting 
more  than  in  the  last  species :  hinge-line  slightly  curved : 
hinge-plate  rather  narrow:  teeth  long,  sharp,  and  recurved, 
about  twelve  on  the  anterior,  and  twenty  on  the  posterior 
side :  inside  highly  nacreous  and  iridescent,  conspicuously 
striated  lengthwise,  strongly  notched  on  the  ventral  and 
anterior  margins,  but  the  crenulations  do  not  extend  to  the 
posterior  angle :  muscular  scars  oval,  not  very  distinct.  L.  0'45. 
B.  0-45. 

Habitat  :  With  the  last,  but  neither  so  generally  dif- 
fused nor  so  plentiful.   I  have  taken  it  at  low  spring-tides, 

*  Shining. 


150  ARCIDiE. 

and  at  depths  ranging  between  that  mark  and  86  fa- 
thoms. Glacial  deposit^  Paisley  (Crosskey).  Morch 
and  Walker  have  recorded  it  from  Greenland,  Asbjorn- 
sen  from  Norway,  Loven  and  Malm  from  Sweden, 
M'Andrew  from  the  Spanish  coast  and  Algiers,  and  I 
have  found  it  in  the  Gulf  of  Genoa.  Gould  says  that 
the  N,  proxima  of  Say  (from  the  Massachusetts  coast) 
is  closely  allied  to  the  present  species,  if  not  identical 
with  it  j  but  that  shell  seems  to  be  less  glossy,  and  the 
shape  rather  more  obliquely  transverse. 

My  note  of  the  animal  differs  a  little  from  Mr.  Clark^s 
description,  and  is  as  follows : — '^  Colour  greyish- white. 
Mantle  finely  fringed.  Foot  tongue-shaped,  folded 
up  when  at  rest;  when  it  is  expanded,  it  assumes  a 
roundish-oval  shape,  and  its  margin  is  regularly  den- 
tate, or  set  with  numerous  point-like  tentacles. ^^  The 
shell  is  usually  less  solid  than  that  of  N.  nucleus ;  the 
anterior  slope  is  more  abruptly  truncate,  and  the  pos- 
terior slope  more  produced ;  the  umbonal  area  is  more 
convex  and  prominent;  the  beaks  are  more  terminal; 
and  the  polished  epidermis  will  always  serve  to  distin- 
guish it  from  its  dull  congener. 

It  is  not  the  Area  nitida  of  Brocchi,  which  is  a  species 
of  Leda.  Weinkauff  supposes  that  our  shell  may  be  the 
young  of  N,  sulcata ;  but  this  idea  is  not  correct,  and  I 
fear  that  it  may  tend  to  throw  some  discredit  on  his  list 
of  Algerian  MoUusca,  although  it  cannot  be  denied  that 
he  has  considerably  extended  our  knowledge  of  this 
branch  of  the  North  African  fauna,  and  farther  results 
may  be  expected  from  his  zeal  and  opportunities.  The 
young  of  N.  sulcata,  instead  of  being  smooth  and  glossy 
like  N.  nitida,  is  remarkably  rough,  and  of  a  dusky  hue, 
and  it  is  a  much  broader  and  flatter  shell. 


NUCULA.  151 

B.  Inner  margin  plain. 
Nfi{       4.  N.  TE'Nuis"^,(Montagu.')  p^   '^-'f- 

Area  tenuis,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  Suppl.  p.  56,  tab.  29.  f.  I.   N.  tenuis,  F.  &  H. 
ii.  p.  223,  pi.  xlvii.  f.  6,  and  (animal)  pi.  P.  f.  5. 

Body  white  :  mantle  open  in  front  and  at  the  posterior  side, 
with  a  plain  edge :  foot  white,  rather  longer  and  not  so  decidedly 
pedunculated  as  in  the  other  species,  nor  are  the  margins  of  its 
disk  so  coarsely  serrated,  although  the  crenulations  are  more 
numerous. 

Shell  obtusely  and  obliquely  triangular,  and  inclining  to  a 
circular  form,  compressed,  thin,  glossy :  sculpture,  only  slight 
and  irregular  transverse  ridges :  coZowr  bluish- white  under  the 
epidermis,  which  is  yellowish,  with  a  tinge  of  light  brown, 
highly  polished  and  lustrous,  and  destitute  of  microscopical 
or  any  other  markings  :  margins  truncate  at  the  anterior  side, 
and  obtusely  angled  at  the  point  of  junction  with  the  ventral 
range,  rounded  and  broad  in  front,  and  slightly  produced  or 
wedge-shaped  on  the  posterior  side :  beaks  blunt,  and  scarcely 
prominent,  not  much  recurved:  lunule  comparatively  small 
but  raised,  defined  by  a  slight  ridge  ;  ligament  strong :  carti- 
lage  pear-shaped,  contained  in  a  rather  large  and  broad  cavity : 
hinge-line  curved,  occupying  about  one-third  of  the  circum- 
ference of  the  shell:  hinge-plate  forming  an  oblique  groove 
on  each  side  of  the  beak  :  teeth  long,  sharp,  and  nearly  straight, 
about  six  on  the  anterior,  and  sixteen  on  the  posterior  side  : 
inside  silvery-white  and  iridescent,  faintly  striated  length- 
wise, with  the  margin  somewhat  thickened :  muscular  scars 
roundish-oval,  rather  distinct.     L.  0-425.  B.  0-45. 

Var.  injlata.  Shell  smaller,  more  triangular  and  tumid, 
with  the  front  or  ventral  margin  less  curved :  beaJcs  more  pro- 
minent. L.  0*3.  B.  0'3.  N.  injlata,  Hancock,  in  Ann.  &  Mag. 
Nat.  Hist,  xviii.  p.  333,  pi.  v.  f.  13,  14. 

Habitat  :  Sand  and  mud,  in  25-100  fathoms,  on  the 
north-east  coast  of  England,  every  part  of  Scotland 
from  the  Firth  of  Forth  to  Unst,  Dublin  Bay,  and 
(according  to  the  late  Mr.  Thompson)  the  east  of  Ire- 
land.    It  is,  however,  a  local  species.     Dr.  Goodall  was 

*  Thin. 


152  ARCIDiE. 

mistaken  in  giving  Tenby  as  a  locality.  He  collected 
many  shells  there,  but  procured  his  specimens  of  N. 
tenuis  from  the  late  Mr.  G.  B.  Sowerby.  It  occurs  in 
all  our  upper  tertiaries,  and  especially  in  deposits  con- 
taining shells  of  arctic  species.  The  variety  comes  from 
the  deepest  part  of  Loch  Fyne  and  the  Shetland  sea.  It 
resembles  N.  nitida  in  shape,  but  is  more  convex.  The 
foreign  distribution  of  this  species  and  its  variety  extends 
from  Spitzbergen  and  Greenland  to  New  England  in  the 
Western  hemisphere^  and  from  Iceland  along  the  whole 
of  the  Scandinavian  coast  on  our  side  of  the  Atlantic. 
Danielssen  has  taken  the  variety  at  Vadso  at  from  30  to 
160  fathoms.  The  typical  form  has  been  dredged  by 
Sars  and  M^Andrew  in  Finmark  and  Upper  Norway, 
by  Orsted  and  Asbjornsen  in  Christianiafiord,  and  by 
Malm  on  the  coast  of  Bohuslan  in  Sweden,  at  various 
depths  from  55  to  100  fathoms.  Philippi  has  recorded 
it  as  a  Calabrian  fossil  under  the  name  of  N.  decipiens, 
being  probably  one  of  the  numerous  relics  of  the  glacial 
epoch. 

Torell  regards  the  iV.  expansa  of  Reeve  (Belcher's 
Arctic  Voyage,  vol.  ii.  p.  397,  pi.  33.  f.  2  a,  b)  as  iden- 
tical with  the  N,  injlata  of  Morch,  and  perhaps  also 
with  Hancock's  species ;  and  he  suggests  the  possibility 
of  its  being  a  high-northern  or  arctic  variety  of  the  pre- 
sent species.  Having  examined  a  great  number  of  spe- 
cimens of  all  ages  collected  by  Dr.  Torell  in  the  arctic 
seas  and  Iceland,  which  he  refers  to  Beeve's  and  Morch's 
species,  and  having  compared  the  types  of  Hancock's 
species,  I  have  been  unable  to  detect  anything  beyond 
a  slight  varietal  difference  between  these  shells  and 
British  specimens  of  N.  tenuis.  The  arctic  specimens 
are  exactly  of  the  same  shape  as  the  Shetland  variety 
above  described,  but  considerably  larger. 


LEDA. 


153 


Genus  II.  LE'DA*,  Schumacher.     PL  IV.  f.  2. 

Body  transversely  oval :  mantle  open  in  front,  as  well  as  on 
the  anterior  side,  and  forming  on  the  posterior  side  two  cylin- 
drical tubes  of  unequal  length.    Other  characters  as  in  Nmula. 

Shell  triangular- oval,  or  oblong :  margin  produced  on  the 
posterior  side,  and  in  some  species  slightly  gaping  or  open : 
lunule  lance -shaped :  ligament  ^  cartilage,  and  teeth  as  in  Nucula, 
except  that  the  number  of  teeth  on  the  anterior  side  is  nearly 
equal  to  that  on  the  posterior  side :  pallial  scar  interrupted  by 
the  tubes. 

This  genus  is  closely  allied  to  Nucula  in  its  distribu- 
tion and  habits,  as  well  as  in  most  of  the  characters  exhi- 
bited by  the  animal  and  shell ;  but  the  mantle  in  Leda 
forms  two  distinct  tubes,  and  the  shape  of  the  shell  is 
oval  or  oblong,  instead  of  triangular  as  in  Nucula.  The 
teeth,  also,  in  the  present  genus  are  set  more  obliquely, 
and  the  disparity  of  number  is  less  between  those  in  the 
front  and  those  in  the  back  row.  It  corresponds  with 
the  genus  Lembulus  of  Leach,  quoted  by  Risso;  and 
according  to  Morch  (^  Grorilands  Bldddyr ')  it  is  Link's 
genus  Nuculana,  a  name  of  prior  date  to  that  of 
Schumacher. 

MoUer's  genus  Yoldia  is  said  to  differ  from  Leda  in 
the  tubes  being  longer,  and  curved  instead  of  straight,  in 
the  foot  being  larger  and  thicker,  in  the  posterior  edges 
of  the  mantle  being  ciliated  instead  of  plain,  and  in  the 
shell  gaping  at  both  ends,  whereas  that  of  Leda  is  closed 
at  the  anterior  end  and  truncate  at  the  other ;  and  the 
posterior  side  has  two  or  three 'blunt  external  ridges, 
and  an  internal  rib  or  epiphysis  caused  by  the  separation 
of  the  tubes.  But  in  L.  minuta  the  posterior  edges  of 
the  mantle  are  ciliated,  or  fringed  by  short  filaments, 
and  the  shell  of  L.pygmcBa,  which  is  referred  by  northern 

*  A  proper  name  in  Greek  mythology. 

H  5 


154  ARCIDvE. 

writers  to  the  so-called  genus  Yoldia,  is  closed  at  both 
ends.  These  (and  probably  L.  pernula)  being  the  only 
species  indigenous  to  our  seas,  I  must  hesitate  before 
admitting  the  proposed  division  of  Leda  into  two  genera, 
so  far  as  concerns  the  British  MoUusca. 


A.  Shell  triangularly  oval,  smooth  and  polished;  posterior 
extremity  rounded  and  closed :  lunule  indistinct ;  teeth  set 
like  those  of  a  comb. 

t^  ' ^  1  -  1 .  Leda  pygm^'a  *,  Miinster.      ^^  ^- 

Nucula  pygmaa,  (Miinster)  Goldfusa,  Petref.  p.  157,  t.  cxxv.  f.  17.     L. 
j>ygm<Ba,  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  230,  pi.  xlvii.  f.  10,  and  (animal)  pi.  P.  f.  3. 

Body  pale  fawn-white  colour :  tubes  short,  united,  with  plain 
orifices :  foot  hatchet-shaped,  and  widely  grooved  at  its  poste- 
rior edge,  forming  when  expanded  a  crenated  disk. 

Shell  nearly  equilateral,  sloping  gradually  from  the  beak  to 
each  side,  tumid,  glossy,  and  iridescent :  sculpture,  only  a  few 
irregular  marks  of  growth :  colour  pearl-white  under  the  epi- 
dermis, which  is  yellowish-brown,  highly  polished  and  lustrous: 
margins  rounded  at  the  anterior  side,  with  an  obhque  slope  to 
the  ventral  range,  which  is  also  rounded,  somewhat  produced 
and  wedge-shaped  at  the  posterior  side,  with  a  sHght  tendency 
to  curve  upwards  :  beaks  small  and  blunt,  rather  incurved  than 
recurved ;  lunule  lance -shaped,  but  scarcely  visible,  and  faintly 
defined  by  an  obscure  ridge,  which  runs  from  the  beak  to  the 
posterior  angle  in  each  valve :  ligament  exceedingly  slight : 
cartilage  and  the  cavity  containing  it  very  small  and  short : 
hinge-line  sHghtly  cm-ved,  occupying  nearly  the  whole  of  the 
dorsal  area  and  considerably  more  than  one-third  of  the  cir- 
cumference :  hinge-plate  deeply  grooved,  and  becoming  Avider 
as  the  distance  from  the  cartilage-pit  increases :  teeth  rather 
long  and  sharp,  placed  on  the  inner  margin  of  the  hinge- 
plate,  slightly  curved  outwards  or  reflected ;  there  are  10-12 
on  the  anterior  side,  and  12-14  on  the  other :  inside  glossy, 
with  the  margin  somewhat  thickened  and  entire :  pallial  and 
muscular  scars  slight,  except  in  aged  or  dead  specimens. 
L.  0-15.    B.  0-2. 

*  Dwarf. 


LEDA.  155 

Habitat  :  Mud  and  sand,  in  20-86  fathoms,  on  the 
Antrim  coast,  Skye,  Hebrides,  and  Shetland.  It  is 
very  local  in  a  recent  state,  but  widely  diffused  in 
glacial  beds,  and  occurs  also  in  the  Coralline  Crag. 
Many  conchologists  have  noticed  it  as  an  arctic  and 
Scandinavian  species ;  Danielssen  and  Asbjornsen  say 
it  is  found  on  the  Norwegian  coast  at  depths  varying 
from  10  to  140  fathoms,  and  Malm  on  the  coast  of 
Sweden  in  30-53  fathoms.  The  only  southern  habitat 
that  I  am  aware  of  is  Naples,  where  Scacchi  is  said 
(according  to  Philippi)  to  have  taken  it.  It  is  a  tertiary 
fossil  in  Siberia  and  Sicily. 

Some  specimens  are  shorter  and  more  gibbous  than 
others.  Owing  to  the  semitransparency  of  the  shell, 
the  teeth  are  distinctly  visible  outside  the  hinge-line. 

Philippi  named  this  species  Nucula  tenuis,  before  he 
was  aware  that  Goldfiiss  had  described  it,  or  that  Mon- 
tagu had  already  used  that  name  for  another  species. 
Mr.  James  Smith  called  this  species  Nucula  gibbosuy 
and  Moller  N,  lenticula.  The  Yoldia  abyssicola  of  Torell 
and  Sars  is  probably  a  variety  of  the  present  species. 
The  y.  lucida  of  Loven  seems  different. 


B.  Shell  triangularly  oblong,  transversely  ribbed,  with  two 
ridges  extending  obliquely  from  the  beak  in  each  valve 
to  the  posterior  extremity,  which  is  tnmcate  and  some- 
what open :  teeth  set  in  a  herring-bone  fashion. 

U't'LS'  2.  L.  minu'ta ^,(^Muller.)  f> .  ^5 

Area  minuta,  Miill.  Prodr.  Zool.  Dan.  p.  247,  no.  2985.      L.  caudata, 
F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  226,  pi.  xlvii.  f.  11-13,  and  (animal)  pi.  P.  f.  2. 

Body  oblong  and  pear-shaped,  greyish-white:  mantle  fringed 
or  denticulated  at  its  posterior  side  by  a  row  of  five  very  short 

*  Small. 


156  ARCID^. 

filaments :  tubes  united  for  more  than  half  their  length, 
considerably  produced,  slender  and  smooth;  the  incurrent 
(or  branchial)  tube  is  shorter  than  the  excurrent  (or  anal) 
tube,  and  the  latter  has  a  square  orifice,  with  finely  pointed 
angles :  foot  oblong,  compressed,  white,  deeply  grooved,  and 
capable  of  being  expanded  into  a  creeping-disk  with  notched 
margins. 

Shell  inequilateral,  sloping  from  the  beak  with  an  oblique 
curve  to  the  posterior  extremity,  which  somewhat  resembles 
a  duck's  bill,  compressed,  rather  solid  and  opaque,  scarcely 
glossy :  sculpture,  about  30  transverse  laminar  ribs  which 
vary  very  much  in  strength  and  compactness,  besides  extremely 
fine  glittering  and  prismatic  lines,  which  radiate  from  the 
beaks,  but  do  not  usually  extend  to  the  front  margin  unless 
in  very  young  shells ;  and  there  are  also  two  ridges,  which 
diverge  from  the  beak  in  each  valve,  and  embrace  the  trun- 
cated point  at  the  posterior  angle :  colour  pearl-white  under 
the  epidermis,  which  is  yellomsh-brown  and  generally  of  a 
dull  hue :  margins  rounded  at  the  anterior  side,  more  or  less 
curved  in  front,  and  elongated  at  the  posterior  side  to  a  blunt, 
upturned,  and  truncate  point,  where  the  valves  slightly  gape  : 
beaks  small,  rounded,  nearly  straight,  destitute  of  transverse 
ribs,  and  glossy  :  lunule  lance-shaped,  ribless,  depressed,  with 
slightly  prominent  edges  or  lips,  and  defined  by  the  inner 
ridge  of  the  posterior  slope  :  Ihjament  slight :  cartilafje  oval 
and  small,  contained  in  an  oblique  pit :  hinge-line  curved  on 
the  anterior  side  of  the  dorsal  area,  and  inflected  on  the  other 
side,  occupying  about  two-fifths  of  the  circumference :  hinge- 
plate  grooved,  and  increasing  in  width  in  proportion  to  the 
growth  of  the  shell:  teeth  vault-like  or  concave,  slightly 
curved  outwards,  higher  in  the  centre  of  each  row,  and  dimi- 
nishing in  size  towards  either  end ;  there  are  about  16  on  the 
anterior  side,  and  about  20  on  the  posterior  side :  itiside  por- 
cellanous  and  glossy,  somewhat  thickened  near  the  margin, 
which  is  smooth,  with  a  distinct  ridge  running  down  the  middle 
of  the  beak -like  extension  of  the  posterior  side :  pallial  and 
muscular  scars  well  marked.     L.  0*3.    B.  0*55. 

Var.  brevirostris.  Shell  smaller,  longer  in  proportion  to  its 
breadth,  with  the  posterior  extension  much  shorter,  more  con- 
vex or  tumid :  ribs  finer  and  more  crowded. 

Habitat  :  Everywhere  on  our  northern  coasts^  in 
muddy  gravel  and  sand,  from  20  to  90  fathoms.  Captain 


LEDA.  157 

Beechey  has  dredged  it  alive  in  145  fathoms  off  the 
Muli  of  Galloway.  It  occurs  in  all  our  upper  tertiary 
deposits,  although  in  all  probability  an  allied  species 
(L.  pernulUj  Miiller)  has  been  often  mistaken  for  it  in 
compiling  lists  of  fossil  shells.  The  variety  has  a  more 
southern  habitat,  and  is  found  on  all  the  English,  Welsh, 
and  Irish  coasts,  as  well  as  at  Oban  and  in  the  Hebrides. 
Both  the  typical  form  and  variety  frequent  the  Arctic 
and  Scandinavian  seas,  at  depths  of  from  10  to  160 
fathoms.  Gould  has  recorded  this  species  from  Massa- 
chusetts, and  observed  that  he  could  find  no  difference 
between  the  American  shell  and  a  specimen  of  L,  minuta 
from  Norway,  which  had  been  sent  to  him  by  Dr.  Loven. 

Specimens  vary  very  much  in  convexity  and  the  de- 
gree of  striation.  Those  obtained  from  deep  water  are 
usually  flatter,  and  more  dehcately  grooved,  while  spe- 
cimens from  comparatively  shallow  water  are  more  or 
less  tumid,  and  have  stronger  ribs.  The  flat  and  fine- 
ribbed  form  has  been  taken  by  Dr.  Torell  at  Spitz- 
bergen.  The  fry  have  no  ribs,  but  the  cross  lines  are 
very  conspicuous. 

Loven  has  not  given  any  reason  why  he  considers  the 
Area  minuta  of  Montagu  is  not  that  of  Fabricius,  and 
this  eminent  conchologist  has  strangely  omitted  the 
authority  of  O.  F.  Miiller  for  that  name.  Three  years 
after  the  publication  of  his  '  Prodromus '  to  the  '  Zoo- 
logia  Danica,'  Miiller  described  L.  pernula  ;  so  that  he 
was  evidently  aware  of  the  difference  between  the  two 
species.  Both  are  found  living  side  by  side  in  the  north- 
ern seas.  L,  pernula  is  the  Nucula  oblonga  of  Brown, 
which  is  not  uncommon  in  the  Clyde  beds ;  and  Stimp- 
son  has  enumerated  it  among  the  pleistocene  fossils  lately 
collected  by  Mr.  Drexler  in  Hudson^s  Bay.  It  may  be 
identical  with  the  N.  cuspidata  of  Philippi,  from  the 


158  ARCID^. 

Calabrian  tertiaries.  Miiller^s  description  of  Area  mi- 
nuta  is  in  every  respect  applicable  to  our  shell ;  and  I 
do  not  see  why  the  specific  name  given  by  him  should 
be  superseded  by  that  of  caudata,  which  Donovan  long 
afterwards  imposed  on  the  same  species.  Fabricius 
appears  to  have  found  his  original  specimens  of  A.  mi- 
nuta  in  the  crop  of  an  eider  duck,  which  may  have  picked 
up  the  shells  on  the  coast  of  Norway  before  taking  its 
return  flight  to  Greenland.  I  have  examined  the  type 
of  Macgillivray's  Nucula  rostrata ;  and  it  is  merely  the 
compressed  form  of  the  present  species,  being  probably 
the  L.  intermedia  of  Orsted,  and  analogous  to  the  L. 
complanata  of  Moller.  M.  Weinkauff"  gives  Area  minuta 
of  Fabricius  as  an  Algerian  shell ;  but  this  appears  to 
be  a  mistake,  because  one  of  the  synonyms  cited  in  his 
list  is  Nueula  striata,  Lamarck,  a  very  different  species, 
and  an  inhabitant  of  the  Mediterranean.  A.  minuta  of 
Brocchi  (an  Italian  fossil)  is  another  species,  and  Phi- 
lippi  has  distinguished  it,  in  the  Supplement  to  his  work 
on  the  Sicilian  Testacea,  by  the  name  of  Nueula  com- 
mutata, 

I  dredged  a  young  live  specimen  and  a  small  single 
valve  of  L.  pernulay  in  80  fathoms,  off  the  Shetland 
coast,  in  the  same  ground  with  the  slender  and  long- 
beaked  form  of  L,  minuta.  It  is  much  more  smooth 
and  glossy  than  the  last,  proportionally  longer  from 
the  beak  to  the  front  margin ;  and  the  posterior  slope  is 
flatter,  and  has  three  instead  of  two  ridges.  Not  having, 
however,  obtained  a  full-grown  specimen,  I  must  post- 
pone a  formal  introduction  of  L.  pernula  into  the  cata- 
logue of  British  shells. 

The  Area  rostrata  of  Montagu  is  a  tropical  shell. 
Nucula  aretiea  of  Gray  (N.  truneata  of  Brown,  and  N, 
Portlandica  of  Hitchcock)  is  a  fossil  of  the  Scotch  gla- 


LIMOPSIS.  159 

cial  beds,  but  its  habitation  is  now  restricted  to  higher 
latitudes.  Both  of  these  species  belong  to  the  genus 
Leda, 

Genus  III.  LIMOFSIS  *,  Sassi.     PL  IV.  f.  8. 

Body  longitudinally  oval,  or  inclining  to  a  circular  shape : 
mantle  open  on  all  sides  except  the  back :  foot  long,  slender, 
and  pointed  at  each  end. 

Shell  shaped  Hke  the  body,  nearly  equal-sided,  porcel- 
lanous  :  epidermis  hairy  or  fibrous  :  heahs  incurved  and  diverg- 
ing from  each  other  in  the  course  of  growth  :  cartilage  thick, 
contained  in  a  shallow  triangular  cavity  or  depression,  which 
is  placed  directly  under  the  beaks  and  outside  the  hinge-plate : 
teeth  tubercular,  arranged  in  a  continuous  and  curved  line : 
pallial  scar  entire. 

This  remarkable,  and  what  some  would  call "  critical,^' 
genus  is  related  intrinsically  to  Ledtty  and  extrinsically 
to  Pectunculus.  Like  the  former,  it  has  a  cartilage, 
with  a  cavity  for  its  reception ;  but  this  process  is  not 
placed,  as  in  Leda,  inside  the  shell,  but  on  the  hinge- 
line  and  between  the  beaks  and  the  hinge-plate.  Pec- 
tunculus has  no  cartilage ;  and  its  shell  is  kept  closed 
behind  by  a  ligament,  which  is  wanting  in  Limopsis, 
The  teeth  are  arranged  in  a  single  continuous  row,  as  in 
Pectunculus,  instead  of  in  two  separate  rows  in  the  same 
line,  as  in  Leda,  The  shape  of  the  teeth  in  the  present 
genus  is  intermediate  between  that  of  Leda  and  Pectun- 
culus, being  erect  but  blunt.  The  contour  of  the  sheU 
is  much  more  like  that  of  the  last-mentioned  genus,  but 
it  is  somewhat  longer  in  proportion  to  its  breadth. 
Limopsis  has  scarcely  any  resemblance  to  Lima,  Al- 
though the  back  of  the  shell  in  both  these  genera  is  fur- 
nished with  a  small  wing  or  prolongation  on  the  upper 
part  of  each  side,  and  the  cartilage-pit  is  similar,  Lima 

*  From  its  supposed  resemblance  to  the  genus  Lima. 


160  ARCIDiE. 

has  a  differently  constructed  hinge-apparatus,  and  only 
one,  nearly  central,  adductor  muscle. 

The  first  to  point  out  the  difference  between  Limopsis 
and  Pectunculus  (although  he  retained  both  in  the  old 
Linnean  genus  Area)  was  the  celebrated  Italian  palaeon- 
tologist Brocchi,  who,  in  his  'Conchiologia  fossile  Suba- 
pennina,^  described  the  species  which  I  now  propose  to 
record  as  indigenous  to  the  British  seas.  His  descrip- 
tion and  remarks  are  (as  usual)  most  excellent,  and  he 
especially  noticed  the  similarity  of  his  Area  aurita  to 
the  Ostrea  lima  of  Linne  in  respect  of  the  triangular 
cavity  in  the  hinge.  The  history  of  the  present  genus 
is  involved  in  some  obscurity,  owing  to  the  rarity  of  the 
work  in  which  it  was  originally  published.  This  was 
done  by  Sassi  in  the  '  Giornale  Ligustico  di  Scienze, 
Lettere,  ed  Arti '  (fascicolo  quinto)  for  September 
1827.  The  British  Museum  library  does  not  contain 
the  work;  and  it  is  only  through  the  kindness  of 
Prof.  Lessona  of  Genoa  that  I  have  been  enabled  to 
refer  to  it.  Nyst,  in  his  '  Catalogue  of  the  Tertiary  Fos- 
sils of  Belgium'  (1843),  professed  to  be  ignorant  of 
Sassi's  publication  or  its  date,  although  Bronn,  in  his 
'  Lethsea  Geognostica,^  had  given  both  these  particulars 
twelve  years  before  this  statement  was  made  by  Nyst. 
The  last-mentioned  author,  in  conjunction  with  Gale- 
otti,  had  in  1835  renamed  this  genus  Trigonoecelius. 
Nyst  altered  the  name  to  Trigonoeaelia.  The  late  Pro- 
fessor D'Orbigny,  equaUy  disregarding  the  rule  of  pri- 
ority in  scientific  nomenclature,  gave,  in  the  '  Paleonto- 
logie  Fran9aise'  (1844),  another  name,  that  of  Pectun- 
culina.  This  has  been  lately  adopted  by  Dr.  Chenu  in 
his  very  useful  '  Manuel  de  Conchyliologie  et  de  Pale- 
ontologie  conchyliologique  ^;  but  he  most  unaccount- 
ably makes  Limopsis  and  Trigonoecelia  subgenera  of  Pec- 


LIMOPSIS.  161 

tunculina.  Gray  added,  a  fifth  name  {Limnopsis)  in 
1840;  and  Herrmannsen,  being  apparently  misled  by 
Agassiz,  considered  Limopsis  as  a  synonym  of  Brown's 
genus  Crenella.  The  last  two  errors  may  be  attribut- 
able, however,  to  lapsus  calami,  or  to  a  too  hasty  attempt 
at  classification.  Only  a  very  few  species  were  until 
lately  known  in  a  recent  state  j  but  Mr.  A.  Adams  has 
given,  in  the  '  Proceedings '  of  the  Zoological  Society 
for  November  1862,  a  description  of  no  less  than  nine 
additional  species  from  dificrent  parts  of  the  world. 
Many  species  flourished  in  the  tertiary,  and  others  in 
the  cretaceous  period. 

^^'4^     1.  Limopsis  AURi'TA'^,iProcchi.)  &|.    3o 

Area  aurita,  Brocchi,  Conch,  foss.  Subap.  ii.  p.  485,  tav.  xi.  f.  9. 

Body  cream- colour :  mantle  thin  and  plain-edged,  open  in 
front  and  at  both  sides  :  gilh  consisting  of  two  pairs — the  outer 
pair  being  the  larger,  and  overlapping  the  other  which  is  folded 
together,  with  the  edges  projecting  outwards :  foot  narrow 
and  worm-shaped,  when  fully  extended  longer  than  the  shell, 
bluntly  pointed  at  each  end ;  it  is  protruded  from  the  anterior 
side ;  foot-stalk  or  pedicle  short  and  broad  :  hyssus  filmy. 

Shell  roundish-oval,  with  an  oblique  outhne,  compressed, 
soHd,  opaque,  rather  glossy :  sculpture,  numerous  and  fine 
longitudinal  strise,  which  radiate  from  the  beaks  to  the  outer 
margins,  besides  equally  numerous  but  irregular  concentric 
ridges,  some  of  which  are  larger  than  the  rest,  and  all  are 
more  or  less  beaded  or  notched  by  the  intersection  of  the 
striae ;  at  the  posterior  side,  these  markings  are  deeper  and 
stronger,  and  the  surface  is  slightly  granulated :  colour  porce- 
lain-white :  epidermis  yellowish-brown,  forming  in  front  and 
at  the  sides  a  long  fringe,  which  projects  beyond  the  edge 
of  the  shell :  margins  rounded  on  all  sides  except  at  the  back 
or  hinge-area,  which  is  sometimes  straight,  giving  that  part 
the  appearance  of  having  an  ear-like  appendage  on  each  side  : 
heahs  smaU,  sharp,  and  prominent,  regularly  incurved :  hinge- 

*  Eared. 


162  ARCIDiE, 

area,  or  the  cavity  behind  the  beaks,  narrow,  striated  trans- 
versely :  cartilage  small,  but  thick  and  strong,  yellowish,  con- 
tained in  a  shallow  triangular  pit  or  deiDression,  which  is 
placed  immediately  under  the  beaks,  and  lies  between  them 
and  the  hinge-plate :  hinge-line  nearly  straight,  interrupted 
by  the  cartilage-pit :  hinge-plate  very  broad,  occupying  scarcely 
one-fourth  of  the  circumference  of  the  shell:  teeth,  about  a 
dozen,  strong,  somewhat  curved,  and  set  obliquely:  imide 
porcellanous  and  glossy,  remotely  and  indistinctly  striated 
lengthwise,  bevelled  off  towards  the  margin,  so  as  to  form  a 
broad  and  smooth  edge  :  pallial  and  miiscular  scars  very  dis- 
tinct.    L.  0-385.   B.  0-385. 

Habitat  :  Off  Unst,  the  most  northerly  of  the  Shet- 
land Islesj  in  85  fathoms,  sandy  gravel.  Altogether 
four  living  examples,  a  large  and  perfect  dead  one, 
and  several  single  valves  of  different  sizes  have  been 
found.  Capt.  Hoskyn  obtained  two  small  valves  in  a 
subfossil  state  from  a  sounding  at  340  fathoms  off  the 
west  coast  of  Ireland.  It  is  not  an  uncommon  shell  in 
the  Coralline  Crag  at  Gedgrave ;  and  Mr.  Searles  Wood 
says  his  cabinet  contains  one  specimen  from  the  Red 
Crag,  but  it  is  much  waterworn.  I  have  also  found  it 
in  upper  miocene  strata  in  the  south  of  France ;  and  it 
has  been  recorded  from  the  same  formation  in  other 
parts  of  the  Continent,  as  well  as  from  the  Subapen- 
nine  tertiaries,  where  Brocchi  first  discovered  the  spe- 
cies. Michelotti  must  have  been  mistaken  in  citing 
it  as  still  living  in  the  Mediterranean. 

The  animal  is  very  shy,  and  perhaps  feels  uncomfort- 
able at  being  disturbed  and  removed  from  its  native  bed. 
No  part  of  it  was  visible  in  the  first  specimen  which  I 
captured  (in  1862),  although  I  watched  it  for  a  long  time. 
The  shell  is  a  lovely  object  when  fresh  and  examined  in 
water.  The  long  and  delicate  but  stiff  hairs  of  its  epi- 
dermis resembled  a  fringe  of  silken  eyelashes  surround- 
ing the  lids  of  a  sleeping  beauty ;  and  it  was  exceedingly 


LIMOPSIS.  163 

tantalizing  not  to  see  the. enclosed  treasure  as  a  reward 
for  my  patience.  I  was  more  fortunate,  however,  in 
the  specimens  which  I  obtained  the  following  year. 
One  of  them  came  out  during  the  night  and  displayed 
itself.  The  foot  was  the  only  part  visible  outside.  The 
mantle  appeared  to  have  no  tube,  although  I  saw  dis- 
tinctly through  its  open  folds  the  gills  regularly  flapping. 
The  alimentary  and  branchial  orifice  was  in  front.  The 
excretal  orifice  was  at  the  broader  end,  where  faecal 
pellets  were  occasionally  ejected.  The  Limopsis  ex- 
tended the  foot  beyond  the  narrower  end  of  the  shell, 
and  after  attaching  the  extremity  to  the  side  of  the 
glass  vessel,  and  contracting  the  foot  above,  it  drew 
itself  up  to  the  further  point,  like  warping  a  vessel  to 
the  anchor  when  moored;  it  then  again  stretched  out 
the  foot,  using  on  each  occasion  the  whole  of  the  elon- 
gated disk  or  sole,  in  the  same  manner  as  a  Planaria. 
Repeating  this  operation,  it  contrived  by  slow  degrees 
to  crawl  up  the  side,  and  travelled  four  inches  in  two 
hours,  being  at  the  rate  of  a  mile  in  little  less  than  three 
years  and  eight  months.  On  reaching  the  top  it  spun 
with  its  foot  a  very  fine  and  almost  transparent  but  tena- 
cious thread,  the  end  of  which  it  fixed  to  the  inside  rim 
of  the  vessel;  and  it  remained  for  twelve  hours  thus 
suspended,  with  the  beaks  of  its  shell  downwards.  When 
I  emptied  the  bottle,  and  put  in  fresh  water,  the  byssal 
thread  stiU  continued  fixed,  and  the  Limopsis  kept  its 
former  place.  It  only  loosed  its  hold  after  having  a  slight 
degree  of  force  used.  In  this  respect  the  strength  and 
duration  of  the  attachment  differed  from  that  by  which 
Sphmrium  lacustre  orKellia  suborbicularis  suspends  itself. 
The  process,  however,  is  the  same  in  all  cases,  whether 
it  be  the  occasional  secretion  by  the  last-mentioned  bi- 
valves of  a  slight  gossamer  filament  or  the  production 


164  ARCIDiE. 

by  a  Pinna  of  the  comparatively  stout  cords  or  cables 
by  which  it  is  permanently  anchored  to  the  sea-bottom. 
Most  of  the  Conchifera  appear  to  be  byssiferous. 

A  species  of  lAmopsis  closely  allied  to  the  present 
has  been  taken  by  Mr.  M'Andrew  on  the  coast  of  Upper 
Norway,  in  from  70  to  100  fathoms,  and  was  referred 
by  him  to  the  Pectunculus  pygmaeus  of  Philippi.  Sars 
found  the  same  species  also  on  the  Norwegian  coast,  but 
considered  it  to  be  the  P.  minutus  of  Philippi.  Both 
species  are  fossil.  The  L.  pygmcea  of  Searles  Wood 
from  our  Coralline  Crag  is  certainly  different  from  Mr. 
M^Andrew^s  shell.  In  Adams's  '  Genera  of  Recent  Mol- 
lusca'  the  Norwegian  species  is  called  "L.  borealis, 
Woodward.^'  The  inside  margin  of  the  shells  found  by 
M*^ Andrew  and  Sars  is  notched  or  crenulated,  but  in 
L.  aurita  it  is  plain  or  entire,  and  the  contour  of  this 
last  shell  is  rather  less  oblique.  Whether  the  crenu- 
lated  margin  is  a  specific  character  in  Limopsis  may  be 
open  to  doubt.  Of  two  species  of  Astarte  {A.  sulcata 
and  A.  triangularis)  usually  having  notched  edges,  a 
variety  of  each  is  not  uncommon  which  has  smooth 
edges ;  and  specimens  are  occasionally  found  possessing 
both  characters,  or  having  the  inner  margin  partly 
notched. 


Genus  IV.  PECTUN'CULUS  ^  Lamarck. 
PL  IV.  f.  4. 

Body  nearly  circular,  or  suborbicular :  mantle  open  in  front, 
as  well  as  on  the  anterior  side,  and  sometimes  folded  on  the 
posterior  side  into  a  very  short  excretal  duct ;  the  other  part 
of  the  mantle  on  the  posterior  side  has  its  margin  furnished 
with  numerous  oceUi  or  eye-hke  points :  foot  large  and  thick, 

*  A  small  scallop  (Pliny). 


PECTUNCULUS.  165 

shaped  when  at  rest  like  an  axe,  but  capable  when  in  motion 
of  being  expanded  into  a  discoidal  form. 

Shell  suborbicular,  convex,  nearly  equal-sided,  porcel- 
lanous :  epidermis  velvety :  beaks  slightly  incurved,  and  be- 
coming separated  from  each  other  in  the  course  of  growth. 
ligament  altogether  external,  very  strong,  occupying  a  vaulted 
cavity  at  the  back  of  the  shell,  composed  of  several  bundles  of 
cylindrical  fibres,  which  radiate  from  the  beak  to  the  hinge- 
plate,  to  the  outer  edge  of  which  they  are  united:  teeth 
laminar  and  continuous,  arranged  in  a  curved  line  but  in  two 
distinct  rows :  pallial  scar  entire :  muscular  scars  oval,  sym- 
metrical, and  strongly  marked. 

The  rounded  form  of  Pectunculus  prevents  its  being 
mistaken  for  any  other  genus  of  the  same  family,  except 
Limopsis ;  and  the  substitution  of  a  compound  ligament 
for  a  simple  cartilage,  besides  other  specialties  of  the 
hinge-structure,  oflPer  sufficient  marks  by  which  these 
genera  can  be  known  one  from  the  other.  Moreover 
Pectunculus  has  never  been  observed  to  produce  a  byssus: 
but  I  do  not  consider  this  a  distinguishing  characteristic. 
The  nature  of  their  habitation  is  the  same. 

The  present  genus  has  descended  in  an  unbroken  line 
from  the  Silurian  epoch  to  the  present  time.  The 
extent  of  its  distribution  in  space  is  equally  great.  It 
is  prolific  in  species ;  but  only  one  of  them  has  yet  been 
found  as  far  north  as  the  Lojffoden  Isles.  This  is  the 
kind  that  inhabits  our  seas. 

Lister  was  the  first  naturalist,  since  Pliny,  to  use  the 
word  Pectunculus;  but  he  applied  it  to  most  bivalve 
shells.  His  second  division  of  Pectunculi  had  a  fright- 
fully long  adjective — Polyleptoginglymi — and  comprised 
Area  and  Pectunculus.  Eight  years  before  Lamarck 
published  the  present  genus,  Poli  proposed  the  name 
Axincea  for  the  animal.  This  last  name  has  been  adopted 
by  Oken  and  Gray;  but  as  it  was  founded  solely  on 
anatomical,  and  therefore  insufficient  characters,  it  does 


166  ARCID^. 

not  seem  expedient  to  substitute  it  for  the  long-esta- 
blished name  given  by  Lamarck. 

b(  Tjo  .      1.  Pectunculus  GLYCY^MERis^iLinne.)    Nf5"»- 

Area  glycyTneris,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1 143.   P.  glycimeris,  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  245, 
pi.  xlvi.  f.  4-7,  and  (animal)  pi.  P.  f.  6. 

Body  nearly  round  and  compressed,  yellowish-brown : 
mantle  thick,  covered  with  minute  specks  of  brown  and  flake- 
white  ;  it  is  quite  open  on  the  anterior  side,  and  but  slightly 
contracted  on  the  other  side  :  the  edges  on  the  posterior  side 
are  studded  with  numerous,  small,  black,  eye-like  tubercles : 
foot  very  large,  axe-shaped,  deeply  cloven  or  folded  length- 
wise when  not  in  action. 

Shell  slightly  compressed,  very  thick  and  solid,  of  a  dull 
hue ;  sculpture,  numerous  fine  longitudinal  strise,  and  more 
remote  impressed  lines,  which  are  crossed  by  transverse  or 
concentric  striae,  varying  in  number  and  strength,  the  surface 
being  thus  often  reticulated :  colour  yellowish-white,  irre- 
gularly mottled  with  zigzag  streaks  or  blotches  of  purplish 
brown,  or  marked  with  spots  or  longitudinal  lines  of  the  same 
colour,  sometimes  of  a  beautiful  pink  or  lighter  tint,  and  even 
milk-white  :  epidermis  brown  and  thick,  forming  rows  of 
short  bristles  on  the  impressed  lines  in  young  specimens  :  mar- 
gins rounded  on  all  sides  except  at  the  back,  where  they  are 
interrupted  by  the  beak  and  hinge-line :  heahs  small  and  pro- 
minent, incurved  :  ligament  dark  brown,  consisting  of  eight  or 
nine  bundles,  which  are  placed  in  a  large  triangular  and  grooved 
cavity  below  the  beak ;  these  bundles  are  consequently  longer 
at  each  end,  the  shortest  being  in  the  middle :  hinge-line  semi- 
circular :  hinge-plate  also  curved,  extremely  broad  and  thick, 
occupying  two-sevenths  of  the  circumference:  teeth  set  ob- 
liquely, six  or  seven  in  the  adult  (besides  a  few  others  of  a 
smaller  size)  on  the  anterior  side,  and  nearly  as  many  on  the 
posterior  side,  the  intermediate  space  being  smooth ;  in  younger 
shells  the  number  of  primary  teeth  is  the  same,  but  the  middle 
area  is  furnished  with  four  or  five  minute  teeth :  inside  yel- 
lowish, with  a  purple  tinge  in  some  parts,  freckled  or  closely 
pit-marked,  bevelled  towards  the  margin,  which  is  broad  and 
strongly  notched  at  the  edge :  muscular  scars  very  conspi- 
cuous.    L.  2-25.  B.  2-25. 

*  A  name  given  by  Pliny  to  a  kind  of  shell-fish. 


PECTUNCXJLUS.  167 

Habitat  :  Sandy  and  shelly  gravel  and  nullipore  on 
every  part  of  onr  coast  from  the  Shetland  to  the  Channel 
Isles,  in  7-90  fathoms.  It  is  gregarious,  as  well  as  gene- 
rally diffused ;  and  it  occurs  in  all  our  upper  tertiaries. 
Sars  has  recorded  it  from  the  Loffoden  Isles,  and  Lillje- 
borg  from  Christiansund ;  and  it  ranges  southward  on  the 
east  to  the  ^gean,  and  on  the  west  to  Madeira  and  the 
Canaries.  Brocchi  and  Philippi  have  enumerated  it  as 
fossil  in  the  Subapennine  and  Sicilian  tertiaries. 

This  is  the  "  Dog-cockle ''  of  Da  Costa.  The  animal 
is  sluggish  and  shy.  I  never  saw  it  crawling.  Mr. 
Clark  observes  that  ^^  the  animal  does  not  execute  a 
direct  progressive  locomotion,  but  only  turns  the  shell 
round  on  its  disk  or  from  side  to  side.''  The  great 
thickness  of  its  shell  does  not  effectually  protect  this 
succulent  mollusk  from  all  its  enemies.  I  was  in- 
formed by  Dr.  Lukis  that  the  dredge  often  brought  up 
large  empty  shells,  with  the  valves  united,  but  having 
pieces  broken  off.  This  has  been  probably  the  work  of 
the  cat-fish,  whose  enormously  strong  jaws  and  teeth 
nothing  but  a  solid  stone  can  resist.  Mr.  Cleghorn 
attributed  the  imperfect  state  of  all  boulder-clay  shells 
to  this  cause ;  but  with  respect  to  Cyprina  Islandica, 
which  is  the  most  common  shell  in  such  deposits,  I  will 
in  the  proper  place  suggest  another  explanation.  Spe- 
cimens of  P.  glycymeris  vary  considerably  in  the  degree 
of  convexity,  as  well  as  in  the  obliquity  of  their  outline, 
and  in  colouring.  The  typical  or  usual  form  is  more 
produced  at  the  posterior  side,  especially  in  the  adult 
state ;  the  variety  pilosa  is  more  orbicular ;  in  the  va- 
riety decussata  the  longitudinal  strise  are  deeper,  but 
less  numerous ;  and  small,  round  coloured  spots  distin- 
guish the  pretty  variety  nummaria.  The  largest  speci- 
mens I  possess  are  about  three  inches  in  diameter.    The 


168  ARCIDiE. 

fry  have  a  square  shape,  and  are  only  sculptured  by  con- 
centric striae.  Their  inside  margin  is  quite  plain,  and 
has  no  appearance  of  the  crenulations  which  are  deve- 
loped in  a  subsequent  stage  of  growth.  The  impressions 
left  by  the  ligament  on  the  triangular  space  between  the 
beaks  in  full-grown  shells  are  very  distinct.  I  do  not 
find  that  the  remarkable  structure  of  the  ligament, 
which  is  evident  from  these  impressions,  has  ever  been 
noticed.  The  hinge-process  is  liable  to  become  abnormal 
or  monstrous.  A  curious  instance  of  it  was  exhibited 
in  a  specimen  found  by  Mr.  Bariee  in  the  Shetlands. 
The  hinge-plate  had  none  of  the  ordinary  cardinal  teeth ; 
but,  by  way  of  substitute,  each  valve  was  provided  with 
a  rather  strong  laminar  and  horizontal  tooth  on  each 
side,  which  locked  into  a  corresponding  groove  in  the 
opposite  valve.  The  teeth  occasionally  decay  and  be- 
come carious  in  living  specimens.  Whether  the  animal 
suffers  from  tooth-ache  would  be  a  novel  subject  for  dis- 
cussion by  the  Odontological  Society.  Aged  individuals 
are  often  almost  toothless,  in  consequence  of  the  liga- 
ment pushing  so  far  forward  on  the  hinge-plate,  as  to 
obliterate  all  the  central  teeth  :  it  reminds  one  of  the 
hardened  gums  of  an  old  man  who  has  lost  the  greater 
part  of  this  extremely  useful  apparatus.  The  shells  are 
often  seen  in  grotto- work;  and  Mr.  M 'Andrew  says 
that  at  Algarve  on  the  coast  of  Spain  they  are  used, 
instead  of  lead,  by  the  fishermen  for  sinking  their  lines. 
The  anterior  side  of  the  shell,  while  the  animal  is  alive, 
is  frequently  fringed  with  the  tubes  of  a  Hydroid  polype 
(one  of  the  Tubulariida) ,  which  seems  to  take  advantage 
of  the  strong  gyratory  current  produced  by  the  mollusk 
for  its  own  food-seeking  purpose.  This  may  be  an 
analogous  case  to  the  supposed  parasitic  nature  of  Mon- 
tacuta  substriatttj  which  is  always  found  attached  to  the 


ARCA.  169 

ventral  spines  of  certain  Echinoderms.  Living  speci- 
mens of  P.  glycymeris,  which  I  have  dredged  in  85 
fathoms,  had  their  shells  beautifully  marked  by  varie- 
gated streaks  of  a  bright  reddish-brown. 

Mr.  S  carles  Wood  has  taken  a  great  deal  of  pains  in 
making  out  the  synonymy  of  this  variable  species  in  a 
recent  and  fossil  state.  He  cites  no  less  than  eighteen 
different  names.  Among  the  best-known  of  these  are 
Area  pilosa  (Linne),  A.  bimaculata  (Poli),  Pectunculus 
stellatus  (Lamarck),  P.  undatus,  decussatuSj  and  num- 
marius  (Turton,  but  not  Linne' s  species  of  Area  bearing 
these  names),  and  P.  lineatits  (Philippi).  The  Area 
minima  of  Turton's  '  Conchological  Dictionary  ^  was  ad- 
mitted by  him,  in  his  '  Dithyra,^  to  be  the  fry  of  this 
species,  although  Leach  subsequently  referred  it  to  A. 
Noce.  Mr.  Hanley  at  first  asserted  that,  from  an  exa- 
mination of  Linne's  own  specimens,  his  A,  glycymeris 
was  the  P.  '^violaseens  "  {violaseeseens)  of  Lamarck  j  but 
he  afterwards  corrected  the  mistake.  The  first  locality 
given  by  Linne  (on  the  authority  of  Lister)  for  A.  gly- 
cymeris was  "  Garnsey,''  where  P.  violaseeseens  has  never 
been  found.  The  last-named  species  appears  to  be  his 
A.  nummaritty  judging  from  the  description  in  the  *  Sys- 
tema  Naturae/ 

Genus  V.  ARCA^  Linne.     PI.  IV.  f.  5. 

Body  oblong  and  thick :  mantle  entirely  open,  except  at  the 
hack,  in  some  species  fringed  with  tentacular  filaments,  or 
furnished  (as  in  Pectunculus)  with  ocelli :  foot  large  and  ex- 
tensile :  byssus  composed  of  glutinous  threads,  which  some- 
times form  a  compact  mass,  or  plug  of  attachment. 

Shell  oblong  or  rhomboidal,  gibbous,  inequilateral,  and  in 
a  few  species  slightly  inequivalve :  epidermis  fibrous  :  ligament 

*  A  chest ;  or  from  the  supposed  resemblance  of  Noah's  ark  to  this  shell. 

I 


170  ARCID^. 

as  in  the  last  genus ;  but  the  bundles  are  not  in  all  cases 
placed  diagonally,  being  in  some  species  across  the  space  be- 
tween the  beaks  :  hinge-line  straight :  teeth  laminar,  and  set  at 
or  a  little  more  or  less  than  a  right  angle  to  the  hinge-line,  con- 
tinuous in  most  species,  but  divided  into  two  distinct  rows  in 
others :  pallial  scar  entire  :  muscular  scars  oblong,  symmetri- 
cal and  strongly  marked. 

Area  rivals  Pectunculus  in  its  high  descent,  as  well 
as  in  its  fertility;  and  it  far  excels  it  in  the  number 
of  species.  It  has,  besides,  a  wider  distribution,  one 
species  (A.  pectunculoides)  being  found  both  on  the  coast 
of  Greenland  and  in  the  -^gean.  Its  bathymetrical 
range  is  considerable,  extending  from  low- water  mark 
to  between  300  and  400  fathoms.  Unlike  Pectunculus, 
it  spins  a  byssus,  and  is  by  this  means  attached  to  sub- 
marine substances,  from  which  it  can  disengage  itself 
at  pleasure ;  or  it  takes  permanent  shelter  and  makes  its 
abode  in  the  cranny  of  a  rock,  the  shell  occasionally 
becoming  distorted  by  the  narrow  limits  of  its  habi- 
tation. 

The  generic  name  is  encumbered  by  a  load  of  no  less 
than  thirty  synonyms,  which  have  been  from  time  to 
time  imposed  by  the  fanciful  ambition  of  systematists, 
or  for  the  more  laudable  purpose  of  distinguishing  parti- 
cular groups  of  species.  It  will  probably  always  remain 
a  question  whether  subgenera  are  advisable,  the  settle- 
ment of  it  depending  in  a  great  measure  on  the  defini- 
tion of  a  genus.  The  characters  of  all  genera  cannot  be 
equivalent ;  or  perhaps  we  have  not  yet  found  the  right 
key  to  Nature^s  lock.  AU  are  agreed  as  to  the  existence 
of  varieties ;  and  they  must  be  discriminated  by  certain 
names,  in  the  same  way  as  species,  genera,  and  higher 
groups.  One  of  Linnets  botanical  axioms  may  be  cited 
in  support  of  this  method  of  identification  : — "  Nomina 
si  nescis,  perit  et  cognitio  rerum.^^    Whether  subgenera 


ARCA.  171 

stand  in  the  same  relation  to  genera  as  varieties  to  spe- 
cies, is  the  point  at  issue.  I  am  not  in  favour  of  this 
intermediate  sort  of  classification,  and  believe  it  would 
lead  to  unnecessary  confusion,  and  to  a  redundancy  of 
names  for  the  same  object.  ''Area  (subg.  Cucullcea) 
pedunculoides "  is  not  easy  to  pronounce,  or  even  to 
remember,  on  account  of  the  parenthetical  epithet. 
Such  a  mode  of  subgeneric  nomenclature  appears  to  me 
quite  opposed  to  the  spirit  and  simplicity  of  the  bino- 
mial system ;  and  it  may  not  be  desirable  to  follow  the 
example  of  some  modern  painters  in  reviving  a  state  of 
things  that  has  passed  away  and  become  obsolete,  by 
now  having  a  pre-Linnean  school.  The  animal  of  Area 
constituted  the  genus  Daphne  of  Poll. 


A.  Shell  slightly  inequivalve  :  teeth  few  in  number,  set  either 
obliquely  or  in  the  line  of  the  hinge-plate,  and  arranged 
in  two  rows,  one  at  each  end  of  the  plate,  besides  nume- 
rous crenulations  in  the  middle  across  the  plate. 

^'-^^J      1.  Arca  pectunculoi'des ■^,  Scacchi.       ^.  3o 

A.  pectunculoides,  Scacchi,  Ann.  civ.  d.  due  Sicil.  vi.  p.  82.     A.  rariden- 
tata,  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  241,  pi.  xlv.  f.  8. 

Body  reddish-brown  :  foot  long  and  narrow,  when  in  motion 
resembling  that  of  a  Gasteropod :  byssus  rather  long,  horny, 
and  consisting  of  a  single  cylindrical  thread. 

Shell  obHquely  rhomboidal,  describing  in  its  contour  a  seg- 
ment equal  to  nearly  two-thirds  of  a  circle,  tumid,  thin,  rather 
glossy ;  the  right  valve  (or  that  which  has  the  anterior  side  to 
the  right  hand  of  the  observer)  is  unmistakeably  smaller  than 
the  left  valve,  the  margin  of  which  shghtly  projects  and  en- 
closes the  opposite  valve :  sculpture,  numerous  fine  and  sharp 
longitudinal  ribs,  radiating  from  the  beaks,  and  equally  nume- 
rous but  less  raised  transverse  or  concentric  ribs,  which  cross 
the  other  stria)  and  give  the  surface  a  regularly  reticidated 

*  Like  Pectuncuhis. 

i2 


172  ARCIDiE. 

aspect :  colour  yellowish- white,  faintly  tinged  with  brown : 
epidermis  laminar,  thicker  towards  the  margins,  and  when 
fresh  forming  a  line  of  short  hairs  on  each  of  the  longitudinal 
striae  :  margins  ronnded  on  all  sides  except  the  dorsal  or 
hinge-line ;  anterior  margin  only  half  the  depth  of  the  pos- 
terior one ;  ventral  margin  slightly  indented  by  the  byssal 
chink  :  healcs  not  widely  separated,  small  but  prominent  and  a 
little  recurved  :  ligament  reddish-brown,  slight  and  never  per- 
fect, composed  of  numerous  fine  threads,  which  cross  the  de- 
pressed and  narrow  area  at  the  back,  and  leave  their  impress 
in  the  shape  of  minute  striae :  hinge-line  quite  straight,  and 
forming  almost  a  right  angle  at  each  end,  occupying  nearly  the 
whole  breadth  of  the  shell :  hinge-plate  narrow  in  the  middle 
and  widening  towards  each  end,  so  as  to  afford  a  broad  angu- 
lar space  for  the  reception  of  the  teeth  on  either  side :  teeth 
3  or  4  on  the  anterior  side,  and  4  or  5  on  the  posterior  side, 
indistinctly  and  irregularly  notched  on  their  outer  edges,  set 
more  or  less  obliquely  and  sometimes  nearly  parallel  with  the 
hinge-line  ;  besides  these  teeth,  and  on  that  part  of  the  hinge- 
plate  which  lies  between  the  two  rows,  is  a  series  of  minute 
crenulations  (like  the  ordinary  teeth  in  A.  lactea  and  allied 
species),  which  cross  the  hinge-plate  and  lie  nearly  at  a  right 
angle  with  the  side  teeth :  inside  porcellanous  and  somewhat 
nacreous,  obscurely  marked  by  remote  longitudinal  striae ;  mar- 
gin often  indistinctly  notched,  especially  at  the  sides  :  pallial 
scar  slightly  flexuous  :  muscular  scars  very  large  and  conspi- 
cuous.    L.  0-175.    B.  0-2. 

Habitat  :  The  Hebrides  and  Shetland  Isles,  from  35 
to  90  fathoms,  in  muddy  and  sandy  gravel.  Mr.  M 'An- 
drew has  dredged  it  off  Cape  Clear  in  60  fathoms, 
and  Capt.  Hoskyn  off  the  west  coast  of  Ireland  in  100 
fathoms.  It  is  an  abundant  fossil  in  the  Coralline  Crag 
at  Sutton.  According  to  Scacchi  and  Philippi  it  like- 
wise occurs  in  the  upper  tertiaries  of  the  south  of  Italy ; 
and  Nyst  has  recorded  it  from  a  similar  formation  in 
Belgium.  In  the  Arctic  seas  it  attains  a  remarkably 
large  size.  Dr.  WaUich  took,  at  a  depth  of  108  fathoms, 
on  the  east  coast  of  Greenland,  a  specimen  whose  di- 
mensions nearly  equal  those   of  A.  glacialis.     Speci- 


ARCA.  173 

mens  obtained  by  Sars  and  M*^ Andrew  on  the  coast  of 
Finmark  at  depths  of  from  20  to  160  fathoms  are  smaller 
than  the  Greenland  shells;  but  those  from  our  own 
seas  and  more  southern  latitudes  dwindle  into  insigni- 
ficant proportions  compared  with  any  of  the  above. 
M ^Andrew  has  also  dredged  this  species  alive  oflP  Gib- 
raltar, in  45  fathoms,  and  Forbes  in  the  ^gean,  in 
200  fathoms.  Two  specimens  which  I  procured  from 
deep  water  off  the  north  coast  of  Shetland  were  at- 
tached by  the  byssus  to  tubes  of  Pomatoceros  arietinus, 
Miiller  [Bitrupa  subulata,  Berkeley) ;  and  I  kept  one  of 
them  alive  for  more  than  a  day.  Soon  after  it  was  put 
into  a  glass  vessel  and  had  a  fresh  supply  of  water,  it  left 
its  plug  of  attachment  on  the  Annelid  case,  and  crawled 
away  at  a  fair  pace  on  its  narrow  foot,  the  valves  of  its 
shell  spread  out  with  the  beaks  uppermost.  The  action 
appeared  to  be  similar  to  that  of  Galeomma  Turtoni. 

The  shell  has  all  the  characteristics  of  Lamarck^s 
genus  Cucull(Ray  the  side  teeth  being  nearly  parallel 
with  the  hinge-line,  and  consequently  at  almost  a  right 
angle  to  the  central  teeth  or  crenulations.  But  this 
angle  varies  in  different  individuals  and  at  successive 
periods  of  growth,  and  the  position  of  the  side  teeth  is 
more  frequently  oblique  than  horizontal.  The  central 
teeth  are  often  wanting.  I  therefore  abstain  from 
removing  this  species  from  Area,  as  well  as  from  offer- 
ing any  opinion  as  to  the  value  of  Lamarck^s  genus. 
Mr.  G.  B.  Sowerby  was  the  first  to  notice  the  inequality 
of  the  valves  in  Cucullcsa. 

Dr.  Torell  called  my  attention  to  the  probability  that 
the  present  species  might  be  identical  with  the  A. 
glacialis  of  Gray.  Professor  Sars  had  previously  ex- 
pressed the  same  opinion  ;  and  in  his  Report  on  the  so- 
called  glacial  formation  in  the  Diocese  of  Christiania, 


174  ARCIDiE. 

he  referred  to  the  latter  species  as  ^'  A.  raridentata,  var. 
major,"  Having  carefully  inspected  and  compared  a 
great  number  of  specimens,  recent  and  fossil,  reputed 
to  belong  to  both  species,  and  having  had  the  advantage 
of  examining  on  the  spot  the  grounds  upon  which  Sars 
formed  his  opinion,  I  am  not  satisfied  that  these  species 
ought  to  be  united.  At  first  sight,  indeed,  it  might 
seem  as  if  A.  glacialis  were  only  a  large  form  of  A. 
pectunculoideSj  and  that  the  difference  of  size  was  ex- 
plained by  the  former  having  a  more  northern  habitat. 
But  since  A.  pectunculoides  has  been  found  in  Green- 
land, and  A,  glacialis  is  not  uncommon  in  Iceland,  while 
each  constantly  exhibits  its  own  distinctive  features,  and 
attains  nearly  an  equal  size  in  the  Arctic  seas,  we  must 
inquire  whether  there  is  any  intermediate  link  or  variety 
connecting  the  two  forms.  I  believe  this  question  must 
be  answered  in  the  negative,  so  far  as  our  present  know- 
ledge extends.  The  sheU  of  A.  pectunculoides  is  round- 
ish-oval or  trapezoidal ;  that  of  A.  glacialis  is  obliquely 
oblong.  The  former  is  more  gibbous  or  convex  than 
the  latter ;  the  length,  or  distance  from  the  umbo  to  the 
front  margin,  is  proportionally  greater ;  the  beaks  are 
more  prominent  and  placed  nearer  the  centre  of  the 
hinge-line ;  the  posterior  margin  is  rounded,  instead  of 
wedge-shaped  (as  in  A.  glacialis) ;  the  sculpture  is  much 
finer,  and  the  striae  more  numerous,  even  in  specimens 
of  a  corresponding  age  and  size ;  and  the  teeth  are  fewer 
and  set  less  diagonally  than  in  the  other  species.  The 
only  description  which  has  been  published  of  the  ani- 
mal of  A.  glacialis  is  contained  in  Dr.  Gray's  Supple- 
ment to  the  Appendix  to  Parry's  First  Voyage,  and  is  as 
foUows  ; — "  Animal :  mantle  lobes  separate ;  foot  flat, 
compressed,  subquadrate,  front  two  cut  with  one  or  two 
fibres  from  the  lower  edge ;  trachea  none.''     For  want 


ARCA.  175 

of  sujBScient  information ,  on  this  point,  it  is  at  present 
impossible  to  make  a  complete  comparison  between  the 
so-called  species.  All  the  fossil  specimens  which  I  have 
seen  from  the  Christiania  and  Uddevalla  districts  be- 
long to  A.  glacialiSj  and  they  significantly  indicate  the 
climatal  conditions  which  prevailed  during  the  period 
immediately  preceding  the  elevation  of  these  sea-beds. 

A.  pectunculoides,  being  found  in  the  Coralline  Crag, 
as  well  as  in  the  upper  tertiaries  of  Belgium  and  Sicily, 
would  appear  to  be  the  older  of  the  two.  Although  I 
am  not  aware  of  any  intervening  form  having  been  dis- 
covered, such  may  have  existed ;  and  supposing  that  to 
be  the  case,  it  would  be  fair  to  infer  that  A.  pectuncu- 
loides was  the  ancestor  of  A.  glacialis.  Naturalists 
have  been  so  much  accustomed  to  regard  species  in  an 
objective  point  of  view,  and  not  as  abstract  ideas,  that 
it  is  difficult  to  bring  their  minds  into  the  proper  frame 
of  thought  for  discussing  speculative  theories  upon  con- 
fessedly so  difficult  a  question  as  the  origin  of  species. 

The  present  species  is  the  A.  raridentata  of  S carles 
Wood,  who  has  recognized,  in  his  work  on  the  Crag 
MoUusca,  the  priority  of  Scacchi's  publication,  and 
adopted  the  name  which  I  have  now  given ;  and  it  ap- 
pears to  be  also  the  A.  pusilla  of  Nyst. 

B.  Shell  equivalve :  teeth  numerous  and  uniform,  set  across 

the  hinge-plate,  and  either   divided  into  two   rows  or 
arranged  in  a  single  and  continuous  row. 

N   ^     2.  A.  OBLiQUA*,  PhiHppi.  U.3o       ^^^+ 

A.  obliqua,  Phil.  Faun.  Moll.  Sic.  ii.  p.  43,  t.  xv.  f.  2. 

Shell  obUquely  oval,  with  a  rhomboidal  outhne,  much  nar- 
rower at  the  anterior  side,  and  spreading  out  on  the  other  side, 

*  Oblique. 


176  ARCIDiE. 

compressed  in  the  middle  and  indistinctly  farrowed  by  a  lon- 
gitudinal groove,  which  runs  from  the  beak  to  the  front  margin, 
convex,  rather  solid,  scarcely  glossy :  sculpture,  numerous  fine 
and  rounded  ribs,  radiating  from  the  umbo,  and  equally  nume- 
rous but  laminar  transverse  striae  which  are  raised  or  imbricated 
over  the  longitudinal  ribs — a  reticulated  appearance  resulting 
from  their  crossing  each  other  :  colour  milk-white :  epidermis 
thin  and  silky :  margins  rounded  on  all  sides  except  behind, 
with  a  slight  inflection  in  front,  sloping  abruptly  on  the 
anterior  side,  and  wedge-shaped  on  the  posterior  side  ;  dorsal 
angle  well  developed :  heaks  small,  blunt,  and  glossy,  placed 
near  the  anterior  margin  and  close  to  the  hinge-line  :  ligament 
yellowish,  slight,  and  narrow :  hinge-line  nearly  straight, 
occupying  three-fourths  of  the  shell's  breadth,  gently  curved  : 
teeth  arranged  in  two  rows,  that  on  the  anterior  side  consist- 
ing of  4  or  5,  and  the  other  of  10  or  12,  set  nearly  at  a  right 
angle  to  the  hinge-line,  but  slightly  diverging  as  they  ap- 
proach each  end ;  the  intermediate  space  is  smooth :  inside 
porceUanous,  marked  with  a  few  longitudinal  striae,  which 
only  extend  to  the  paUial  scar ;  margin  thickened  and  broad, 
with  the  edges  faintly  crenulated :  muscular  scars  very  large 
and  conspicuous.     L.  0*15.   B.  0-2. 

Habitat:  80-85  fathoms,  off  Unst,  in  shell-sand. 
Two  valves  only  (right  and  left)  have  been  found,  one 
by  myself  and  the  other  by  Mr.  Waller ;  both  are  fresh 
p,nd  perfect.  It  is  a  Scandinavian  species,  and  has  been 
taken  by  Danielssen  in  60-80  fathoms  at  Vadso,  by 
Sars  in  West  Finmark,  and  by  Malm  in  100  fathoms 
on  the  Bohuslan  coast.  It  was  discovered  by  Philippi 
in  newer  tertiary  strata  at  Lamato  in  Calabria;  and 
Mr.  M ^Andrew  has  shown  me  two  recent  valves  which 
he  received  from  thie  late  Professor  Forbes,  probably 
^gean. 

This  interesting  addition  to  the  British  mollusca  is 
intermediate  between  A.  pectunculoides  and  A.  lactea. 
From  the  former  it  differs  in  being  shorter  in  proportion 
to  its  breadth  (the  shape  also  being  more  oblique),  and  in 
having  the  beaks  placed  much  nearer  to  the  anterior  side, 


ARCA.  177 

and  from  the  latter  in  its  smaller  size  and  coarser  sculp- 
ture, and  in  having  only  half  the  number  of  teeth.  The 
longitudinal  furrow  or  indentation  in  the  middle  is  also 
a  peculiar  character  of  the  present  species.  Norwegian 
specimens  are  twice  the  size  of  ours,  and  these  last  are 
larger  than  Forbes's  specimens. 

It  is  the  A,  Korenii  of  Danielssen  ('  Beretning  om  en 
Zoologisk  Reise/  1859)  and  A.  lactea  of  Malm.  The 
A.  obliqua  of  Reeve  is  a  West- African  shell,  and  a  very 
different  species. 

f^^'^'^      3.  A.  lac'tea *  \Linne.)  ^-lo 

A.  lactea,  Linn.  Sjst.  Nat.  p.  1141 ;  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  238,  pi.  xlvi.  f.  1-3. 

Body  white :  mantle  having  its  border  finely  notched,  and 
pale-red  towards  the  middle  of  the  dorsal  area;  the  under 
surface  of  the  ventral  Hne  is  marked  with  irregular  flake- 
brown  blotches  on  a  pale-yellow  ground,  and  the  upper  surface 
is  marked  for  some  Httle  depth  with  a  sand-like  rusty-brown 
belt  and  a  darker  interinipted  line  nearer  the  margin :  gills 
symmetrical  and  equal  in  size,  very  thin  and  gradually  taper- 
ing, pale  yellow :  foot  extensile,  fleshy,  and  pure  white :  bi/ssus 
short,  homy,  composed  of  several  leaf-like  threads. 

Shell  varying  in  shape  from  rhomboidal  to  triangular, 
tumid,  solid,  of  a  dull  hue :  sculpture,  numerous  and  fine  lon- 
gitudinal ribs,  which  become  fewer  and  stronger  at  the  sides, 
besides  slighter  and  rather  more  numerous  transverse  ribs, 
which  cross  the  other,  making  the  front  surface  appear  reticu- 
lated, and  forming  rows  of  minute  tubercles  at  the  point  of  inter- 
section ;  sometimes  a  few  smaller  and  intermediate  longitudinal 
ribs  are  perceptible  in  front:  colour  yellowish-white:  epidermis 
brown,  laminar  and  downy,  thicker  and  forming  towards  the 
front  and  sides  longer  threads,  which  occasionally  resemble 
short  bristles :  margins  rounded  at  the  anterior  side,  straight 
or  nearly  so  in  front,  obtusely  wedge-shaped  and  somewhat 
truncate  on  the  posterior  side,  with  a  blunt  keel  or  ridge  sepa- 
rating that  side  from  the  rest  of  the  shell,  and  which  is  very 
distinct  and  sharp  on  the  umbonal  area :  hyssal  sinus  some- 

*  Milk-white. 

I  5 


178  ARCID^. 

times  distinctly  visible  in  front:  heaks  small,  not  very  pro- 
minent, blunt  and  slightly  recurved :  ligament  thin,  and  re- 
sembling that  of  A.  jpectunculoides  in  every  respect,  except 
that  in  the  present  species  it  is  of  a  lozenge  shape,  corre- 
sponding with  that  of  the  ligamental  cavity,  which  is  deep ; 
the  number  of  cords  is  between  40  and  50 :  hinge-line  quite 
straight,  and  forming  an  obtuse  angle  at  each  end,  occupying 
about  two-thirds  of  the  entire  breadth  of  the  shell:  hinge- 
plate  as  in  the  last  species  :  teeth  about  35,  small  and  straight 
in  the  centre  of  the  hinge,  becoming  larger  and  diverging 
obliquely  and  gradually  towards  each  side,  so  as  to  form  a 
gently  curved  row ;  each  tooth  is  finely  striate  on  both  sides : 
inside  porcellanous,  marked  lengthwise  vdth  remote  striae  to 
within  a  short  distance  from  the  margin,  which  is  usually 
quite  smooth  and  plain,  although  occasionally  the  left  valve  is 
slightly  crenulated,  especially  on  the  posterior  side :  pallial 
scar  entire :  muscular  scars  very  large  and  well  defined,  of  a 
quadrangular  shape.     L.  0-45.   B.  0-65. 

Habitat  :  Gravel,  from  15  to  25  fathoms,  on  the 
English,  Welsh,  and  Irish  coasts,  from  Berwick  Bay  to 
Jersey,  and  also  at  Oban  (Bedford),  where  it  becomes 
rare.  It  is  fossil  in  the  Bed  and  Coralline  Crag,  as 
well  as  in  the  Subapennine  and  Sicilian  tertiaries. 
M ^Andrew  has  taken  it  at  low  water  in  Algarve,  and 
Forbes  at  from  10  to  150  fathoms  in  the  ^gean ;  it  is 
common  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  ranges  to  the  Canary 
Isles ;  but  it  does  not  appear  to  have  been  found  north 
of  the  British  Isles. 

Lister  first  noticed  this  species  as  English;  and 
Dr.  Pulteney  called  it  the  "  hairy  ark-shell.^'  Mr.  Clark 
has  remarked  that  the  foot  is  very  like  that  of  Galeomma 
Turtonij  showing  the  connexion  between  the  latter  and 
the  present  genus,  in  respect  both  of  the  animal  and 
the  shell.  A,  lactea  is  usually  fixed  by  its  byssus  to  the 
inside  of  old  bivalve  shells,  or  (in  the  south  of  Devon) 
wedged  in  crevices  of  loose  fragments  of  New  Red  sand- 
stone.    The  latter  circumstance  induced  Turton  at  one 


ARC A.  179 

time  to  suppose  that  the  animal  excavated  rocks ;  and 
he  gave  this  shell  the  specific  name  oiperforans,  believ- 
ing that  it  was  not  the  A.  lactea  of  Linne.  The  shell 
varies  considerably  in  the  proportion  of  its  difi'erent 
parts,  as  well  as  in  the  comparative  tenuity  of  sculpture. 
It  never  grows  to  much  greater  dimensions  than  I  have 
stated  in  the  description.  My  largest  specimen,  which 
was  evidently  a  veteran,  and  must  have  outlived  most 
of  its  generation,  is  not  much  more  than  three-quarters 
of  an  inch  in  length. 

I  should  have  been  inclined  to  consider  the  present 
species  the  A.  modiolus  of  Linne,  if  it  were  not  for  the 
expression  that  it  is  exactly  the  shape  of  Mytilus  mo- 
diolus and  the  size  of  a  large  bean.  The  rest  of  his  de- 
scription agrees  with  it  in  every  particular.  He  even 
placed  A.  modiolus  in  one  section  as  having  a  plain 
margin,  and  A.  lactea  in  another  as  having  a  notched 
margin.  He  says  both  inhabit  the  Mediterranean,  and 
that  A.  lactea  is  '^  diaphana,''  which  is  certainly  not 
the  case  in  our  shell.  In  all  probability  his  A.  lactea  is 
the  A.  imbricata  of  Poli,  a  thinner  shell  and  having 
the  inside  margin  strongly  notched.  Brocchi  applied 
Miiller's  name  of  nodulosa  to  the  present  species,  be- 
cause A.  lactea  was  described  by  Linne  as  possessing 
the  last-mentioned  character  ]  and  for  the  same  reason 
Poli,  Olivi,  Chierighini,  and  Costa  adopted  the  name  of 
A.  modiolus.  But  I  will  not  venture  to  expunge  the 
generally  received  name  of  lactea^  and  to  substitute  for 
it  another  which  is  referred  by  many  conchologists  to  a 
common  West-Indian  shell — especially  as  so  much  ob- 
scurity stiU  involves  several  of  the  Linnean  species, 
notwithstanding  the  laborious  research  devoted  to  the 
subject  by  Mr.  Hanley.  What  we  call  A.  lactea  may 
be  the  A,  barbata  of  MuUer's  '  Prodromus,'  although 


180  AIICID^. 

certainly  not  that  of  Linne.  Pennant  made  tlie  same 
mistake.  It  has  had  many  other  names,  including 
Mytilus  Garnseim  (Petiver),  A,  crinita  (Pulteney),  A, 
Gaimardii  and  A.  Quoyii  (Payraudeau),  A,  striata 
(Reeve),  and  A.  Pennantiana  (Leach). 

I  found  a  small  single  valve  of  A.  nodulosa,  Miiller, 
in  some  dredged  sand  from  Shetland.  This  species  in- 
habits the  Swedish  and  Norwegian  coasts,  and  occurs 
at  depths  varying  from  15  to  150  fathoms.  The  shell 
is  broader  or  more  produced  at  each  end,  and  thinner 
than  that  of  A,  lactea ;  the  sculpture  consists  of  several 
longitudinal  rows  of  vaulted  or  imbricated  scales  instead 
of  cross  ribs ;  and  the  teeth  are  not  half  so  many  as  in 
the  other  species,  and  they  are  placed  more  obliquely  or 
diagonally.  It  is  closely  allied  to  A.  imbricata,  but  in 
that  species  the  inside  margin  is  notched.  A.  asperuy 
Philippi,  from  the  Sicilian  tertiaries,  appears  to  be  the 
same  as  Miiller's  species. 

jA-io  4.  A.  tetrago'na"^,  Poli.  ^^5'>^     sKi-- 

A.  tetragona,  Poli,  Test.  Sic.  ii.  p.  137,  t.25.  f.  12,  13;  R&H.  ii.  p.  234, 
pi.  xlv.  f.  9,  10,  and  (animal)  pi.  P.  f.  1. 

Body  white  :  mantle  havin^^  its  border  plain,  but  the  upper 
half  of  it  on  the  posterior  side  is  fringed  with  about  40  close- 
set  and  equidistant  ocelH  or  dark  dots,  which  vanish  or  are  in- 
distinct towards  the  anterior  side  ;  the  margin  is  also  mottled, 
both  above  and  below,  with  flakes  of  pale  yellow :  yills  nearly 
coequal  in  size,  and  striated,  of  a  brown  colour:  li/ps  ex- 
panded, formed  out  of  the  extremities  of  the  gills  :  foot  white 
and  subconical,  tapering  to  a  blunt  point,  and  furnished  with 
a  deep  byssal  groove :  hyssus  dark-green,  composed  of  a  few 
leaf-hke  plates. 

Shell  forming  an  irregular  parallelopipedon,  and  angular, 
sometimes  twisted  on  the  posterior  side,  very  tumid,  solid,  of 
a  dull  hue :  sculpture,  the  same  as  in  the  last  species :  colour 

*  Quadrangular. 


i 


ARCA.  181 

yellowish,  irregularly  mottled  with  reddish-brown :  epidermis 
light  brown,  filamentous,  and  forming  rows  of  short  leaf-like 
bristles  in  the  interstices  of  the  longitudinal  ribs,  becoming 
thicker  towards  the  front  and  at  the  sides  :  margins  rounded 
on  the  anterior  side,  which  is  very  short,  flexuous  in  front, 
wedge-shaped  and  pointed  at  the  posterior  side,  where  a  sharp 
keel  runs  obliquely  from  the  beak  to  an  acute  angle  at  the 
extremity  of  the  posterior  slope :  hyssal  sinus  long  and  wide  : 
heahs  small,  slightly  recurved,  and  widely  separate  from  each 
other  owing  to  the  extent  of  the  liga  mental  area :  ligament 
thin,  of  a  golden-brown  tint,  lozenge-shaped  and  composed  of 
several  strips  or  bands  placed  diagonally;  ligamental  cavity 
very  large  and  deep,  usually  smooth,  but  occasionally  striated 
by  the  impression  of  the  ligament :  hinge-line  straight,  forming 
nearly  a  right  angle  at  each  extremity,  its  length  equalling 
the  entire  breadth  of  the  sheU  :  hinge-plate  broad  and  strong, 
considerably  wider  at  the  posterior  extremity :  teeth  40-50, 
arched,  perpendicularly  striated  on  both  sides  and  having  their 
crests  consequently  notched ;  those  on  the  posterior  side  are 
the  longest,  and  many  of  them  are  double :  inside  porcellanous, 
partly  stained  with  reddish-brown  and  green  blotches ;  margin 
slightly  crenulated,  especially  on  the  anterior  side :  paUial 
scars  flexuous  :  muscular  scars  oval,  very  large  and  conspicuous. 
L.  0-85.  B.  1-5. 

Habitat  :  Rocky,  stony,  and  shelly  ground  on  aU 
our  coasts  and  at  all  depths.  In  Bantry  Bay  it  is  not 
uncommon  at  low  water,  closely  wedged  in  the  chinks 
of  slate-rocks,  the  shape  being  distorted  and  the  surface 
scraped  in  consequence  of  the  confined  position.  The 
abrasion  is  perhaps  caused  by  the  uneasiness  of  the 
animal,  through  its  continual  endeavours  to  extricate 
itself  or  change  its  place.  In  deeper  water  (20-90 
fathoms)  it  occupies  the  crevices  of  large  stones  and  the 
hinge-cavities  of  old  bivalve  shells.  In  all  cases  it  is 
firmly  attached  by  its  byssus,  and  not  a  slight  degree  of 
force  will  suffice  to  dislodge  it.  It  is  a  Red  and  Coral- 
line Crag  fossil.  The  foreign  distribution  of  this  species 
extends  from  Finmark  to  the  ^Egean  Sea  on  the  east, 
and  to  the  Azores  and  Canaries  on  the  west.  ,  Asbjorn- 


182  ARCID^. 

sen  has  dredged  it  on  the  coast  of  Norway  in  10-20 
fathoms,  and  Malm  on  the  coast  of  Sweden  in  80-100 
fathoms.  M'Andrew  has  taken  it  alive  on  the  Spanish 
shore ;  and  Forbes  has  recorded  its  range  of  depth  in 
the  JEgean  as  30-80  fathoms. 

The  valves  of  this  curious  shell  are  so  deep,  that 
Lister  mistook  them  for  sessile  Barnacles,  and  called 
them  Balanus  Bellonii.  The  animal  is  very  shy  and 
sensitive.  According  to  Mr.  Clark  a  glutinous  fluid 
appears  to  exude  from  a  special  gland  to  supply  the 
byssus,  which  is  moulded  by  the  foot.  Capt.  Brown 
says  the  shell  ^^  burrows  in  hard  clay  and  limestone 
rocks " ;  but  this  does  not  accord  with  my  observation 
of  its  habits. 

In  all  probability  this  is  the  Norwegian  shell  men- 
tioned by  Linne,  in  his  '  Systema  Naturse,'  as  like  A. 
tortuosa  but  of  much  smaller  size.  That  species  in- 
habits the  Indian  Ocean.  Miiller  applied  the  above 
name,  in  his  '  Prodromus,'  to  what  appears  to  be  the 
present  species,  and  Pennant  did  the  same  in  his  '  British 
Zoology.^  Lamarck  called  it  A.  cardissa.  Montagu 
and  subsequent  writers  on  British  conchology  considered 
it  was  the  A.fiisca  of  Solander's  MS.,  although  Bru- 
guiere^s  species  of  that  name  is  difierent.  Turton,  in 
his  '  Conchological  Dictionary,'  mistook  it  for  A.  Noce 
of  Linne,  a  well-known  Mediterranean  shell,  which  has 
never  been  authenticated  as  a  native  of  the  British  seas. 
Philippi  and  Loven  adopted  Bruguiere's  name,  navi- 
cularis ;  but  that  species  is  stated  to  inhabit  the  coast 
of  St.  Domingo,  and  is  very  unlike  our  shell.  Mr.  Reeve 
has  added  another  name  {Britannica)  to  this  long  list. 
Weinkauff  has,  on  the  other  hand,  proposed  a  reduc- 
tion of  the  catalogue,  by  uniting  the  present  species 
with  A,  Noa.     He  says  that  he  has  found  specimens  at 


ARCA.  183 

Algiers  showing  the  transition  of  one  of  these  species 
from  the  other. 

The  accentuation  of  the  name  tetragona  has  also 
perplexed  many  conchologists.  There  is  no  question 
that^  if  it  were  formed  into  a  Latinized-English  word, 
the  accent  would  lie  on  the  second  syllable,  as  is  the 
case  in  pentagonal  and  hexagonal,  and  Dr.  Latham  was 
quite  right  in  saying  that  English  quantities  are  not 
Latin  quantities.  But  tetragona  being  a  Latin  word,  it 
seems  to  me  that  the  classical  mode  of  accentuating 
words  written  in  that  language,  according  to  their 
correct  or  accustomed  quantity,  ought  to  be  used  in 
pronouncing  such  names  as  the  present.  This  name 
being  derived  from  r^oivia  ^^  an  angle,^'  and  having 
been  adopted  by  the  Romans,  as  well  as  the  Greek 
combination  of  the  same  root  with  other  numerals,  the 
penultimate  syllable  is  long,  and  I  have  therefore  placed 
the  accentuating  mark  over  it. 

I  have  now  before  me  the  original  specimen  of  Turton's 
A.  reticulata,  which  he  said  was  found  in  Lough  Strang- 
ford  by  his  son-in-law.  Dr.  Macgee.  It  is  not  the-^. 
reticulata  of  Gmelin,  but  the  A.  bar  bat  a  of  Linne,  and  is 
a  rather  common  Mediterranean  shell.  Mr.  Dillwyn 
gave  me  two  single  valves,  in  a  much  worn  state,  received 
by  him  from  Miss  Hutchins,  as  having  been  collected  by 
her  in  Bantry  Bay,  and  which  he  sent  to  Montagu  for 
his  inspection.  The  paper  in  which  they  were  wrapped 
still  bears  the  name  "  A.  barbata  "  in  the  handwriting  of 
the  latter  naturalist.  I  do  not  consider  this  evidence 
sufficient  to  include  the  species  among  our  indigenous 
mollusca.  Collard  des  Cherres,  however,  has  enumerated 
it  in  his  list  of  shells  living  on  the  coast  of  Brittany,  and 
it  may  therefore  be  looked  for  in  the  Channel  Isles. 

The  Turtonian  collection  also  contains  a  specimen  of 


184  GALEOMMID^. 

A.  imbricata,  or  an  allied  species  from  the  West  Indies, 
enclosing  the  dried  remains  of  the  animal,  and  marked 
in  his  handwriting  "  Area  rostrata,  Plymouth/'  Mr. 
Leckenby  found  a  dead  specimen  and  an  odd  valve  of 
the  same  species  in  a  mass  of  Filograna  complexa,  which 
was  brought  to  him  by  a  fisherman  from  the  Dogger 
bank.  I  merely  notice  the  occurrence  of  these  shells 
with  a  view  to  further  inquiry. 

Family  VII.  GALEOM'MID^,  Gray. 

Body  oval,  compressed,  thick  and  fleshy:  mantle  closed, 
except  in  front  for  the  passage  of  the  foot,  and  at  each  end, 
where  a  tube  is  formed  for  alimentary  and  excretal  purposes ; 
it  has  two  lobes,  one  of  which  is  folded  externally  over  the 
shell,  and  the  other  is  internal,  and  has  its  margin  fringed 
with  cirri  or  filaments  and  is  studded  with  ocelli :  gills  two  on 
each  side  :  foot  large  and  flexible  :  hyssus  strong. 

Shell  oblong,  equivalve,  nearly  equilateral,  pearly  and 
reticulated,  gaping  widely  in  front :  cartilage  internal :  hinge 
toothless. 

This  curious  and  anomalous  family  consists  of  only 
one  genus  and  one  species,  so  far  as  concerns  the  British 
moUusca ;  and  neither  the  family  nor  that  genus  is  well 
represented  abroad.  It  is  related  to  the  last  family 
through  Area,  and  to  the  next  family  {Kelliida)  through 
Lepton;  but  it  cannot  be  placed  in  either,  consistently 
with  the  ordinary  principles  of  classification.  The  ani- 
mal of  Galeomma  has  ocelli,  like  some  species  of  Area ; 
and  the  shell  of  each  has  a  straight  hinge-line,  and  a 
large  opening  on  the  opposite  side — for  the  passage  of 
the  foot  in  the  one  case,  and  of  the  byssus  in  the  other. 
But  the  shell  of  Galeomma  is  covered  by  a  fold  of  the 
mantle,  instead  of  by  an  epidermis,  and  for  the  external 
ligament  of  Area  is  substituted  an  internal  cartilage ; 


GALEOMMA.  185 

and,  moreover,  it  wants  the  characteristic  feature  of  the 
last-mentioned  genus,  viz.  the  numerous  cardinal  teeth  : 
the  hinge  of  Galeomma  has  no  tooth  of  any  kind.  Its 
habit  of  active  locomotion,  the  structure  of  its  shell,  and 
its  internal  cartilage  connect  it  with  Lepton-,  but  in 
that  genus  the  shell  is  capable  of  being  completely 
closed,  and  it  is  furnished  with  both  cardinal  and  lateral 
teeth.  Forbes  and  Hanley  united  the  present  family 
with  Kelliidae  ;  and  Clark  placed  it,  as  well  as  the  genus 
Lepton,  in  the  Area  family.  Gray  proposed  to  make 
one  family  of  Galeomma^  and  another  of  Lepton ',  but 
the  latter  does  not  form  an  isolated  or  aberrant  group, 
like  the  former ;  and  if  every  genus  is  to  be  raised  to 
the  rank  of  a  family,  the  organization  of  natural  history 
may  be  compared  to  an  army  consisting  of  officers  only. 
The  members  of  this  family,  although  by  no  means 
numerous,  are  widely  distributed  over  the  globe,  except 
towards  the  north  pole.  Our  single  European  species 
does  not  seem  to  have  travelled  to  a  higher  latitude  than 
the  southern  coasts  of  Great  Britain. 

Genus  GALEOM'MA*,  Turton.     PI.  IV.  f.  6. 

Characters  described  above,  as  belonging  to  the 
family. 

The  singular  shell  which  represents  this  genus  in  the 
European  fauna  was  discovered  by  Dr.  Turton  nearly 
forty  years  ago ;  and  its  no  less  remarkable  animal  was 
first  noticed  by  Scacchi,  a  Neapolitan  conchologist. 
In  1834  Quoy  and  Gaimard  published  an  account  of 
another  species,  which  they  referred  provisionally  to 
Psammobia,  and  which  constitutes  one  of  the  numerous 
additions  to  science  made  in  the  course  of  their  cele- 
*  Cat's  eye. 


186  GALEOMMIDiE. 

brated  voyage  in  the 'Astrolabe/  France,  Russia,  Austria, 
and  even  the  comparatively  poor  kingdom  of  Sweden, 
as  well  as  the  United  States,  have  excelled  us  in  such 
enterprises;  and  all  that  our  own  wealthy  nation  has 
undertaken  in  this  way  of  late  years  has  been  more 
owing  to  a  spirit  of  commercial  enterprise  than  to  a 
desire  of  promoting  philosophical  knowledge.  Surely 
some  of  our  numerous  smaller  ships  of  war  and  their 
hardy  crews  might  be  advantageously  employed  in  sci- 
entific expeditions  to  various  parts  of  the  world,  instead 
of  the  vessels  rotting  in  harbour,  and  our  seamen  be- 
coming discontented  by  an  irksome  and  monotonous 
routine  of  discipline.  The  stale  question  of  cui  bono 
might  be  easily  answered  by  pointing  to  such  men  as 
Sabine,  Fitzroy,  Darwin,  Joseph  Hooker,  Busk,  Hux- 
ley, Jukes  and  others,  who  were  formerly  educated  in 
similar  voyages  of  research.  The  influence  of  their 
works  on  the  mind  and  character  of  the  people  has  been 
eminently  and  notoriously  beneficial ;  and  we  should  all 
have  deep  cause  for  regret,  were  this  race  of  great 
masters  to  become  extinct  and  be  superseded  by  a  class 
of  political  economists  who  could  only  teach  us  where 
cotton  might  be  best  obtained,  or  what  efiect  a  gold 
instead  of  a  paper  currency  may  have  on  the  material 
prosperity  of  the  next  generation.  No  thinking  person 
will  deny  that  science  ought  to  be  an  important  branch 
of  national  education.  If  any  part  of  the  public  money 
is  to  be  so  applied,  teachers  of  natural  history  must  be 
instructed — not  as  at  present  by  skimming  books  of 
doubtful  authority  and  superficial  information,  but  by  a 
course  of  sound  and  practical  lessons,  such  as  would  be 
acquired  by  means  of  voyages  of  discovery.  The  notion 
that  science  can  take  care  of  itself,  and  that  its  votaries 
can   provide  their  own   amusement,   is   only   another 


GALEOMMA.  187 

form  of  the  dangerous  maxim  laissez  faire.  The  great 
masses  are  like  children,  and  ought  to  be  educated  as 
well  as  protected  ;  and  if  proper  tuition  is  not  afforded, 
their  minds  may  be  occupied  with  other  and  less  inno- 
cent thoughts,  and  deplorable  consequences  may  result 
to  their  short-sighted  governors  from  a  want  of  timely 
precaution.  As  Montaigne  aptly  says,  "  Fame  descharge 
ses  passions  sur  les  objets  faux  quand  les  vrais  luy  de- 
faillent/' 

Let  us,  however,  return  from  politics  to  Galeomma. 

Its  nearest  ally  is  Area.  Both  have  the  same  shape, 
the  ventral  gape  is  similar,  the  hinge-line  is  nearly  as 
straight,  and  the  mantle  is  equally  furnished  with  ocelli. 
But  here  the  analogical  resemblance  ends.  The  animal 
of  Area  has  no  tube,  and  the  shell  is  of  a  different  tex- 
ture. That  of  the  present  genus  has  an  internal  carti- 
lage instead  of  an  external  ligament,  and  it  entirely 
wants  the  peculiar  teeth  of  the  Area  family.  Mr.  Clark 
must  have  been  mistaken  in  supposing  he  saw  "  oblique, 
though  nearly  obsolete  teeth  on  the  ligamental  line  in 
Galeomma  TurtoniJ'  Owing  to  the  thinness  and  trans- 
parency of  its  shell,  the  oblique  striae  which  ornament 
the  external  surface  are  indistinctly  perceptible  through 
the  hinge-plate  of  its  outer  edge;  and  I  believe  this 
appearance  may  have  misled  my  usually  most  accurate 
friend  :  I  have  carefully  and  closely  examined,  with  dif- 
ferent powers  of  a  first-rate  microscope,  the  hinge-appa- 
ratus of  many  fresh  specimens,  and  never  could  detect 
the  slightest  vestige  of  any  tooth.  In  the  '  Proceed- 
ings'  of  the  Zoological  Society  for  1855  is  contained  an 
excellent  paper  by  M.  Deshayes  on  this  genus.  He  has 
there  described  no  less  than  twelve  new  species,  in  addi- 
tion to  G.  Turtoni  and  (provisionally)  the  Psammobia 
vitrea  of  Quoy.     Eleven  of  these  new  species,  however, 


188  GALEOMMID^. 

are  said  to  be  provided  with  teeth ;  so  that  either  the 
generic  character  in  that  respect  requires  alteration,  or 
the  species  in  question  may  belong  to  Lepton  or  an 
allied  genus. 

The  Galeommata  inhabit  rocky  ground,  and  are  found 
at  various  depths,  from  low-water  mark  to  the  coralline 
zone.  An  account  of  their  habits,  so  far  as  they  are 
known,  will  be  given  presently,  among  other  particulars 
of  our  unique  species. 

Galeomma  Turto'ni^,  Editors  of  the  'Zoological    H*  i3<| 
Journal.' 

G.  Turtoni,  Turton  in  Zool.  Journ.  ii.  p.  361,  tab.  xiii.  f .  1 ;   F.  &  H.  ii. 
p.  105,  pi.  XXXV.  f.  11,  and  (animal)  pi.  O.  f.  5. 

Body  pure  white :  mantle  partly  closed  in  front,  with  an 
opening  for  the  foot,  of  a  thin  texture,  except  at  the  edge, 
which  is  muscular  and  forms  a  tumid  cord  extending  beyond 
the  shell ;  from  this  cord  is  thrown  off  a  double  wavy  margin, 
one  flake  of  which  is  stretched  Hke  an  extremely  thin  skin 
and  covers  the  shell,  and  the  other  or  inner  margin  is  marked 
with  equidistant  frosty- white  tubercles  or  ocelli,  8  or  9  on 
each  side,  with  fine  white  intermediate  filaments  :  incurrent 
tube  at  the  anterior  side,  wide,  irregularly  sinuous,  and  not 
always  present:  excurrent  tube  at  the  posterior  side,  small, 
with  a  plain  orifice  :  gills  of  equal  size  :  lips  2  on  each  side, 
more  coarsely  pectinated  than  the  gills,  of  which  they  appa- 
rently form  a  continuation :  foot  worm-like,  cylindrically  j 
tapering  to  a  point ;  the  byssal  groove  is  at  its  heel,  close  to  1 
the  body. 

Shell  transversely  oblong,  much  compressed  towards  each 
end,  thin,  opaque  except  when  held  up  to  the  light,  of  a  glis- 
tening aspect :  sculpture,  numerous  and  delicate  ribs,  which 
radiate  from  the  beak  to  the  margins,  curhng  round  towards 
the  back  or  hinge-area,  and  branching  off  (especially  in  front) 
at  irregular  intervals ;  these  ribs  are  crossed  by  still  more 
numerous  and  fine  transverse  or  concentric  striae,  and  by  their 

*  Named  in  honour  of  Dr.  Turton,  the  well-known  author  of  several 
works  on  British  Conchology. 


GALLOMxMA.  189 

intersection  the  angles  are  slightly  nodulous :  colour  snow- 
white  :  epidermis  not  visible  and  apparently  replaced  by  the 
pallial  membrane  :  margins  obliquely  truncate  and  wedge- 
shaped  at  the  anterior  side,  the  end  of  which  is  rounded,  gently 
curved  in  front  for  the  entire  breadth  of  the  shell,  with  an 
extremely  long  and  wide  ventral  gape,  more  decidedly  trun- 
cate and  somewhat  longer  at  the  posterior  side,  which  is  also 
wedge-shaped  and  has  a  rounded  end :  heahs  slightly  pro- 
minent, and  appearing  like  small  nipples,  placed  nearer  the 
anterior  side  :  hinge-line  nearly  straight,  occupying  more  than 
half  the  breadth  of  the  shell :  cartilage  oval,  yellowish-brown, 
Ijing  close  to  the  beaks  on  the  posterior  side :  hinge-plate  in- 
curved, somewhat  thickened,  terminating  on  the  anterior  side 
in  an  obtuse  angle,  and  merging  in  the  slope  on  the  other  side  : 
inside  pearl-white  and  glossy,  with  the  edges  finely  crenulated 
by  the  projection  of  the  longitudinal  ribs,  and  slightly  grooved 
on  each  side  below  the  hinge-plate :  muscular  scars  oval. 
L.  0-2.   B.  0-4. 

Habitat  :  Rocky  and  stony  ground,,  from  low- water 
mark  to  20  fathoms,  on  some  of  our  southern  shores ; 
but  it  is  very  local.  It  is  not  uncommon  in  the  little 
island  of  Herm,  where  it  was  probably  discovered  by 
Dr.  Turton  ;  single  valves  are  not  unfrequently  dredged 
off  Guernsey ;  Mr.  Clark  obtained  it  alive  in  the  same 
way  off  Exmouth ;  and  Mr.  W.  Thompson  has  taken  it 
in  Eschara  foliacea,  thrown  up  on  the  beach  at  Wey- 
mouth after  a  storm.  The  single  valve  mentioned  by 
Turton  in  his  original  description,  on  the  authority  of 
Dr.  Goodall,  was  formerly  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  George 
Humphreys,  and  is  said  to  have  come  from  Ireland.  It 
is  now  in  my  cabinet.  Cailliaud  has  found  it  on  the 
coast  of  Brittany,  D'Orbigny  at  Noirmoutiers  in  La 
Vendee,  M'Andrew  in  Vigo  Bay ;  and  several  others  have 
noticed  it  as  inhabiting  the  Mediterranean,  from  the 
Gulf  of  Lyons  to  Sicily,  as  well  as  the  Adriatic.  The 
only  occurrence  of  it  in  a  fossil  state  was  observed  by 
me  at  Biot  near  Antibes,  where  I  found  a  single  valve 


190  GALEOMMID^. 

in  a  raised  beach,  at  the  distance  of  about  a  league  from 
the  sea,  with  other  shells  belonging  to  species  that  are 
still  living  in  that  part  of  the  Mediterranean. 

Mr.  Clark  informed  me  that  he  gave  his  dredger, 
Branscombe,  a  guinea  for  the  first  specimen  taken  at 
Exmouth.  Branscombe's  account  was  that  he  captured 
the  same  day  a  second  specimen,  and  laid  it  on  one  of 
the  thwarts  of  his  boat,  until  the  jar  which  contained  its 
intended  companion  in  captivity  could  be  got  ready, 
but  that  in  the  mean  time  the  free  specimen  crawled 
away  and  escaped  overboard.  This  is  like  Mr.  Stutch- 
bury^s  story  of  the  once  rare  Trigonia  pectinata,  several 
specimens  of  which  he  unaccountably  lost,  before  he  was 
aware  of  its  habit  of  taking  a  long  leap,  and  he  wrongly 
accused  his  dredger  of  secreting  them.  As,  however,  it 
was  not  Branscombe^s  interest  to  keep  back  any  shell 
from  his  liberal  employer,  who  paid  him  much  better 
than  any  one  else,  the  disappearance  of  the  Galeomma 
in  the  mode  above  related  seems  very  probable.  Scacchi, 
Philippi,  Deshayes,  Mittre,  and  Clark  have  severally 
described  the  animal.  The  last-named  author  says, 
"  A  fasciculus  of  fine  filaments  issues  from  the  byssal 
fissure  in  the  foot,  which  fix  the  animal  so  firmly  to 
whatever  it  is  placed  on,  as  to  require  some  force  to  dis- 
turb it  'j  in  fact  the  byssus  is  discarded,  by  being  alto- 
gether withdrawn  from  a  slit  in  the  foot,  whenever  an 
attempt  is  made  to  remove  the  animal  by  force ;  but 
though  we  repeated  the  operation  several  times,  the 
little  creature  did  not  appear  to  be  injured  or  less  lively, 
but,  as  soon  as  it  had  crawled  to  some  distance,  we  had 
the  good  fortune  to  witness  the  formation  of  a  new 
byssus,  which  was  effected  by  the  discharge  of  a  light- 
green  gelatinous  opake  matter  from  the  fissure  at  the 
heel  of  the  foot,  which  by  its  ponderosity  resolved  itself 


GALEOMMA.  191 

into  delicate  fibrous  filaments  that  instantly  adhered  to 
the  saucer  :  we  detached  the  animal  several  times ;  the 
byssus  was  always  left,  and  a  new  one  formed.      On 
leaving  it  for  the  night,  in  a  marked  position,  we  found 
in  the  morning  that  it  had  detached  itself  by  abandon- 
ing the  byssus,  and  had  formed  another  at  a  consider- 
able distance.     The  animal  marches  with  great  rapidity, 
by  flatting  the  valves  into  the  form  of  a  circular  disk ; 
it  then,  by  the  foot,  aided  by  the  muscular  margins  of 
the  mantle,  makes  rapid  progression.   It  marched  across 
the  saucer  before  ten  could  scarcely  be  counted."     Mr. 
Alder  noticed  a  peculiar  expansion  of  the  mantle,  which 
invests  the  shell  like  a  membrane.     Philippi  had  pre- 
viously remarked  that  this  membrane  resembles  the 
true  skin  of  vertebrate  animals ;  but  Alder  has  given  a 
further  explanation  of  its  structure.     He  says  "  it  is  a 
continuation  of  the  true  skin,  and  consists  of  two  layers ; 
the  lower  of  which  is  slightly  muscular,  and  under  the 
microscope  the  muscles  may  be  seen  interlacing  each 
other  in  all  directions.    The  outer  layer  is  granular,  and 
is  covered  with  tubercles,  which  possibly,  when  the  ani- 
mal is  alive,  may  rise  into  papillse.     The  want  of  an 
epidermis  appears  to  be  thus  supplied.^'   The  interesting 
particulars   above   given  of  its  organization  make  us 
anxious  to  know  more  about  this  wonderful  mollusk ; 
and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  investigation  will  be  con- 
tinued by  Mr.  Alder,  or  prosecuted  by  some  other  ob- 
servant naturalist.     The  animal  is  hardy,  and  could  be 
safely  sent  by  post,  packed  in  Chondrus  crispus  or  some 
stiff  sea- weed,  to  any  place  within  reach  of  the  sea.    The 
number,  position,  and  nature  of  the  siphonal  tubes  have 
not  yet  been  satisfactorily  made  out.    Philippi  describes 
one  only,  Mittre  two  (besides  an  anomalous  organ  re- 
sembling the  large  tentacle  of  Lepton  squamosum)  y  while 


192  KELLIID.E. 

Clark  does  not  mention  any.  Nor  do  we  know  what  it 
feeds  on.  According  to  Mittre  it  lives  on  the  roots  and 
leaves  of  fiici;  but  at  Herm  these  sea- weeds  are  not 
found  in  the  spots  frequented  by  the  Galeomma.  He 
observes  that  they  look  like  beautiful  pearls,  when  seen 
beneath  the  water  at  a  depth  of  from  three  to  four 
fathoms.  Mr.  Dennis  remarks,  in  a  note  with  which  he 
has  kindly  favoured  me,  "  How  surprisingly  tough  the 
animal  of  Galeomma  Turtoni  is — quite  like  a  limpet ! 
They  occurred  at  Herm  in  little  colonies,  invariably 
where  a  large  loose  piece  of  granite  rested  against  the 
solid  rock,  and  never  under  stones  which  lay  flat.'^  The 
shell  resembles  that  of  Lima  in  its  composition  and 
structure.  Mr.  Norman's  cabinet  contains  a  specimen 
having  a  longitudinal  fold  in  the  middle  of  the  front 
margin,  and  resembling  in  that  respect  a  monstrosity  of 
Pisidium  fontinale,  which  I  noticed  in  page  26  of  the  first 
volume  of  the  present  work. 

This  species  is  the  Hiatella  Poliana  of  Costa,  H.  striata 
of  Delle  Chiaje,  and  Parthenope  formosa  of  Scacchi. 
Nardo  states  that  it  is  the  Tellina  aperta  of  Renier. 


Family  VIII.  KELLIID^,  {Kelliadce)  Forbes 
and  Hanley. 

Body  oval  or  suborbicular,  gelatinous :  mantle  open  in  front, 
as  well  as  in  most  genera  on  the  posterior  side  to  form  an  ex- 
cretal  tube ;  it  has  only  a  single  lobe,  the  margin  of  which  is 
fringed  with  cirri :  gills  2  on  each  side  :  foot  long  and  exten- 
sile :  hijssv^  sHght. 

Shell  triangular,  oval,  oblong  or  subglobose,  equivalve, 
more  or  less,  inequilateral,  thin,  variously  sculptured,  com- 
pletely closed :  epidermis  slight :  beaJcs  calyciform :  cartilage 
internal:  hinge  furnished  with  cardinal  or  lateral  teeth,  or 
with  both. 


LEPTON.  193 

All  the  Kelliidce  are  of  small  size.  They  are  also 
upstarts  in  a  conchological  point  of  view,  none  having 
been  known  to  Linne,  or  described  by  any  writer  until 
near  the  close  of  the  first  decade  of  the  present  century. 
But  the  family  came  into  this  country  long  before  the 
Conqueror.  Many  of  our  recent  species  flourished  in 
the  time  of  the  Coralline  Crag ;  and  the  history  of  their 
existence  in  these  dark  and  remote  ages  has  been  duly 
chronicled.  They  now  inhabit  both  hemispheres  :  one 
kind  of  Montacuta  is  found  in  the  Arctic  seas,  and 
species  of  that  and  other  genera  are  diffused  over  all  the 
vast  tract  of  sea  which  lies  between  Cape  Horn  and 

"  The  gulfy  coast  of  Norway  ironbound." 

A  peculiarity  of  this  family  consists  in  some  of  them 
being  viviparous.  This  is  certainly  the  case  with  Mon- 
tacuta substriata,  Lascea  ruhray  and  Kellia  suborbicu- 
laris.  The  Sph<sriid<B  resemble  these  members  of  the 
present  family  in  the  above-mentioned  peculiarity,  as 
well  as  in  shape. 

Genus  I.  LEPTON  ^  Turton.     PI.  IV.  f.  7. 

Body  voluminous:  mantle  protruded,  and  furnished  with 
long  tentacular  cirri :  foot  capable  of  being  expanded  into  a 
disk-Hke  form. 

Shell  roundish-oval  or  triangular :  cartilage  small ;  hinge 
furnished  with  a  single  cardinal  tooth  and  two  strong  lateral 
teeth  in  each  valve. 

This  genus  closely  resembles  Galeomma',  but  the 
animal  has  no  ocelli,  the  shell  does  not  gape  in  front, 
and  the  hinge  exhibits  a  goodly  array  of  cardinal  and 
lateral  teeth.  Mr.  Clark  has,  by  his  careful  observa- 
tions, completely  dispelled  the  commonly  received  idea 

*  Thin  as  a  scale. 

K 


194  KELLIIDiE. 

that  the  shell  gapes.  It  can  be  completely  closed  on  all 
sides  at  the  will  of  the  animal.  A  species  {L.  loripes), 
half  an  inch  long,  found  on  the  coast  of  Florida  has 
a  singular  habitat.  According  to  Mr.  Stimpson,  the 
discoverer,  "  it  lives  in  sand  or  mud,  on  the  flats,  near 
low-water  mark,  at  the  depth  of  a  foot  below  the  surface, 
and  generally  occupies  the  holes  of  marine  worms  and 
fossorial  Crustacea.'^  This  might  warrant  a  supposition 
that  the  animal  of  Lepton  is  predacious. 

Three  species  of  Lepton  are  enumerated  in  Dr.  Philip 
Carpenter^s  list  of  mollusca  from  the  west  coast  of 
North  America.  The  genus  Scintilla  of  Deshayes  ap- 
pears to  be  closely  allied  to  the  present  genus. 

A.  Shell  pit-marked. 
lA- i*  •  1.  Lepton  sQUAMo'suM  ^, vMontagu^  n'^.  133 

Solen  squamosus,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  i.  p.  565.    L.  squamosum,  F.  &  H.  ii. 
p.  98,  pi.  xxxvi.  f.  S,  9,  and  (animal)  pi.  O.  f.  6, 

Body  clear  white :  mantle  very  large,  having  its  margins 
flexuous  and  often  puckered  into  two  or  three  folds;  the 
margins  extend  considerably  beyond  the  shell,  and  from  them 
springs,  on  each  side  of  the  ventral  range  in  the  middle,  a  row 
of  25  rather  long,  slender  and  pointed  milk-white  tentacular 
filaments ;  the  pallial  margin  has  also  at  its  sides  40  long, 
strong,  close-set,  blunt,  frosty- white  cirri  of  different  lengths, 
one  of  these  last  filaments  being  much  larger  and  longer  than 
the  others,  and  resembling  one  of  the  tentacles  of  a  Gastero- 
pod :  excurrent  tube  short :  foot  bluish-white,  and  transparent, 
with  a  broad  streak  of  intense  snow-white  running  down  the 
middle,  and  a  still  more  conspicuous  flake  at  the  anterior  end ; 
it  is  fixed  to  the  centre  of  the  body  by  a  moderately  long 
pedicle.    (Clark.) 

Shell  roundish-oval,  with  a  tendency  to  a  square  outline 
in  consequence  of  the  front  margin  being  nearly  straight  and 
of  the  hinge-line  being  unusually  broad;  it  is  very  much 

*  Scaly. 


LEPTON.  195 

compressed  and  almost  flat,  thin,  semitransparent  and  glossy : 
sculpture,  numerous  and  minute  circular  pit-marks,  which  are 
caused  by  the  intersection  of  a  close  network  of  fine  longi- 
tudinal and  transverse  ribs,  the  former  radiating  from  the  beaks 
and  curved  towards  the  back  and  sides ;  there  are  also  distinct 
lines  of  growth,  which  vary  in  their  distance  from  each  other  : 
colour  snow-white :  epidermis  exceedingly  thin,  and  only 
shown  by  an  iridescent  hue  in  young  specimens  :  margins  ob- 
liquely truncate  on  both  sides,  with  the  angles  rounded,  some- 
what incurved  in  front,  and  slightly  curved  outwards  at  the 
back :  heals  small,  somewhat  prominent,  placed  a  little  nearer 
to  the  anterior  than  to  the  posterior  side :  hinge-line  gently 
curved,  occupying  nearly  one-third  of  the  circumference  of  the 
shell :  cartilage  triangular,  yellowish-brown,  close  to  the  beaks 
on  the  posterior  side :  hinge-plate  broad,  incurved,  excavated 
in  the  middle  for  the  reception  of  the  cartilage :  teeth,  one 
small  and  slight  but  upright  cardinal,  lying  directly  under  the 
beak  and  close  to  the  cartilage,  and  a  long  laminar  lateral  on 
each  side  of  the  cavity  containing  the  cartilage ;  the  lateral 
teeth  are  placed  at  a  little  distance  within  the  hinge-line :  in- 
side iridescent,  striated  lengthwise  but  irregularly;  margin 
plain  :  pallial  and  muscular  scars  usually  indistinct,  owing  to 
the  thin  texture  of  the  shell.     L.  0-575.   B.  0-45. 

Habitat  :  Shelly  gravel  and  sand,  in  8-20  fathoms, 
on  the  coasts  of  Cornwall,  Devon,  and  Dorset,  as  well  as 
at  Guernsey,  and  in  the  south  and  west  of  Ireland.  It 
is  recorded  in  the  '  British  MoUusca '  as  having  been 
found  by  Lyons  and  Hanley  at  Tenby,  by  M^Andrew  at 
Anglesea,  and  by  Barlee  at  Oban ;  but  another  locality 
there  given  on  my  authority  {'^  off  Skye '')  must  have 
originated  in  a  mistake.  S carles  Wood  found  a  single 
specimen  in  the  Coralline  Crag  at  Sutton.  Its  foreign 
range  appears  to  be  limited  or  little  noticed.  Lillje- 
borg  has  taken  it  at  Christiansund  in  Norway,  Malm 
and  Loven  on  the  coast  of  Bohuslan  in  Sweden  (the 
former  in  12-20  fathoms),  I  found  it  at  Etretat  in  Nor- 
mandy, Cailliaud  in  the  Departement  of  Loire-inferieure, 
and  M ^Andrew  dredged  it  at  8  fathoms  in  Vigo  Bay. 
It  may  be  decidedly  considered  a  local  species. 

k2 


196  KELLIIDiE. 

This  curious  shell  was  discovered  by  Montagu,  and 
described  by  him  from  a  single  valve.  Although  quite 
aware  that  it  did  not  belong  to  any  of  the  Linnean 
genera,  he  was  much  more  averse  than  naturalists  of  the 
present  day  to  travel  out  of  the  beaten  path,  and  he 
therefore  provisionally  placed  it  in  Solen.  Its  shape  is 
not  very  dissimilar  from  that  of  a  Solenicurtus.  Its 
nearest  comparison,  however,  would  be  to  a  fish-scale ; 
and  its  sculpture  is  equally  beautiful,  and  resembles  the 
finest  J  ace  laid  out  on  cambric.  The  pit-marks  which 
cover  the  surface  of  the  shell  are  like  those  which  ladies 
so  often  see  on  the  top  of  their  thimbles,  but  without 
admiring  or  noticing  the  ornamentation,  their  thoughts 
perhaps  being  occupied  with  something  else.  The  re- 
fraction of  light  through  the  punctures  makes  the  silver- 
white  shell  appear  under  a  microscope  to  be  studded 
with  glittering  dew-drops.  Nor  is  the  animal  less 
curious  or  lovely  than  the  shell.  Two  excellent  ob- 
servers, Alder  and  Clark,  have  published  some  interesting 
details  of  its  peculiarities  and  habits.  Mr.  Alder  says 
that  the  single  filament  noticed  in  my  description  is 
waved  to  and  fro  like  a  tentacle  when  the  animal  is 
crawling,  and  apparently  enables  it  to  feel  its  way  as  it 
goes.  The  other  filaments  are  comparatively  motionless, 
floating  loosely  in  the  water,  though  capable  of  being 
thrown  out  or  withdrawn  at  pleasure.  The  edges  of  its 
large  foot  can  be  either  closed  or  expanded  so  as  to 
form  a  disk,  as  in  Nucula.  As  may  be  imagined  from 
the  size  of  the  foot,  the  Lepton  crawls  about  very  freely ; 
and  sometimes  it  swims  in  an  inverted  position  on  the 
under  surface  of  the  water,  in  the  manner  of  some  Gas- 
teropods,  the  hinder  part  of  the  foot  being  then  unfolded 
and  disk-shape ;  but  its  favourite  posture  is  that  of 
repose,  suspended  perpendicularly,  with  the  beaks  of  its 


LEPTON.  197 

shell  downward,  by  three  or  four  threads,  which  are  so 
fine  that  they  cannot  be  seen  by  the  naked  eye ;  and 
even  by  the  aid  of  a  magnifier  they  can  only  be  observed 
when  the  light  falls  upon  them  at  certain  angles.  AVhen 
the  animal  withdraws  into  its  shell,  the  latter  can  be 
completely  closed;  but  usually  the  valves  are  kept  a 
little  open,  and  the  mantle  protruded  beyond  them. 
Mr.  Clark  kept  a  specimen  alive  for  thirty-four  days  in 
a  glass  of  sea-water,  changed  daily,  and  it  was  seemingly 
as  vigorous  all  that  time  as  when  first  placed  in  captivity. 
He  states  that  when  it  was  in  motion  and  had  made  a 
step,  the  long  tentacular  filament  curled  inwards,  like 
the  fore-finger  of  an  open  hand  bent  down  to  the  palm, 
but  immediately  afterwards  it  resumed  a  straight  posi- 
tion to  await  another  step ;  all  the  other  filaments  were 
either  retractile  or  contractile,  separately  or  together. 
The  foot  can  form  a  disk  at  each  end.  According  to  his 
account,  a  glutinous  red  filamentous  matter  is  copiously 
poured  out  by  the  byssal  gland.  But  I  would  venture 
to  surmise  that  this  phenomenon  may  be  connected 
with  the  reproductive  functions.  Mr.  Clark  goes  on  to 
say,  "  The  animal  is  vivacious^  and  allowed  itself  to  be 
examined  many  times  daily;  it  marched  with  quick- 
ness, but  I  only  once  saw  it  progressing  in  a  vertical 
position ;  the  usual  posture  of  the  shell  is  to  rest  on  one 
of  the  disks,  which  is  frequently  changed  for  the  other ; 
the  adductors  did  not  appear  to  aUow  of  a  greater  open- 
ing of  the  valves  than  the  ordinary  extent.  The  animal, 
when  placed  at  the  bottom  of  a  glass,  always  crawled 
up  and  moored  itself  by  a  filament  at  the  side ;  some- 
times, however,  it  slipped  its  moorings  and  floated  free 
on  the  surface  of  the  water  with  the  umbones  down- 
wards, and  after  an  interval  refixed  itself  by  spinning  a 
byssal  thread.^'     He  subsequently  succeeded  in  obtain- 


198  KELLlIDiE. 

ing  another  lively  specimen^  which,  he  adds,  "  on  being 
placed  in  water,  at  once  unfurled  its  long  and  beautiful 
fringes,  and  exserted  the  ample  niveous  mantle  and  foot. 
This  is  certainly  the  prince  of  British  bivalves;  the 
snow-white  colour  of  both  animal  and  shell  sheds  over 
this  interesting  creature  the  inexpressible  charms  of 
purity  and  elegance/'  I  can  fully  sympathize  with  the 
enthusiasm  of  my  old  friend,  although  I  have  not  been 
equally  fortunate  in  seeing  the  paragon  he  has  so  well 
described.  But  I  hope  some  of  my  readers  will  endea- 
vour to  realize  the  truth  of  his  description  by  their  own 
experience ;  and  it  will  be  more  satisfactory,  for,  as  our 
best  of  poets  says, 

**  Beauty  itself  does  of  itself  persuade 
The  eyes  of  men  without  an  orator." 

Dr.  Leach  has  named  this  species  Eupoleme  cancellata. 
l^.iv.  2.  L.  ni'tidum"^,  Turton.       N1  (54- 

L.  nitidum,  Turt.  Conch.  Dith.  p.  63.     Kellia  nitida,  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  92, 
pi.  xxxvi.  f.  3,  4,  and  (i.  oiitidum)  App.  iv.  p.  255. 

Body  clear  white  and  gelatinous :  mantle  having  its  edges 
protruded  beyond  the  shell  as  far  in  proportion  as  in  L.  squa- 
mosum ;  it  is  closely  fringed  with  cirrous  filaments,  which  are 
more  developed  in  front  than  behind,  each  of  them  being 
studded  at  the  point  with  four  or  five  white  cilia,  so  sharp  and 
minute  as  to  require  a  high  power  to  see  them,  and  that  only 
in  certain  lights :  tube  formed  by  a  fold  or  projection  of  the 
mantle  at  the  anterior  end,  being  contrary  to  the  position  of  this 
organ  in  the  last  species  :  foot  pale  azure,  marked  with  intense, 
but  irregular  flake-white  minute  blotches  ;  each  end  from  the 
pedicle  or  stalk  is  of  equal  length  and  finely  pointed.  (Clark.) 

Shell  subrhomboid-oval,  somewhat  compressed,  not  very 
thin,  semitransparent,  and  glossy:  sculpture,  a  few  minute  pit- 
marks  near  the  beaks,  which  are  only  perceptible  by  the  aid 
of  a  high  magnifying  power,  besides  faint  and  irregular  con- 
centric striae  which  traverse  the  whole  surface,  and  are  visible 

*  Shining. 


-'-  —J'  ■ 

LEPTON.  199 

with  an  ordinary  lens  :  colour  varying  from  pale  yellowish  to 
clear  white :  epidermis  slight,  but  brilliant  and  prismatic : 
margitis  rounded  at  each  end,  much  broader  at  the  side 
furthest  from  the  beak,  very  slightly  curved  in  front,  and 
somewhat  angular  at  the  back :  heaks  prominent  and  projecting 
beyond  the  dorsal  margin,  placed  nearly  in  the  middle,  but  a 
little  towards  the  narrower  end  of  the  shell :  hinge-line  curved, 
occupying  about  one-fourth  of  the  circumference:  cartilage 
small  and  slight,  light  horncolour,  placed  close  to  the  beaks  on 
the  narrower  or  posterior  side :  hinge-plate  narrow,  incurved 
or  excavated  in  the  middle :  teeth  as  in  L.  sqimmosum,  but  they 
are  more  developed  and  lie  more  compactly,  the  cardinals  are 
more  oblique,  and  the  laterals  are  smaller,  and  placed  nearer 
the  hinge-line  in  consequence  of  the  groove  which  contains 
these  teeth  being  narrower  and  deeper  in  proportion  to  the 
size  of  the  shell :  inside  highly  iridescent,  and  microscopically 
striated  lengthwise;  margin  plain:  scars  distinct.  L.  0-1. 
B.  0-125. 

Var.  1.  convexa.  Shell  rather  more  convex,  and  coarsely 
pit-marked  throughout.  L.  convexum.  Alder,  Cat.  Moll.  North. 
«fe  Durh.  p.  93 ;  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  102,  pi.  xxxvi.  f.  10. 

Yar.  2.  lineolata.  Shell  rather  flatter  than  usual,  and  marked 
with  minute  longitudinal  lines. 

Var.  3.  pisidialis.  Shell  triangular  and  convex,  resembling 
in  shape  Pisidium  pusillum  (var.  ohtusalis),  marked  with  ex- 
ceedingly minute  wavy  ribs,  which  are  formed  by  the  con- 
fluence of  the  pit-marks. 

Habitat  :  Gravelly  sand  on  most  parts  of  our  coast 
from  the  Shetland  to  the  Channel  Isles,  in  from  10  to 
90  fathoms  :  although  local,  it  is  not  uncommon.  It  is 
a  Coralline  Crag  fossil.  Var.  1.  Equally  diffused  in  a 
recent  state.  Var.  2.  Loch  Fyne  (M^Nab) ;  Exmouth 
(Clark) ;  Guernsey  (J.  G.  J.).  Var.  3.  Torbay  (Web- 
ster). The  typical  form  has  been  found  by  Malm  on  the 
Swedish  coast  in  20-50  fathoms,  and  by  myself  in  the 
Gulf  of  Spezzia  in  18  fathoms.  Sars  has  noticed  its  oc- 
currence in  postglacial  beds  in  the  Christiania  district. 

According  to  Mr.  Clark  the  anterior  part  of  the  animal 


200  KELLIIDvE. 

occupies  the  broader  side  of  the  shell,  contrary  to  what 
is  the  usual  rule  in  bivalves  and  even  in  this  genus,  taking 
L.  squamosum  as  the  type.  His  remark  seems  to  be 
confirmed  by  the  position  of  the  cartilage  in  the  present 
species  being  different  from  that  in  L.  squamosum.  The 
characteristic  sculpture  of  L.  nitidum  is  extremely  varia- 
ble, but  never  absent.  In  apparently  the  smoothest  and 
most  glossy  specimens  the  pit-marks  may  always  be 
discerned  near  the  beaks  oculo  bene  armato.  In  all 
probability  Dr.  Turton  had  not  used  a  microscope  when 
he  described  the  shell  to  be  without  punctures.  From 
this  state  to  that  of  the  variety  convexa  the  gradations 
of  sculpture  are  almost  endless.  The  pit-marks  usually 
are  circular,  but  sometimes  they  are  oval,  elliptical, 
or  polygonal,  and  occasionally  they  are  confluent  and 
form  undulating  wrinkles  towards  the  front  margin. 
Not  unfrequently  one  half  only,  or  a  greater  or  less  por- 
tion, of  the  surface  is  thus  marked,  the  other  part  being 
quite  smooth.  Perhaps  the  most  elegant  kind  of  orna- 
mentation is  that  which  combines  the  impressions  exhi- 
bited by  the  first  variety  with  the  radiating  lines  of  the 
second.  The  shell  may  readily  be  distinguished  from 
the  young  of  the  last  species  by  being  much  less  com- 
pressed and  comparatively  more  solid,  by  its  beaks  and 
hinge-line  being  more  prominent,  and  the  teeth  in- 
finitely stronger  and  more  compact.  Mr.  Clark  says 
that  it  is  a  far  more  active  creature  than  L.  squamosum, 
creeping  up  a  glass  as  easily  as  a  Gasteropod ;  the  shell 
is  generally  carried  on  one  side,  with  the  foot  in  the 
same  position,  but  is  sometimes  held  upright  when  the 
animal  is  on  the  march.  This  little  gelatinous  mol- 
lusk,  enclosed  in  its  pellucid  valves, 

"  A  liquid  prisoner,  pent  in  walls  of  glass," 

and  having  the  borders  of  its  cloak  fringed  with  tufted 


LEPTON.  201 

hairs,  which  are  so  delicate  as  to  be  almost  invisible,  is 
not  less  worthy  of  admiration  than  its  larger  and  more 
showy  congener. 


B.  Shell  concentrically  grooved,  or  marked  with  fine  longitu- 
,     dinal  lines. 

N^f  »5^      3.  L.  sulca'tulum  *,  Jefireys.  j)^  .  3  ( • 

L.  sulcatulum,  Jeffr.  in  Ann.  Nat.  Hist.  3rd  ser.  Jan.  1859,  p.  34,  pi.  2. 
ir2a-g. 

Body  of  a  light  yellowish-brown  colour. 

Shell  nearly  circular,  the  contour  being  interrupted  only 
by  the  prominence  of  the  beaks,  somewhat  compressed,  thin, 
semitransparent  and  glossy:  sculpture,  broad,  numerous  and 
regular  concentric  ribs,  which  are  equally  strong  and  distinct 
throughout  the  surface,  and  still  more  numerous  and  fine  lon- 
gitudinal lines,  which  are  not  perceptible  by  the  naked  eye  : 
colour  clear  white :  epidermis  filmy :  margins  rounded  at  the 
sides  and  in  front,  with  a  gentle  fall  from  the  beak  to  each 
end  :  heaks  projecting  a  little  beyond  the  dorsal  margin,  slightly 
inclined  towards  the  narrower  and  shorter  side :  hinge-line 
obtusely  triangular,  occupying  scarcely  one-fourth  of  the  cir- 
cumference :  cartilage  small,  placed  close  to  the  beak  on  the 
shorter  side :  hinge-plate  broad  and  thick,  not  much  excavated 
for  the  reception  of  the  cartilage :  teeth,  one  strong  and  erect 
cardinal  in  the  left  valve,  and  a  much  smaller  one  in  the  right 
valve,  besides  a  remarkably  strong  and  triangular  lateral  on 
each  side  of  the  beak  in  both  valves ;  that  on  the  broader  side 
is  longer  than  the  other ;  the  grooves  into  which  these  lateral 
teeth  lock  are  correspondingly  deep :  inside  nacreous  and 
glossy,  with  a  plain  margin  :  scars  rather  distinct.  L.  0-055. 
B.  0-06. 

Habitat  :  Rather  plentiful  among  corallines  in  the 
laminarian  zone  at  Guernsey.  I  also  found  it  at 
Etretat  on  the  coast  of  Normandy,  as  well  as  among 
some  small  shells  from  Sardinia  which  I  received  from 
M.  Hupe  for  examination ;  and  I  noticed  specimens  in 

*  Slightly  furrowed. 

K  5 


202  KELLIID^. 

Mr.  M'Andrew^s  collection,  dredged  by  him  off  Orotava 
and  Lancerote  in  the  Canary  Isles. 

This  is  certainly  not  the  young  of  any  other  shell,  as 
might  be  hastily  imagined  on  account  of  its  minute  size. 
I  have  a  series  of  all  ages  from  the  fry  to  the  adult. 
Nor  does  it  resemble  any  other  British  shell.  In  some 
respects  it  is  even  abnormal  as  a  Lepton.  The  regular 
concentric  ribs  and  the  inclination  of  the  beaks  to  one 
side  do  not  occur  in  any  of  the  above-described  species. 
The  dentition,  too,  is  peculiar.  The  cardinal  tooth  in 
the  left  valve  is  united  by  a  ledge  with  the  lateral  tooth 
on  the  longer  and  broader  side  of  the  shell,  so  as  to  make 
both  appear  in  one  point  of  view  like  the  same  tooth. 
The  cardinal  tooth  in  the  other  valve  is  not  discernible 
unless  in  fresh  specimens,  and  by  means  of  a  Coddington 
lens  or  an  equally  strong  microscopical  power.  Even 
this  pigmy  shell,  barely  exceeding  half  a  line  in  length, 
is  sometimes  found  to  have  been  drilled  by  one  of  the 
smaller  Muricidce.  Ut^t^ 

U  ,\\ .  4.  L.  Clar'ki^  *,  Clark.     Ui  I y 

L.  Chirkia,  Clark,  in  Ann.  Nat.  Hist.  2nd  ser.  March  1852 ;  F.  &  H.  iv. 
p.  255,  pi.  cxxxii.  f.  7. 

Shell  triangularly  oval,  with  an  oblique  outline,  much  com- 
pressed, not  very  thin,  semitransparent  and  rather  glossy: 
sculpture,  slight  and  numerous  but  irregular  concentric  striae, 
which  are  stronger  and  more  crowded  in  front  and  at  the  sides, 
and  usually  a  few  snow-white  hues  or  streaks,  radiating  from 
the  beak  towards  the  margins  and  more  or  less  interrupted  ; 
the  surface  is  also  slightly  scabrous  or  rough  in  fresh  speci- 
mens :  colour  yellowish-white :  epidermis  extremely  thin : 
margins  abruptly  truncate  but  rounded  at  the  smaller  end, 
with  an  oblique  slope  to  the  ventral  margin,  which  is  likewise 
rounded,  very  broad,  and  wedge-like  at  the  larger  end,  and 
forms  a  blimt  angle  behind :  heahs  small,  projecting  beyond 

*  Named  out  of  compliment  to  Mrs.  Clark,  the  wife  of  tlie  distin- 
guished British  conchologist. 


LEPTON.  203 

the  dorsal  margin,  placed  considerably  nearer  to  the  posterior 
or  narrower  side,  which  is  not  half  the  size  or  breadth  of  the 
anterior  side :  hinge-line  obtusely  triangular,  occupying  about 
one-third  of  the  circumference :  cartilage  rather  large,  situate 
close  to  the  beaks  on  the  narrower  side:  hin^e-plate  rather 
narrow  but  thick,  deeply  excavated  in  the  middle :  teeth,  in  the 
left  valve  a  strong  and  oblique  cardinal,  and  a  long  laminar 
pointed  lateral  on  each  side  of  the  beak ;  in  the  right  valve  a 
very  minute  cardinal,  with  strong  lateral  teeth  as  in  the  other 
valve ;  all  the  laterals  are  nearly  of  equal  size,  and  diverge  a 
little  inwards  from  the  hinge-line :  inside  nacreous  and 
glossy,  with  a  plain  margin :  scars  not  very  distinct.  L.  0-085. 
B.  01. 

Habitat  :  Gravelly  sand,  at  depths  of  from  18  to  80 
fathoms_,  on  various  parts  of  our  coast,  but  not  every- 
where. The  localities  being  few,  I  will  enumerate 
them.  Shetland,  Arran  Isle,  co.  Galway,  Fowey  (Bar- 
lee)  ;  Exmouth  (Clark) ;  Plymouth  (Rouse) ;  Skye,  Bar- 
mouth, Lulworth,  Torbay,  Guernsey  (J.  G.  J.).  Al- 
though this  appears  at  present  to  be  rather  a  scarce 
species,  it  is  hoped  that  something  will  be  sooner  or 
later  known  of  its  distribution  in  other  parts  of  the 
European  seas,  as  well  as  of  the  animal.  The  proba- 
bilities are  much  against  any  of  the  marine  inverte- 
brata  being  exclusively  confined  to  the  line  of  soundings 
round  our  own  sea-girt  coasts. 

The  shell  differs  from  that  of  any  of  its  congeners  in 
the  obliquely  rounded  outline,  and  especially  in  the 
sculpture,  which  consists  of  fine  and  irregular  con- 
centric striae,  instead  of  pit-marks  or  regular  transverse 
and  parallel  ribs.  It  is  also  marked  with  longitudinally 
radiating  lines,  and  the  beaks  are  much  nearer  one  end. 
The  structure  of  the  hinge  agrees  better  with  that  of 
L.  mlcatulum. 


204  KELLIID^. 

Genus  II.  MONTACU'TA  ^  Turton.     PL  V.  f.  1. 

Body  oval,  rather  thick :  mantle  protruded,  and  fringed  with 
short  cirri :  excurrent  tube  sessile  :  foot  large,  tongue -shaped. 

Shell  triangularly  oval  or  oblong :  cartilage  proportionally 
large,  placed  underneath  the  beak  on  the  smaller  and  narrower 
or  posterior  side  :  hinge  furnished  with  two  strong  lateral  teeth 
in  each  valve. 

Montagu  preeminently  deserves  to  have  his  name 
commemorated  in  the  present  genus,  because  all  the 
known  British  species  were  discovered  and  admirably 
described  by  him.  Two  out  of  the  three  are  dwellers 
in  mud :  the  other  has  a  singular  habitat,  being  inva- 
riably found  attached  to  the  spines  on  the  under  side 
of  Spatangus  purpureus  and  other  Echinoderms  of  the 
same  kind. 

The  founder  of  this  genus,  Turton,  says  that  the 
hinge  is  furnished  with  cardinal  teeth  but  with  no  lateral 
ones.  This  appears  to  be  a  mistake  j  at  least  I  con- 
sider the  scheme  of  dentition  to  be  exactly  the  reverse 
of  the  above.  The  entire  space  under  the  beak  in  the 
hinge  of  each  valve  is  occupied  by  the  cartilage ;  and 
this  is  the  only  place  where  cardinal  teeth  must  be 
looked  for.  The  teeth  in  all  the  British  species  of  Mon- 
tacuta  are  long  and  laminar,  one  on  each  side  of  the 
cardinal  area,  and  diverging  obliquely  inwards.  A  deep 
cavity  or  indentation  is  thus  formed  in  the  hinge,  resem- 
bling the  letter  V  reversed,  and  enclosing  the  cartilage. 
The  sides  of  this  letter  represent  the  usual  shape  and 
position  of  lateral  teeth.  Cardinal  or  hinge  teeth  lie 
immediately  under  the  beak,  and  are  either  tubercular 
or  short.  The  cartilage  is  in  some  species  calcified  at 
its  point  of  attachment,  and  in  consequence  of  its  com- 

*  Dedicated  to  the  memory  of  Colonel  Montagu,  one  of  our  best  zoo- 
logists. 


MONTACUTA.  205 

position  not  being  homogeneous,  the  base  becomes 
hardened  to  such  an  extent,  that  a  cup-shaped  process 
or  "ossicle^'  is  formed,  which  can  be  separated  from 
the  shell.  It  can  only  be  detected  in  fresh  specimens 
before  the  cartilage  has  dried  up;  and  the  latter  is 
seldom  preserved,  owing  to  its  elastic  nature  and  slight 
attachment  to  the  pit,  which  is  fixed  and  forms  part  of 
the  shell.  The  genus  Thracia  has  nearly  the  same  kind 
of  process. 

Gould  was  of  opinion  that  the  present  genus  and 
Kellia  ought  to  be  united,  or  else  that  the  one  might 
merge  in  Ungulina  of  Daudin,  and  the  other  in  Erycina 
of  Lamarck.  Nyst  referred  Mont  acuta  to  the  last- 
mentioned  genus.  But  although  Lamarck  states  that 
the  ligament  in  Erycina  is  internal,  the  hinge  is  de- 
scribed as  having  cardinal  as  well  as  lateral  teeth.  The 
structure  of  the  hinge  in  Ungulina  is  very  different  from 
that  in  Kellia. 

Several  species  are  noticed  by  Dr.  Philip  Carpenter 
as  inhabiting  the  Gulf  of  California. 

( 5M. ) 
/V"tli2,  1.    MONTACUTA  SUBSTRIA'TA^,(MontagU.)        ^3l 

Ligula  substriata,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  Suppl.  p.  25.   M.  substriata,  F.  &  H. 
ii.  p.  77,  pi.  xviii.  f.  8,  8  a,  and  (animal)  pi.  O.  f.  2. 

Body  whitish  and  nearly  transparent:  mantle  having  its 
margin  simple,  and  largely  open  in  front  for  the  passage  of  the 
foot :  gills  large  and  conspicuous :  foot  muscular,  transparent, 
very  much  longer  than  the  shell,  issuing  from  the  broader  end, 
tapering  to  a  disk-like  point,  and  furnished  at  the  heel  with  a 
byssal  groove. 

Shell  varying  in  shape  from  a  long  to  a  short  oval,  with  an 
oblique  outHne,  rather  convex,  not  very  thin,  semitransparent, 
usually  of  a  dull  aspect,  but  sometimes  glossy :  sculpture, 
about  a  dozen  very  slight  and  indistinct  ribs,  which  radiate 
from  the  beak  but  do  not  quite  extend  to  the  front  margin ; 
there  are  also  a  few  white  longitudinal  streaks,  and  concentric 

*  Slightly  striated. 


206  KELLIIDiE. 

lines  of  growth  :  colour  yellowish -white  :  epidermis  extremely 
thin  :  margins  abruptly  truncate  but  rounded  at  the  smaller  or 
posterior  end,  with  an  oblique  slope  to  the  ventral  margin, 
which  is  also  curved  and  rather  deeply  indented  for  the 
byssus,  very  broad,  wedge-shaped,  and  rounded  at  the  anterioi 
end,  and  forming  an  obtuse  angle  behind :  leaks  small,  blunt, 
and  nearly  straight,  protruded  beyond  the  dorsal  margin ;  they 
are  placed  very  much  nearer  to  the  posterior  side,  which  is 
not  one-fourth  the  size  of  the  other :  hinge-line  slightly  curved, 
occupying  about  one-fifth  of  the  circumference :  cartilage 
yellowish-brown  and  semicylindrical,  clasping  the  hinge-hne 
on  the  posterior  side  of  the  beaks :  hinge-plate  short  and 
narrow,  but  strong,  not  deeply  excavated  in  the  middle  :  teeth 
triangular  and  pointed,  that  on  the  anterior  side  in  each  valve 
being  longer  and  rather  larger  than  the  other ;  the  teeth  in  one 
valve  lock  into  sockets  in  the  other,  but  not  in  the  correspond- 
ing valve  of  every  specimen — it  apparently  being  indifferent 
whether  the  right  or  left  valve  contains  the  more  prominent 
teeth  or  the  sockets :  inside  nacreous  and  glossy,  with  a  plain 
margin  :  pallial  and  muscular  scars  indistinct,  the  former  being 
more  perceptible  than  the  latter.     L.  0*115.    B.  0*125. 

Var.  Icevis.  SheU  smooth  and  destitute  of  the  radiating 
striae. 

Habitat  :  On  the  ventral  spines  of  Spatangus  pur- 
pur  eus,  and  occasionally  of  Amphidetus  ovatus  {A.  rosetts, 
Forbes),  in  sandy  ground,  at  depths  ranging  from  8  to 
90  fathoms,  on  every  part  of  our  coasts.  Capt.  Beechey 
took  it  alive  on  the  Spatangus  in  110-140  fathoms  off 
the  Mull  of  Galloway.  The  variety  is  from  deep  water 
in  Shetland.  It  is  a  Coralline  Crag  species.  Loven, 
Sars,  Asbjornsen,  M' Andrew,  and  Malm  have  recorded 
it  as  inhabiting  the  Scandinavian  seas  from  Finmark 
southwards,  Petit  as  found  in  the  north  of  France,  and 
Recluz,  Verany,  and  Mace  as  Mediterranean.  The  last- 
named  conchologist  informs  me  that  it  occurs  in  the 
Gulf  of  Lyons  on  Cidaris  hystrix.  Sars  mentions  that 
at  Naples  it  attaches  itself  to  Spatangus  meridionalis ; 
and  Malm  says  that  on  the  coast  of  Bohuslan  not  only 
S,  purpureus  and  A.  ovatus y  but  also  Brissus  lyrifer,  are 


MONTACUTA.  207 

favoured  with  its  company.  An  ally,  if  not  a  variety, 
of  the  present  species  of  Mont  acuta  was  described  by 
Recluz  in  the  '  Revue  de  Zoologie'  for  1844  under  the 
name  of  Erycina  seminulumy  and  stated  to  have  been 
discovered  by  M.  Caron  in  the  Mediterranean  on  the 
spines  of  different  kinds  of  sea-urchins,  principally 
Echinus  esculentus.  I  mention  these  cases  to  show  that 
it  is  not  confined  to  S.  purpureus,  or  the  "  purple-heart 
urchin,"  as  is  commonly  supposed. 

The  byssal  threads  by  which  this  curious  mollusk 
attaches  itself  are  exceedingly  strong  and  coarse.  Mr. 
Clark  observed  it  in  active  motion  after  he  had  sepa- 
rated it,  still  adhering  to  the  spines,  from  a  Spatangus. 
He  says,  "When  the  animal  marches,  its  foot  is  ex- 
tended, and  its  rounded  termination  is  instantly  fixed 
to  the  vase  in  which  it  is  deposited ;  then  by  the  re- 
tractor muscle  it  is  drawn  forward,  making  such  rapid 
progression  as  to  cross  a  watch-glass  in  a  minute,  and  on 
the  passage  turns  itself  several  times  by  a  twist  of  the 
foot  from  side  to  side."  In  another  description  which 
he  has  given  of  this  operation,  he  uses  the  appropriate 
expression  "  iterumque,  iterumque,"  to  show  the  toil- 
some march  of  the  little  creature,  which  evidently  would 
have  preferred  remaining  on  the  sea-egg  from  which  it 
was  so  unceremoniously  dislodged  to  taking  a  long 
walk  across  and  round  Mr.  Clark^s  watch-glass,  in  a 
vain  search  for  fresh  quarters  of  the  accustomed  sort. 
The  gills  and  green  liver  are  visible  through  the  shell 
in  some  specimens  which  are  more  transparent  than 
others,  the  former  crossing  it  diagonally.  The  shape 
and  position  of  the  cartilage  is  very  remarkable.  Some- 
times the  shell  is  partly  incrusied  with  a  ferruginous 
deposit.  The  number  of  fry,  with  their  shells  com- 
pletely formed,  which  are  found  in  some  individuals,  is 


208  KELLIID^. 

astonishing.  Many  hundreds  of  them,  packed  close  to- 
gether, and  glittering  like  microscopic  pearls,  might  be 
counted.  They  occupy  at  least  two-thirds  of  the  space 
enclosed  within  the  valves  of  their  parent ;  and  its  own 
body  seems  to  be  atrophied  and  dwindled  to  a  mere 
skeleton.  The  shell  is  in  fact  turned  into  a  crowded 
nursery.  Perhaps  the  parent  dies,  like  some  insects, 
immediately  after  all  its  progeny  have  been  developed. 
I  do  not  concur  in  the  general  belief  that  M.  substriata 
is  parasitic.  In  one  sense  only  can  it  be  said  to  live  on 
Echinoderms.  The  food  of  Spatangus  purpureuSj  on 
which  it  is  usually  found,  appears  to  consist  of  ani- 
malcula ;  and  for  that  purpose  it  swallows  large  quan- 
tities of  shell- sand,  causing  thereby  a  strong  and  fre- 
quent current  in  the  neighbourhood  of  its  mouth.  The 
Montacuta  probably  avails  itself  of  this  indraught,  and 
partakes  of  the  sustenance  intended  for  the  Spatangus, 
placing  itself  in  the  way,  with  its  alimentary  tube  or 
opening  turned  in  the  right  direction.  No  exudation 
from  the  Spatangus  has  been  noticed ;  and  its  excretions 
would  scarcely  be  produced  in  sufficient  quantity  for 
the  support  of  the  Montacuta,  or  perhaps  be  suitable  to 
it.  The  latter  has  no  suctorial  organ,  such  as  is  pos- 
sessed by  all  animal  parasites :  it  never  attaches  itself 
to  the  pedicellarise  or  any  other  soft  part  of  the  echino- 
derm;  nor  has  it  once  been  detected  on  the  back  or 
sides,  or  elsewhere  than  in  the  ventral  region,  of  its 
associate.  It  is  only  found  on  the  spines  close  to  their 
points.  [tVck^") 

u.-j,^.  2.  M.  BiDENTA'TA*,CMontagu.)     f/cj.  113 

Mya  bidentata,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  p.  44,  tab.  26.  f.  5.    Montacuta  bidentata, 
F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  75,  pi.  xviii.  f.  6  &  6  a. 

Body  clear  white :  mantle  having  a  bluish  tinge ;  its  margins 
*  Two-toothed. 


MONTACUTA.  209 

protruded  considerably  beyond  the  shell  and  fringed  with  bril- 
liant silvery,  close- set,  symmetrical,  blunt,  short  but  distinct 
indented  points,  which  extend  on  both  sides  to  near  the  beaks  : 
tube  scarcely  perceptible,  Ijing  within  the  posterior  margin  of 
the  shell :  foot  very  large,  long,  broad,  subtriangular,  hyaline, 
sprinkled  with  flake-white  spots  ;  it  is  slightly  bent  or  genicu- 
late, and  has  a  conspicuous  byssal  groove. 

Shell  triangularly  oval,  or  of  a  somewhat  rhomboidal 
figure,  compressed,  rather  sohd  and  opaque,  of  a  more  or  less 
dull  aspect :  sculpture,  irregular  lines  of  growth,  and  (occa- 
sionally) white  longitudinal  lines  or  streaks  as  in  the  last 
species :  colour  milk-white :  epidermis  not  very  thin,  pris- 
matic, and  marked  with  numerous  minute  concentric  striae 
which  impart  to  it  a  silky  appearance  under  the  microscope : 
margiTis  abruptly  truncate  at  the  smaller  or  posterior  end, 
nearly  straight  or  slightly  curved  in  front,  expanding  and 
rounded  at  the  anterior  end,  and  very  gently  sloping  behind 
from  the  beak  to  that  side ;  leaks  small  and  blunt,  promi- 
nent, somewhat  incurved,  with  an  indentation  below;  they 
are  placed  very  much  nearer  the  posterior  side,  which  is  not 
one-third  the  size  of  the  other:  hinge-line  nearly  rectan- 
gular, occupying  about  one-third  of  the  circumference :  car- 
tilage yellovrish,  smooth,  thick  and  globular,  contained  in  a 
triangular  pit  lying  directly  under  the  beak  in  the  left  valve, 
and  forming  a  cup-shaped  process  or  ossicle  at  its  base :  hinge- 
plate  narrow  but  strong,  deeply  excavated  in  the  middle  for 
the  reception  of  the  cartilage,  which  sometimes  encroaches  on 
the  beak  to  such  an  extent  as  to  make  the  latter  appear  broken 
or  eroded :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  rather  short,  leaf-like,  and 
diverging  inwards ;  in  the  left  valve  longer,  and  parallel  with 
the  hinge-line ;  those  on  the  anterior  side  are  the  largest  in 
both  valves :  inside  nacreous  and  glossy,  with  a  plain  margin : 
scars  obscure.     L.  0-125.   B.  0-14. 

Habitat  :  Muddy  gravel  and  in  the  crevices  of  old 
bivalve  shells,  from  10  to  70  fathoms,,  everywhere  from 
Unst  to  Guernsey.  As  an  upper  tertiary  fossil  it  is 
recorded  by  Grainger  from  Belfast,  by  James  Smith  from 
Bridlington,  and  by  Searles  Wood  from  the  Red  and 
Coralline  Crag.  Its  foreign  range  extends  from  Norway 
to  Sicily.  Malm  has  dredged  it  on  the  Swedish  coast  in 
10-25  fathoms,  M 'Andrew  at  Vigo  in  4,  and  off  Sicily 


210  KELLIIDiE. 

in  8  fathoms^  and  I  have  taken  it  at  Spezzia  in  18 
fathoms.  According  to  Sars  it  is  found  in  the  post- 
glacial beds  of  Christiania. 

Clark's  account  of  the  animal  is  that  it  is  ^^. lively, 
marches  with  rapidity,  and  in  its  course  turns  from  side 
to  side,  sometimes  resting  the  shell  on  the  ventral  range 
in  an  upright  posture/'  Montagu,  having  found  it 
apparently  burrowing  in  old  and  thick  oyster-shells,  be- 
lieved that  it  was  partly  the  cause  of  the  small  round 
holes  so  frequently  seen  on  those  shells.  Such  perfora- 
tions, however,  are  attributable  to  a  sponge  {Cliona 
celata),  that  fills  the  cylindrical  tubes  of  which  the  holes 
are  the  outlet,  and  branches  off  in  every  direction — a 
course  never  known  to  be  taken  by  any  moUusk.  The 
relative  proportions  of  length  and  breadth  in  the  shell 
of  M.  bidentata  are  very  variable.  The  young  are  more 
triangular  than  the  adult,  and  somewhat  resemble  in 
shape  the  fry  of  Nucula  nucleus.  My  largest  specimen 
is  a  line  and  a  half  long,  and  a  third  more  in  breadth. 

This  small  shell  has  been  bandied  about  by  different 
conchologists  from  one  genus  to  another,  and  received 
various  names.  Montagu  referred  it  provisionally  to 
My  a.  Brown  in  1827  placed  it  in  the  genus  Anatina 
of  Lamarck,  and  Clark  did  the  same  in  1855.  Gray 
and  Hanley  called  it  a  Petricola.  It  is  the  Erycina 
faba  of  Nyst,  E.  nucleola  of  Recluz,  and  Mesodesma 
exiguum  of  Loven.  The  Montacuta  elevata  of  Stimpson, 
which  Gould  supposed  was  our  shell,  differs  in  the  posi- 
tion of  the  beaks  and  in  other  particulars. 

\>l.3\-       3.  M.  FERrfuGiNo'sA*  (Montagu)  K^  \%J 

Mya  ferruginosa,  Mont.  Test,  Brit.  p.  44,  tab.  26.  f.  5.     Montacuta  ferru- 
ginosa,  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  72,  pi.  xviii.  f.  5, 5  a  &  5  i  (as  il/.  ferruginea). 

Body  clear  white :  mantle  ha\Tiig  its  margins  on  the  ante- 
*  Covered  with  iron-rust. 


MONTACUTA.  211 

rior  side  produced  considerably  beyond  the  shell,  and  forming 
a  kind  of  frill,  which  becomes  gradually  smaller  and  more 
even  as  it  passes  abng  the  front  of  the  shell  towards  the  pos- 
terior side ;  it  is  fringed  with  very  delicate,  rather  short,  and 
blunt  filaments,  which  extend  completely  round  the  edges  of 
the  valves,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  space  at  the  umbones : 
tube  consisting  of  a  small  inconspicuous  excretory  orifice :  foot 
very  large  and  muscular,  slightly  bent  in  the  middle,  tapering 
to  a  blunt  point  in  front  and  abruptly  truncate  behind ;  its 
base  or  sole  is  somewhat  wavy  and  grooved  through  its  entire 
length. 

Shell  oblong,  convex,  thin,  rather  opaque,  glossy :  sculp- 
ture, irregular  lines  of  growth  and  occasionally  a  few  exceed- 
ingly slight  longitudinal  scratches :  colour  greyish-white : 
epidermis  as  in  the  last  species,  but  it  is  usually  obscured  by 
a  thick  ferruginous  crust:  margins  somewhat  truncate  but 
rounded  at  the  smaller  or  posterior  end,  thence  obliquely 
slanting  and  shghtly  curved  in  front,  expanding  and  rounded 
at  the  anterior  end,  and  very  gently  sloping  behind  from 
the  beak  to  that  side,  with  a  short  ledge  on  the  other  side 
which  forms  an  obtuse  angle  at  the  posterior  extremity :  healcs 
small,  blunt,  and  rather  tumid,  not  very  prominent,  and  nearly 
straight;  they  are  placed  at  about  one-third  the  distance 
from  the  posterior  end  :  hirige-line  almost  straight,  occupying 
about  one -third  of  the  circumference :  cartilage  large  and 
solid,  light  yeUowish-brown  or  homcolour,  obliquely  twisted 
and  clasping  the  hinge-plate  on  each  side,  lying  close  to  the 
beaks  at  the  posterior  side ;  the  pit  or  groove  containing  it 
slants  abruptly  and  obliquely  down  towards  the  posterior  side, 
and  has  its  walls  and  base  much  thickened :  hinge-plate  nar- 
row but  thick :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  one  on  the  anterior 
side,  which  runs  from  the  cartilage  at  nearly  a  right  angle  to 
the  hinge-line  and  so  far  resembles  a  cardinal  tooth,  but  it 
then  takes  a  sharp  twist  in  the  direction  of  the  hinge-line, 
where  it  becomes  laminar  and  is  gradually  attenuated  to  a 
sharp  point ;  the  other  tooth  in  the  same  valve  on  the  posterior 
side  is  shorter,  triangular  and  pointed,  placed  on  a  lower  level 
and  parallel  with  the  posterior  slope ;  in  the  left  valve  the 
tooth  on  the  anterior  side  is  pointed  near  its  commencement 
and  forms  a  rather  long  laminar  ridge  in  a  parallel  line  with 
the  hinge,  the  other  tooth  being  of  the  same  shape  as  the  corre- 
sponding one  in  the  right  valve  and  taking  a  similar  direction : 
inside  partly  nacreous  but  mostly  of  a  duU  hue,  with  a  plain 


212  KELLIIDiE. 

and  somewhat  thickened  margin,  sometimes  marked  with  faint 
lines  which  radiate  from  the  beak  :  scars  remarkably  distinct, 
the  muscular  impression  on  the  anterior  side  being  larger  and 
much  longer  than  the  other.     L.  0-2.   E.  0-3. 

Var.  oblonga.  Shell  narrower,  and  having  the  front  and 
dorsal  margins  nearly  straight.  M.  ohlongaj  Turt.  Conch. 
Dith.  p.  61,  tab.  11.  f.  11, 12. 

Habitat  :  Muddy  ground,  from  7  to  85  fathoms,  on 
all  our  coasts.  It  is,  however,  a  local  species,  and  is 
seldom  found  in  a  perfect  state.  The  variety  is  not  un- 
common, and  occurs  with  the  typical  form,  as  well  as 
with  intermediate  gradations.  Grainger  has  recorded 
this  shell  from  the  Belfast  deposit,  and  Searles  Wood 
from  the  Coralline  Crag.  Loven  and  Malm  have  de- 
scribed it  as  Swedish,  the  latter  giving  a  depth  of  18-50 
fathoms ;  Recluz  found  a  single  valve  in  the  stomach  of 
a  turbot  on  the  French  side  of  the  English  Channel ; 
Lamarck  mentions  Cherbourg  as  the  locality  for  his 
Amphidesma  purpurascens,  which  is  probably  our  spe- 
cies ;  and  I  noticed  it  in  M.  Martin's  collection  of 
shells  from  the  Gulf  of  Lyons. 

Professor  Loven  published,  in  the  '  Proceedings '  of 
the  Royal  Swedish  Academy  of  Sciences  for  1848,  some 
important  information  as  to  the  production  and  deve- 
lopment of  the  fry  of  this  species  (as  well  as  of  M.  biden- 
tata) ;  and  in  the  ^Annals  of  Natural  History '  for  March 
1850  (2nd  ser.  v.  p.  210)  is  contained  an  excellent  paper 
by  Mr.  Alder  on  the  same  subject,  and  also  with  respect 
to  the  habits  of  the  adult.  My  description  of  the  ani- 
mal is  taken  from  Mr.  Alder's  notes.  He  mentions  that 
the  specimen  which  he  observed  was  taken  from  "  the 
stomach  of  a  haddock — a  very  unpromising  locality  cer- 
tainly for  meeting  with  anything  in  a  living  state ;  but 
the  little  creature  on  being  placed  in  sea-water  appeared 
quite  lively,  and  not  visibly  the  worse  for  the  uncom- 


MONTACUTA.  213 

fortable  quarters  from  which  it  had  been  extracted.  In 
a  short  time  it  protruded  the  mantle  beyond  the  shell, 
extended  its  large  foot,  and  began  to  crawl  about /^  And 
as  to  the  fry  he  says,  "  After  having  kept  my  specimen 
for  some  days  in  sea-water,  I  found  one  morning  that 
the  bottom  of  the  glass  was  covered  with  a  minute 
white  dust,  which  I  immediately  concluded  would  be 
the  spawn,  and  on  placing  a  small  portion  under  the 
microscope  I  found  that  such  was  the  case.  I  sub- 
sequently had  it  removed  into  a  separate  glass  with  a 
fresh  supply  of  water,  in  order  to  observe  its  develop- 
ment. Though  nearly  round  at  first,  the  ova  soon 
assumed  a  subtriangular  shape,  and  about  the  third  day 
strong  cilia  were  observed  on  one  of  the  sides,  and  they 
began  to  rotate  very  quickly.  One  after  another  assumed 
the  rotatory  state,  till  nearly  the  whole  were  in  motion. 
After  rotating  for  about  a  day,  they  apparently  burst 
the  envelope,  and  swam  freely  about  in  all  directions 
by  means  of  their  vibratile  cilia,  and  at  the  same  time 
assumed  more  or  less  of  a  bell- shape — a  slender  style 
or  thread  projecting  from  the  centre  of  the  ciliated  base. 
This  organ,  which  has  been  observed  in  the  embryos  of 
other  species,  has  been  described  as  a  kind  of  byssus,  by 
which  the  little  creature  can  fix  itself  securely  to  other 
bodies.  This,  however,  I  did  not  observe  to  be  the 
case  in  the  present  instance.  It  soon  appeared  to  be 
absorbed ;  the  animal  became  gradually  elongated,  and 
the  cilia  were  withdrawn  into  the  shell,  which  then 
began  to  appear;  but  at  what  time  it  was  actually  formed 
I  could  not  make  out,  as,  from  its  extreme  transparency 
and  similarity  of  colour  to  the  rest  of  the  animal,  it  was 
very  difficult  of  detection.  The  cilia  could  be  seen 
vibrating  within  the  shell  for  some  time  after  the  ani- 
mal became  quiescent — a  few  isolated  cilia  at  one  of  the 


214  KELLIID^. 

extremities,  not  observed  before,  being  the  only  ones 
that  remained  to  perform  their  functions  externally. 
These  produced  a  partial  current  without  propelling  the 
animal  through  the  water,  as  at  this  stage  it  gave  up  its 
natatory  habits  and  took  to  a  quiet  life.  The  internal 
portion,  the  parts  of  which  could  not  be  very  distinctly 
made  out,  appeared  to  be  undergoing  a  process  of  deve- 
lopment. The  mass  was  continually  changing  its  form, 
the  separate  parts  being  extended  alternately  in  different 
directions,  and  a  portion,  probably  the  incipient  foot, 
was  occasionally  pushed  beyond  the  margin  of  the  sheU. 
At  this  point  of  development  further  observations  were 
unfortunately  arrested  by  the  death  of  the  whole  colony 
in  consequence  of  the  water  becoming  impure,  and  my 
situation  at  a  distance  from  the  sea  preventing  my  get- 
ting an  immediate  fresh  supply.  The  whole  period  that 
I  had  kept  them  was  not  above  five  or  six  days ;  so  that 
their  development  had  been  pretty  rapid.  After  the 
death  of  the  animals  the  shells  remained  at  the  bottom 
of  the  glass.  They  were  of  an  elliptical  form,  straight 
at  the  upper  margin,  where  they  were  attached,  though 
the  hinge  did  not  appear  to  be  yet  formed ;  the  whole, 
excepting  in  the  elongated  form,  had  very  little  resem- 
blance to  the  adult  shell. ^^ 

I  am  sure  my  readers  will  not  regret  my  having 
reproduced  such  a  faithful  and  striking  picture  by  one  of 
our  great  masters  of  British  zoology.  It  agrees  on  the 
whole  with  the  account  furnished  by  Loven,  and  espe- 
cially with  his  observations  as  to  the  development  of 
the  embryo  of  Modiolaria  marmorata  and  Lasaa  rubra. 
The  metamorphosis  in  Modiolaria  is  stated  to  have 
commenced  about  the  third  day  after  the  spawn  was 
deposited,  being  the  same  period  as  that  which  Alder 
noticed  in  Mont  acuta  ferruginosa.     The  shell  is  apt  to 


MONTACUTA.  215 

become  coated  with  a  thick  but  irregular  layer  of  hard 
ochreous  dirt,  like  iron-rust.  I  suspect  that  this  in- 
crustation is  caused  by  a  continual  deposit  and  accumu- 
lation of  faecal  matter  from  the  animal,  which  is  not 
carried  off  in  consequence  of  its  sedentary  habits  and  of 
the  water  in  which  it  lives  being  free  from  currents. 
The  same  remark  applies  to  species  of  Pisidium  and 
other  freshwater  shells,  as  well  as  to  many  of  the  ma- 
rine bivalves.  Forbes  and  Hanley  observe  that  M.fer- 
ruginosa  is  ^^a  scarce  shell.^^  This  of  course  is  only 
in  comparison  with  other  species;  but  the  common 
notion  of  rarity  is  not  quite  correct.  I  consider  that 
"  local"  would  be  a  more  appropriate  word  than  "scarce" 
with  regard  to  the  occurrence  of  marine  testacea.  The 
difficulty  of  procuring  some  particular  kinds  may  en- 
hance their  value  to  collectors ;  but  probably  all  kinds 
are  prolific,  and  differ  in  that  respect  from  many  of  the 
larger  land  mammals.  There  certainly  cannot  exist  a 
'' unique"  specimen  of  any  shell  in  nature.  In  the 
present  case  single  valves  may  be  found  in  tolerable 
plenty  on  several  of  our  sandy  beaches,  and  perfect  spe- 
cimens may  be  got  by  dredging  in  the  sheltered  lochs  of 
the  west  of  Scotland  and  in  rather  deep  water  off  our 
southern  coasts.  The  beaks  are  often  fissured  or  notched 
from  their  being  squeezed  close  together  by  the  stfong 
and  elastic  cartilage,  the  shell  being  too  fragile  to  ^resist 
such  pressure. 

The  proportions  of  length  and  breadth  vary  greatly 
in  specimens,  which  may  account  for  the  diversity  of 
names  which  this  species  has  from  time  to  time  re- 
ceived. As  I  have  already  incidentally  noticed,  it  ap- 
pears to  be  the  Amphidesma  purpurascens  of  Lamarck ; 
Brown  called  it  Tellimya  elHptica  and  T.  glabra, 
S.  Wood   T.  ovata,    Leach   Amphidesma   Goodalliana, 


216  KELLIID.E. 

Recluz  Erycina  Franciscana,  and  Lov^n  Montacuta 
tenella. 

Among  some  small  shells  sent  to  me  by  Mr.  Robert 
Dawson,  and  collected  by  him  on  the  Aberdeenshire 
coast,  is  a  minute  single  valve,  which  I  cannot  identify 
with  any  known  species,  whether  recent  or  fossil.  Its 
shape  is  obliquely  triangular,  with  rounded  margins ;  it 
is  compressed,  rather  solid,  glossy,  and  smooth  or  marked 
only  by  the  lines  of  growth ;  the  beaks  are  blunt  and 
not  prominent;  the  hinge-line  is  small  and  straight; 
the  teeth  somewhat  resemble  those  in  the  right  valve  of 
Montacuta  bidentata,  but  they  are  much  shorter  and 
nearly  on  a  level  with  the  hinge -line,  the  tooth  on  the 
broader  side  being  considerably  larger  and  stronger  than 
the  other ;  the  inside  is  nacreous,  with  a  plain  margin. 
The  shell  appears  to  be  full-grown  ;  but  its  size  is  barely 
one-fifteenth  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  rather  less  in 
breadth.  If  more  specimens  are  found,  I  would  propose 
for  this  species  the  name  of  Dawsoni,  as  a  fit  compli- 
ment to  its  discoverer,  a  zealous  and  intelligent  con- 
chologist. 

When  dredging  at  Falmouth  in  1839  I  obtained  a 
recent  single  valve  of  the  species,  which  Searles  Wood 
described  and  figured  in  his  Monograph  of  the  Crag 
MoUusca  (Palaeont.  Soc.  Trans.  1850,  p.  131,  tab.  xi. 
f.  3  a-c)  as  Montacuta  donacina,  from  the  Coralline 
Crag  at  Sutton.  I  am,  no  less  than  Mr.  Wood,  quite 
unable  to  say  in  what  genus  this  curious  shell  should  be 
placed.  My  specimen  is  a  right  valve,  and  it  has  a 
minute  tubercular  tooth  on  the  longer  side  of  a  small 
cartilage-pit.  In  shape  it  is  a  miniature  Zenatia  (a 
genus  founded  by  Dr.  Gray),  but  having  an  external 
ligament. 


LAS^A.  217 

Genus  III.  LAS^'A*,  Leach.     PI.  V.  f.  2. 

Body  oval :  mantle  folded  on  the  anterior  side  (being  the 
longer  and  larger  end  of  the  shell),  so  as  to  form  a  wide,  but 
incomplete,  incurrent  tube :  the  excurrent  tube  is  very  short  and 
inconspicuous,  placed  on  the  opposite  side :  foot  long,  tongue- 
shaped,  protruding  when  in  motion  through  a  slit  in  the  ex- 
current  tube  at  its  base. 

Shell  roundish-oval:  bealcs  straight:  cartilage  long  and 
cylindrical,  divided  or  split  lengthwise,  and  clasping  the 
hinge -plate,  in  each  valve,  on  the  smaller  and  narrower  side 
of  the  shell,  being  the  posterior  end  :  liiyige  containing  in  the 
left  valve  a  minute  thorn-Hke  cardinal  tooth,  and  in  each 
valve  two  remarkably  strong  lateral  teeth. 

The  late  Captain  Brown  proposed  this  genus  in  1827, 
on  the  authority  of  Dr.  Leach,  for  the  Cardium  ruhrum 
of  Montagu ;  and  although  he  says  nothing  about  the 
animal,  and  not  much  more  about  the  shell,  I  think  the 
genus  is  a  good  one,  and  I  therefore  adopt  the  name 
above  given  to  it.  M.  Recluz,  apparently  unaware  of 
his  having  been  anticipated,  gave  in  1843  another  name 
(Poronia)  to  the  same  genus;  but  his  description  is 
positively  incorrect.  He  says  of  the  animal,  that  it  has 
on  the  posterior  side  two  lobes,  and  two  tubes  which  are 
disunited ;  and  of  the  shell,  that  the  hinge  has  two  cardi- 
nal teeth  in  each  valve,  besides  lateral  teeth,  and  that 
the  cartilage  is  placed  in  an  oblique  groove.  It  will  be 
seen  that  my  description  of  the  generic  characters  is 
very  different  from  that  of  M.  Recluz ;  and  were  it  not 
for  the  certainty  that  we  both  mean  not  only  the  same 
genus,  but  also  the  same  species,  I  could  not  believe 
that  our  respective  descriptions  had  been  drawn  from 
the  same  object.  The  present  genus  is  intermediate 
between  Montacuta  and  Kellia,  and   partakes  of  the 

*  A  meaningless  name ;  possibly  a  corrupt  derivation  from  Xaiaijiov,  a 
little  shield. 


218  KELLIID.E. 

leading  characteristics  of  each.  With  the  former  it 
agrees  in  having  the  cartilage  placed  at  the  shorter  end 
of  the  shell,  a  position  contrary  to  that  in  Kellittj  and 
with  the  latter  in  the  mantle  being  folded  on  the  ante- 
rior side,  though  not  so  completely  as  in  that  genus. 
The  position  of  the  cartilage  or  ligament  is  by  no  means 
unimportant,  because  it  indicates  the  posterior  side ;  and 
the  empty  shell  thus  serves  to  determine  the  place,  and 
often  the  nature,  of  the  organs  which  had  composed  the 
frame  of  its  late  occupant. 

It  is  very  probable  that  the  shell  which  Adanson 
called  "  Le  Poron "  belongs  to  this  genus ;  but  his 
notice  of  it  is  unusually  brief  and  obscure.  He  says  that 
it  has  two  small  triangular  teeth  in  each  valve,  which 
form  the  hinge,  that  it  is  at  most  only  two  lines  in  dia- 
meter, and  that  it  is  whitish  and  sometimes  of  a  violet 
colour,  chiefly  towards  the  hinge.  He  evidently  did  not 
know  the  animal,  for  he  included  the  Poron  among  the 
species  of  his  genus  Chama,  which  he  described  as  having 
three  openings  in  the  mantle,  two  of  which  take  the  form 
of  a  rather  long  tube.  It  would  be  a  waste  of  etymolo- 
gical research  were  we  to  endeavour  to  trace  the  derivation 
of  the  word  "  Poron.'^  Adanson  tells  us,  in  the  preface 
to  his  most  admirable  work  on  the  Mollusca  of  Senegal, 
that  he  preferred  inventing  such  chance  names  as  had 
the  least  meaning,  and  had  no  relation  to  other  names 
or  known  objects.  Perhaps  Dr.  Leach  had  the  same 
idea  in  selecting  some  of  his  generic  names.  However 
that  may  be,  in  his  posthumous  work  on  the  Mollusca 
of  Great  Britain  he  seems  to  have  changed  Lascea  for 
the  more  classically  correct  name  of  Autonoe,  placing  it 
in  the  family  Veneridce,  although  calling  the  species  (after 
describing  it)  "  Lasea  rubral 

The  Las(B<2  are  of  a  minute  size,  and  usually  inhabit 


LAS^A.  219 

the  littoral  zone,  where  they  congregate  in  vast  num- 
bers, at  the  roots  of  small  seaweeds,  as  well  as  in  the 
crevices  of  rocks  and  in  the  empty  shells  of  Balani.  On 
some  coasts  they  live  as  much  out  of  the  sea  as  in  it, 
a  sufficient  supply  of  water  being  retained  within  the 
close-fitting  valves  to  keep  the  gills  moist  until  the 
return  of  the  tide ;  and  in  many  cases  they  must  fast  for 
a  long  time,  because  they  are  found  in  places  which  are 
covered  by  the  sea  at  high  springs  only.  A  little  fresh- 
water bivalve  {Pisidium  pusillum)  is  also  occasionally 
amphibious.  We  have  but  one  species  of  Lascea,  and 
that  is  viviparous.  Other  species,  however,  have  been 
noticed  in  various  parts  of  the  world : 

" Pr'ythee,  think 

There 's  livers  out  of  Britain." 

f^f^^i'        1.  Las^ea  Ru'BRA*,(Montagu.y  ji^.  3  2 

Cardium  ruhrum,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  p.  83,  tab.  27.  f.  4.  Kellia  rubra, 
F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  94,  pi.  xxxvi.  f.  5-7  (as  Poronia  rubra),  and  (animal) 
pi.  O.  f.  3. 

Body  white :  mantle  having  its  margin  apparently  plain  and 
without  tentacles  :  excfurrent  tube  sessile  and  concealed  within 
the  mantle :  foot  broad  at  the  base,  the  extremity  being  rather 
rounded  than  pointed ;  its  bluish-white  and  transparent  hue 
is  variegated  by  a  line  of  dull  but  intense  flake-white,  which 
runs  from  one  end  to  the  other. 

Shell  oval,  with  often  a  circular  or  triangular  and  rather 
oblique  outhne,  ventricose,  not  very  thin  or  glossy :  scubpture, 
distant  Hnes  of  growth  and  close-set  wavy  concentric  striae, 
besides  more  numerous  but  much  finer  longitudinal  striae, 
which  are  so  excessively  minute  as  only  to  be  seen  with  a 
powerful  lens :  colour  milk-white,  tinged  more  or  less  deeply 
with  purplish-red,  especially  towards  the  hinge :  epidermis 
yellowish,  rather  thick :  margins  somewhat  truncate  and 
rounded  at  the  smaller  or  posterior  end,  sHghtly  curved  in 
front,  with  sometimes  a  byssal  sinus  or  indentation  in  the 

*  Red. 

l2 


220  KELLIIDiE. 

middle,  produced  or  wedge-like  and  rounded  at  the  anterior 
end  :  heaks  broad,  blunt,  prominent,  and  contiguous ;  they  are 
placed  about  two-fifths  nearer  to  the  posterior  end :  hinge-line 
curved,  occupying  rather  more  than  one-fourth  of  the  circum- 
ference :  cartilage  large,  yellowish-horncolour,  attached  to  the 
sheU  below  the  hinge-plate  and  lodged  on  an  oblique  shelf : 
hinge-plate  very  broad,  thick,  and  strong :  teeth,  in  the  right 
valve  two  triangular  laterals  with  sharp  points,  the  anterior  of 
which  is  a  little  more  raised  than  the  other ;  in  the  left  valve 
similar  laterals,  besides  a  minute  cardinal  and  erect  tooth 
directly  below  the  beak ;  the  laterals  in  each  valve  lock  into 
corresponding  grooves  in  the  other :  inside  partially  nacreous, 
but  otherwise  of  a  dull  hue ;  margin  plain  :  pallial  scar  scarcely 
visible,  but  evidently  existing  on  account  of  the  adhesion  of 
the  mantle  inside  the  front  margin  :  muscular  scars  oval  and 
distinct.     L.  0-85.   B.  0-1. 

Yar.  pallida.  SheU  yellowish-white  and  nearly  trans- 
parent, without  any  tinge  of  purple  or  red. 

Habitat  :  Everywhere  in  crevices  of  rocks_,  inside  the 
empty  cups  of  Balani  and  among  the  tufts  of  Lichina 
pygmaea,  near  high-water  mark,  and  at  the  roots  or 
footstalks  of  Corallina  officinalis  and  other  seaweeds, 
and  on  mussel-beds,  between  tide-marks ;  sometimes  it 
is  found  at  depths  varying  from  3  to  20  fathoms.  The 
variety  is  not  uncommon.  This  species  is  a  Coralline 
Crag  shell.  Steenstrup  has  found  it  in  Iceland,  and 
Lilljeborg  at  Grip  in  Upper  Norway ;  but  I  am  not 
aware  of  any  other  northern  locality.  It  is  widely 
diflPused  southwards  from  the  north  of  France  to  the 
Canary  Isles,  and  throughout  the  Mediterranean.  Spe- 
cimens for  which  I  am  indebted  to  the  kindness  of 
Mr.  Cuming  (so  renowned  for  his  unrivalled  collection 
of  shells,  as  well  as  for  the  extent  of  his  conchological 
experience),  and  taken  by  him  on  the  south-western  coast 
of  America,  cannot  be  distinguished  from  the  European 
species ;  and  Dr.  Philip  Carpenter  is  of  opinion  that  a 
species  from  the  Gulf  of  California  is  the  same  as  ours. 


LAS^A.  221 

L.  rubra  has  been  recorded  by  Sars  among  arctic  shells 
occurring  in  newer  tertiary  strata  in  the  diocese  of 
Christiania. 

Dr.  Turton  was  the  first  who  noticed  the  curious  fact 
that  this  minute  moUusk  is  viviparous.  It  does  not 
appear  to  be  prolific,  as  seldom  more  than  twenty  young 
ones  are  to  be  seen  at  any  one  time  in  the  shell  of  the 
parent.  They  are  ftdly  formed  while  in  this  stage  of 
growth,  and  their  shells  have  even  a  tinge  of  purplish- 
red  on  each  side  of  the  beaks.  Mr.  Clark  says  the 
ovary  contained  no  young  in  specimens  which  he  pro- 
cured in  the  winter.  The  same  may  perhaps  be  said  of 
most  mollusca,  whether  viviparous  or  oviparous,  as  well 
as  of  other  animals  the  season  of  whose  loves  in  a  state 
of  nature  does  not  commence  until 

" species  patefactast  verna  diei, 

Et  reserata  viget  genitabilis  aura  favoni." 

A  discussion  took  place  some  years  ago,  between 
Mr.  Clark  on  the  one  side,  and  Messrs.  Alder  and  Han- 
cock on  the  other,  as  to  the  use  of  the  anterior  tube  in 
this  species  and  in  Kellia  suborbicularis,  both  of  which  are 
viviparous.  Mr.  Clark  contended  that  it  was  an  organ 
of  reproduction,  in  consequence  of  his  having  observed 
the  fry  ejected  through  it.  His  opponents  disputed  this 
uterine  function,  and  showed  that  the  tube  serves  to 
convey  water  to  the  gills.  My  own  observations  induce 
me  to  believe  that  it  has  various  uses — one  for  obtaining 
food,  another  for  aerating  the  gills,  and  a  third  for  the 
expulsion  of  the  fry.  The  tube  seems  to  be  expanded 
or  contracted  at  the  will  of  the  animal,  being  formed 
merely  by  an  overlapping  of  the  folds  of  the  mantle.  Its 
sides  are  never  united.  The  present  species  is  rather 
active  in  its  habits.     According  to  Mr.  Clark,  it  imme- 


222  KELLIID^. 

diately  fixes  itself,  when  placed  in  a  basin  of  sea- water, 
by  its  threadlike  byssus.  The  foot  protruded,  but  not 
in  action,  occupies  a  central  position  :  it  is  usually  pushed 
through  the  slit  at  the  base  of  the  tube  on  the  anterior 
side  when  the  animal  wishes  to  move  forwards,  and,  fixing 
itself  by  a  kind  of  suction,  rapidly  draws  the  shell  after 
it ;  and  it  can  also  execute  a  similar  movement  backwards, 
but  more  slowly.  The  animal  never  remains  long  with- 
out forming  a  byssal  attachment ;  but  when  inclined  to 
move,  it  seems  to  have  no  difficulty  in  slipping  its  cable, 
which  is  always  discarded  and  left  in  situ.  The  surface 
of  the  shell  is  sometimes  coated  with  confervoid  spores, 
giving  it  a  greenish  appearance.  My  largest  specimens 
are  from  Shetland. 

Walker  first  noticed  and  figured  this  species  in  his 
account  of  minute  and  rare  shells  from  Sandwich ;  but 
his  description  was  excessively  meagre,  and  no  specific 
name  was  added.  It  is  in  all  probability  the  Amphi- 
desma  nucleola  of  Lamarck,  Erycina  violacea  of  Scacchi, 
Cycladina  Adansonii  of  Cantraine,  Erycina  Fontenayi  of 
Mittr^,  and  Bornia  seminulum  of  Philippi.  Stimpson 
remarks  that  the  Kellia  rubra  of  Gould  is  not  our  spe- 
cies, having  a  more  compressed  form  and  much  smaller 
beaks.  He  therefore  gave  the  name  oiplanulata  to  the 
North-American  species.  Gould's  figure  seems  to  re- 
present Montacuta  bidentata. 

Genus  IV.  KEL'LIA*,  Turton.     PI.  V.  f.  3. 

Body  globular  :  mantle  folded  on  the  anterior  side  (being  the 
shorter  and  smaller  end  of  the  shell),  so  as  to  form  a  bag-shaped 
incurrent  tube,  and  folded  on  the  opposite  side  into  an  excur- 
rent  tvhe,  which  is  more  prominent  but  shorter :  gills  two,  sym- 

*  Named  after  the  Eev.  J.  M.  O'Kelly  of  Dublin,  a  eonehological  asso- 
ciate of  Dr.  Turton. 


KELLIA.  223 

metrical,  and  nearly  triangular :  lips  two,  of  a  similar  shape  : 
foot  long,  tongue-shaped  and  bent,  placed  in  the  middle  of  the 
front  margin. 

Shell  globular :  heaks  incurved :  cartilage  cylindrical,  placed 
on  the  hinge-plate  at  the  posterior  side  (being  the  broader  and 
larger  end  of  the  shell)  :  hiTige  containing  in  the  left  valve  a 
thick,  erect  cardinal  tooth,  and  in  each  valve  two  remarkably 
strong  laminar  teeth  which  are  partly  cardinal  and  partly 
lateral. 

This  genus  differs  from  Lascea  in  the  incurrent  tube 
being  more  complete  and  the  excurrent  tube  conspi- 
cuous, in  the  foot  being  placed  in  the  middle  of  the 
ventral  margin  (instead  of  on  the  anterior  side  and  pro- 
truding through  a  slit  at  the  base  of  the  larger  tube), 
but  especially  in  the  position  of  the  cartilage,  which 
lies  on  the  broader  and  larger  side  of  the  shell,  sup- 
porting the  hinge-plate,  and  outside  of  the  lateral  teeth, 
and  not  (as  in  the  last  genus)  placed  on  the  narrower 
and  smaller  side  of  the  shell,  nor  clasping  the  hinge- 
plate  inside  and  below  those  teeth.  The  habits  of  the 
present  genus  are  also  different  from  those  of  Lascea. 
This  is  not  amphibious,  and  probably  cannot  exist  if 
constantly  left  high  and  dry  by  the  receding  tide.  It 
usually  inhabits  comparatively  deep  water,  and  prefers  a 
muddy  ground.  Both  are  viviparous :  but  at  least  one 
species  of  Montacuta  has  the  same  mode  of  reproduc- 
tion. In  the  shape  of  its  shell  Kellia  resembles  Sphce- 
rium;  but  that  genus  has  an  external  ligament  and 
differs  from  this  in  the  number  and  arrangement  of  the 
teeth.  The  position  of  the  tubes  is  also  very  dissimilar 
in  these  genera.  In  Kellia^  as  well  as  in  Lasaa,  it  is 
somewhat  anomalous,  the  larger  and  incurrent  tube 
being  placed  at  one  end,  and  the  smaller  and  excurrent 
tube  at  the  other.  In  Sphcerium  and  most  other  genera 
whicli  have  two  tubes,  both  are  placed  on  the  same  side ; 


224  KELLIID.E. 

and  the  Sphceriidcs  possess  the  peculiarity  of  their  tube 
or  tubes  being  situate  at  the  shorter  and  smaller  side  of 
the  shell,  which  may  therefore  be  considered  the  pos- 
terior end,  the  ligament  being  situate  at  the  other  end. 

Philippi  described  the  present  genus  under  the  name 
ofBorniaj  though  not  without  some  suspicion  of  its  being 
identical  with  Kellia.  He  remarks  that  he  had  no 
means  of  seeing  Turton's  work  on  the  British  bivalves. 
One  character  of  his  genus  he  conceives  to  be  of  very 
great  importance ;  and  that  is  the  absence  of  any  mark 
of  a  fold  of  the  mantle — "  sinus  palliaris  nuUus.^^  There 
must  be  some  mistake  in  this.  The  character  exists  in 
Mediterranean  as  well  as  in  British  examples  of  the 
typical  species.  Perhaps  Philippi  meant  to  say  that  the 
pallial  scar  in  Kellia  is  not  sinuated  as  in  the  Veneridce 
and  allied  families. 

It  may  be  well  here  to  say  that,  in  describing  the  right 
and  left  valves,  I  have  followed  the  rule  laid  down  in 
Dr.  Gray's  "  Conchological  Observations''  (Zool.  Joum. 
i.  p.  208),  viz.,  "  When  a  bivalve  shell  is  placed  on  its 
basal  margin,  with  the  ligament  towards  the  observer, 
the  right  and  left  valve  will  correspond  with  his  own 
sides."  Some  rule  of  this  kind  is  indispensable,  in 
order  to  ensure  a  uniform  method  of  description ;  but  it 
appears  of  late  years  to  have  been  left  to  the  caprice  of 
every  author. 

Many  species  of  Kellia  are  known  in  a  recent  and 
fossil  state.  During  the  formation  of  the  Crag  strata, 
within  the  area  which  is  bounded  on  the  west  by  the 
counties  of  Norfolk,  Suffolk,  and  the  adjacent  corner  of 
Essex,  several  kinds  flourished ;  but  of  these  one  only  is 
known  to  have  survived,  and  still  exists  in  the  British 
seas. 


KELLIA.  225 

''•^^^      1.  Kellia  suborbicula'ris  *,(Moiitagu)  ft- 3  2^. 

Mya  suborbicularis,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  p.  39,  tab.  26.  f.  6.   K.  suborhicularis, 
F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  87,  pi.  xviii.  f.  9,  9  a  &  9  6,  and  (animal)  pi.  O.  f.  4. 

Body  white  and  nearly  transparent :  mantle  protruding  be- 
yond the  shell  in  front,  and  having  its  margin  fringed  with  a 
few  thornhke  or  triangular  tentacles :  incurrent  tube  varying 
in  length  and  diameter  even  in  the  same  individual ;  its  orifice 
plain,  but  uneven :  excurrent  tube  short :  gills  pale  yellow  and 
striated :  lij^s  thick,  strong,  and  coarsely  striated :  foot  com- 
pressed, flexible,  and  hyaline. 

Shell  usually  globular,  but  sometimes  inclined  to  an  oval  or 
triangular  outline,  ventricose,  rather  thin,  and  more  or  less 
glossy :  scidpture,  distant  lines  of  growth,  and  close-set  and 
irregular  concentric  striae,  besides  some  slight  longitudinal 
lines :  colour  milk-white,  with  a  faint  tint  of  yeUow  :  epidermis 
thin  and  beautifully  iridescent:  margins  somewhat  truncate 
but  obliquely  rounded  at  the  larger  or  posterior  end,  a  con- 
tinuous curve  being  formed  by  the  ventral  and  anterior  sides : 
beaks  circular  and  calyciform,  incurved  and  twisted  towards 
the  anterior  or  smaller  end,  close  together,  but  not  contiguous ; 
they  are  placed  nearly  in  the  centre  of  the  dorsal  margin,  and 
there  is  a  depression  or  incomplete  lunule  formed  below  them : 
hinge-line  curved,  occupying  nearly  one- third  of  the  circum- 
ference :  cartilage  triangular,  yellowish-brown,  attached  to  the 
hinge-plate  close  to  the  inner  margin  of  the  dorsal  side,  and 
doubled  on  itself :  hin^e-plate  narrow,  but  strong :  teeth,  in  the 
right  valve  two  strong  laterals,  the  one  on  the  anterior  side 
being  at  first  erect  and  resembling  a  cardinal  tooth,  and  then 
(as  in  Montacutaferruginosa)  becoming  laminar  and  attenuated, 
that  on  the  posterior  side  being  obliquely  triangular ;  in  the  left 
valve  a  recurved  cardinal  tooth,  and  two  laterals  similar  to 
those  in  the  other  valve,  the  cardinal  and  anterior  lateral  form- 
ing a  double  tooth  for  the  reception  of  the  corresponding  lateral 
in  the  right  valve;  dental  sockets  deep:  inside  like  frosted 
silver,  with  a  slight  prismatic  lustre :  pallial  scar  indistinct : 
muscular  scars  large  and  conspicuous.     L.  0-4.    B.  0-45. 

Var.  lactea.  Shell  somewhat  compressed  and  oval,  of  a 
thinner  texture  and  rather  more  glossy ;  front  margin  nearly 
straight,  and  dorsal  margin  raised  more  to  a  level  with  the 

*  Nearly  globular. 

l5 


226 


KELLIID^. 


beak.     TeUimya  lactea.  Brown,  111.  Rec.  Conch,  p.  106,  pi.  xlii. 
f.  10,  11. 

Habitat  :  Fine  mud  in  the  cavities  of  dead  bivalves 
from  deep  water,  and  occasionally  under  stones  at  the 
lowest  verge  of  spring  tides,  sometimes  occupying  the 
excavations  made  by  other  animals  in  hard  rocks.  Its 
bathymetrical  range  extends  to  the  line  of  soundings 
round  our  coasts.  The  variety  is  not  so  common ;  it  is 
the  K,  Cailliaudi  of  Recluz.  The  typical  form  occurs  in 
the  Clyde  beds  (Smith),  and  in  the  Red  and  Coralline 
Crag  (S.  Wood).  It  is  found  in  the  Scandinavian  seas, 
as  far  north  as  Finmark,  in  10-50  fathoms,  and  also 
throughout  the  Atlantic  and  Mediterranean,  the  Canary 
Isles  and  Sicily  being  its  southernmost  known  limits. 
The  Rev.  P.  Carpenter  has  enumerated  it  as  a  Califor- 
nian  species. 

Montagu  discovered  this  pretty  shell  in  hard  lime- 
stone ;  and  he  remarked  that  the  opening  of  the  excava- 
tions which  it  inhabited  was  smaller  than  the  shell,  so 
that  it  must  have  entered  in  a  younger  state,  and  never 
could  have  got  out.  It  is,  however,  not  a  borer.  I 
have  often  found  it  in  the  tortuous  and  deserted  galle- 
ries made  by  Annelids;  and  its  shape  is  sometimes 
altered  or  even  distorted  in  consequence  of  its  confined 
position.  The  sheUs  of  such  specimens  are  thicker 
than  usual,  and  the  epidermis  is  in  a  great  measure 
abraded.  Both  Alder  and  Clark  have  published  some 
excellent  observations  as  to  the  habits  of  the  animal. 
The  former  says  it  moves  freely  by  means  of  its  strap- 
shaped  foot,  which  is  frequently  protruded  in  all  direc- 
tions. Its  progress  is  usually  forward ;  but  sometimes 
it  crawls  backwards  or  sideways,  especially  when  it  is 
ascending  a  perpendicular  surface,  which  it  frequently 
does  for  the  purpose  of  suspending  itself  by  its  byssus. 


KELLIA.  227 

The  byssal  sinus  is  about  halfway  up  the  foot  on  the 
posterior  side ;  and  from  it  the  animal  produces  a  very 
delicate  thread,  and  suspends  itself  freely  (with  the  beaks 
of  its  shell  downward)  by  a  single  almost  inconspicuous 
fibre,  which  is  strengthened  by  a  double  attachment  at  the 
top.  In  this  posture  it  appears  to  rest  for  some  time,  with 
both  tubes  open,  and  the  foot  partly  withdrawn  into  the 
shell.  According  to  Mr.  Clark,  the  byssus  spun  by  the 
kind  which  is  found  in  rocks  consists  not  merely  of 
delicate  filaments  such  as  free  individuals  of  the  ordi- 
nary form  throw  out  when  placed  in  a  saucer,  but  of  a 
membranous  plate  which  cannot  be  detached  without 
some  force.  He  also  says  that  the  larger  tube  in  free 
specimens  (having  a  thinner  shell)  is  marked  with  flake- 
white  longitudinal  lines,  which  do  not  appear  in  the 
rock  specimens.  He  found  in  the  ovary  of  one  indi- 
vidual ova  in  an  advanced  state,  together  with  fully- 
formed  testaceous  fry.  M.  Recluz  has  lately  announced 
the  same  fact  with  regard  to  the  variety  lactea.  The 
ova  mentioned  by  Mr.  Clark,  and  which  through  his 
kindness  I  have  had  an  opportunity  of  examining,  are 
bean-shaped,  and  closely  resemble  a  minute  form  of 
Cy there.  They  are  very  difierent  from  the  fry,  which 
are  perfectly  spherical.  Dr.  Gordon  has  remarked  that 
K,  suborbicularis  is  occasionally  seen  as  part  of  the  food 
of  the  haddock.  Sometimes  the  shell  is  extremely  thin, 
and  so  transparent  that  the  gills  are  distinctly  visible 
through  it,  causing  the  surface  to  appear  obliquely 
striated.  The  cartilage  is  always  ruptured  and  divided 
when  the  shell  is  fully  opened,  one  half  being  left  in 
each  valve.  The  teeth  vary  somewhat  in  shape  and 
relative  position. 

This  species  is  the  Erycina  pisum  of  Scacchi,  Bornia 
inflata  of  Philippi,  and  Oronthea  Montaguana  of  Leach., 


228  KELLIID^. 

who  placed  it  in  the  Mya  family.  The  Tellimya  tenuis 
of  Brown  seems  to  have  been  constituted  from  a  speci- 
men which  had  lost  one  of  its  cardinal  or  front  teeth. 
It  must  have  been  knocked  out  after  death.  Any  one 
but  a  conchologist  may  well  ask  why  these  hinge-pro- 
cesses are  called  "teeth/^  seeing  that  they  are  not 
homologous  to  the  teeth  of  Vertebrate  animals,  and 
that  they  are  always  placed  at  the  back,  instead  of  in 
front,  of  a  headless  creature.  But  the  word,  whether 
rightly  or  wrongly  used,  has  now  become  "  household  " 
and  unchangeable.  I  hope  those  out  of  the  scientific 
pale  will  accept  this  explanation :  if  they  are  not  satis- 
fied, the  Hudibrastic  distich  may  serve  their  purpose — 

"  To  them  we  leave  it  to  expound 
That  deal  in  sciences  profound." 

To  the  present  genus  must  be  referred  provisionally 
the  K,  cycladia  of  S  carles  Wood,  a  rare  Coralline  Crag 
shell.  To  this  species  I  am  now  inclined  to  refer  a 
shell  which  I  found  in  the  Shetlands  and  named  Po- 
romya  subtrigona.  A  description  and  figure  of  it  will 
be  found  in  the  'Annals  and  Magazine  of  Natural 
History,^  3rd  series,  January  1858,  p.  42,  pi.  ii.  f.  1. 
I  had  then  only  a  single  (the  left)  valve,  which  I  sent 
to  my  friend  Mr.  Barlee  for  his  inspection ;  but  un- 
fortunately the  box  containing  it  was  crushed  on 
being  returned  to  me  through  the  post,  and  a  few  frag- 
ments are  all  that  remain  of  the  original  specimen. 
Since  that  time  I  have  fortunately  discovered  another 
(the  right)  valve  in  my  dredgings  on  the  same  ground, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  that  more  specimens  will  hereafter 
be  found.  However,  I  do  not  at  present  consider  the 
species,  or  even  its  generic  position,  sufficiently  esta- 
blished to  warrant  its  redescription.  The  cartilage  is  in- 
ternal, and  lies  on  the  narrower  and  smaller  side  of  the 


LUCINIDiE.  229 

shell,  as  in  Las<£a.  The  right  valve  has  a  small  tuber- 
cular cardinal  tooth,  a  strong  lateral  tooth  on  the  ante- 
rior side,  and  a  very  indistinct  one  on  the  posterior  side. 
The  hinge  of  Poromya  is  differently  constructed ;  and  I 
was  wrong  in  placing  the  Shetland  shell  in  that  genus. 
The  form  is  peculiarly  oblique ;  but  otherwise  it  has 
somewhat  the  appearance  of  Axinus  flewuosus.  Searles 
Wood  thought  his  species  might  be  the  Scacchia  ovata 
of  Philippi ;  but  I  cannot  agree  with  him  that  there  is 
even  any  resemblance  between  them. 


Family  IX.  LUCrNIDiE,  D'Orbigny. 

Body  nearly  globular :  mantle  closed,  except  in  front,  where 
there  is  a  large  opening  for  the  egress  of  the  foot  and  to  admit 
water  to  the  gills,  and  also  at  the  posterior  side,  where  there 
are  usually  one  or  two  tubes  or  orifices  for  alimentary  and 
excretal  purposes  ;  its  edges  are  thickened  and  adhere  closely 
to  the  inside  of  the  shell :  gills  (in  all  the  genera  but  Axinus 
and  Diplodontd)  one  only  on  each  side  :  lips  (or  labial  palps) 
short,  and  (except  in  those  genera)  two  in  number :  foot  ex- 
tremely long,  tubular  and  extensile. 

Shell  more  or  less  circular,  equivalve  in  all  cases  but  an 
exceptional  one,  nearly  equilateral,  of  different  degrees  of 
soUdity,  in  some  instances  almost  smooth  and  in  others  curiously 
sculptured,  completely  closed :  epidermis  thin  :  heahs  incurved : 
lunule  usually  distinct :  ligament  (except  in  Loripes)  more  or 
less  external :  hinge  furnished  with  cardinal  and  lateral  teeth 
or  with  some  of  them,  but  occasionally  toothless :  pallial  scar 
entire :  muscular  scars  very  conspicuous,  that  on  the  anterior 
side  unusually  elongated  and  extending  far  within  the  shell  in 
a  parallel  line  with  the  front  margin. 

Poli,  Valenciennes,  Clark,  and  Deshayes  devoted 
much  labour  to  the  elucidation  of  this  family  as  a 
natural  group,  and  have  published  some  important  ob- 
servations on  the  animal.  But  we  still  need  further 
information,  especially  as  to  the  branchial   apparatus. 


230  LUClNIDiE. 

According  to  Valenciennes,,  the  animal  oiLucina  has  but 
a  single  gill-leaflet  on  each  side.  Forbes  and  Hanley 
state  that  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  two  lamellae 
on  the  same  side  are  so  united  as  to  appear  like  a  single 
gill.  Deshayes  has  shown  that  the  two  gills  when 
divided  contain  four  rows  of  vessels,  and  that  they 
occupy  as  much  space  as  all  the  gills  in  other  Con- 
chiferous  moUusks.  As  I  do  not  pretend  to  be,  like 
Sidrophel,  '^  old  dog  at  physiology,"  I  can  say  no  more 
than  that  I  hope  the  question  may  be  sooner  or  later 
set  at  rest.  The  foot  is  a  remarkable  and  peculiar 
organ.  When  at  rest  and  contracted,  it  looks  like  a 
shrivelled  worm,  and  is  doubled  up  within  the  shell ;  but 
when  the  period  for  action  has  arrived,  the  wrinkles 
disappear,  and  in  a  marvellously  short  time  the  foot 
expands  and  is  drawn  out  to  three  times  the  length  of 
the  whole  body.  It  is  thus  rendered  firm  and  more 
capable  of  muscular  exertion.  This  distention  is  effected 
by  means  of  aquiferous  ducts  or  canals,  which  permeate 
the  tissue  of  the  foot,  the  water  being  introduced  at  its 
base  through  a  wide  funnel  opening  directly  into  the 
visceral  cavity.  A  similar  organization  of  the  foot  has 
been  noticed  in  the  Cephalophorous  moUusks,  especially 
in  some  of  the  Muricida*,  Naticidce,  and  Bullida,  which 
have  the  same  habit  of  burrowing  as  the  Lucinidoi. 
Another  peculiarity  which  characterizes  the  present 
family  is  the  elongation  of  the  anterior  adductor  muscle ; 
and  it  is  easy  to  recognize  the  fossil  species  by  the  nature 
of  the  scar  or  mark  inside  the  shell.  The  ligament  is 
more  or  less  external  in  all  the  genera  but  Loripes, 
which  has  an  internal  cartilage  concealed  within  the 
hinge-line  and  occupying  an  oblique  groove,  as  in  Kellia. 
The  LucinidcB  inhabit  sandy  mud  and  gravel,  in  which 
they  shelter  themselves.     Very  many  recent  species  of 


LUCINIB^.  231 

different  genera  have  been  described  from  various  parts 
of  the  world ;  and  fossil  species  are  still  more  abundant. 

The  '^family  likeness"  is  unmistakeable,  and  this 
constitutes  part  of  the  value  of  the  Lucinidce  as  a 
natural  group.  After  much  consideration  and  study  of 
the  question,  and  with  great  respect  for  the  opinion  of 
the  authors  of  the  '  British  MoUusca'  and  of  M.  Des- 
hayes,  I  cannot  agree  with  them  that  the  long-esta- 
bhshed  genera  of  Loripes  and  Axinus  ought  to  be 
merged  in  Lucina.  The  great  French  conchologist  has 
lately  made  a  strong  protest  against  the  dismemberment 
of  the  last-mentioned  genus;  and  he  wishes  it  to  be 
retained,  like  the  once  glorious  republic  of  his  own 
country,  "  une  et  indivisible."  To  use  his  own  words, 
it  forms  "  une  grande  unite."  It  may,  however,  be 
questionable  if  the  characters  on  which  he  lays  so 
much  stress  do  not  apply  not  only  to  the  genus,  but  to 
the  family  which  has  sprung  from  it,  and  whether  there 
are  not  other  characters,  although  perhaps  of  inferior 
value,  that  may  serve  to  distinguish  several  genera.  I 
believe  that  such  characters  exist,  and  I  will  endeavour 
to  point  them  out  in  the  proper  place.  It  can  hardly 
be  disputed  that  each  group  of  natural  objects,  whether 
we  call  it  a  kingdom,  class,  order,  family,  genus,  species, 
or  variety,  has  some  peculiar  feature  of  its  own,  although 
we  may  not  be  able  to  detect  it.  The  imperfection  of 
our  knowledge  has  hitherto  combined  with  the  limited 
capacity  of  our  intellect  in  keeping  us  but  partly  en- 
lightened ;  and  this  must  ever  continue  to  be  the  case, 
until  the  whole  scheme  of  Nature,  past  and  present,  has 
been  unfolded  to  our  view.  Perhaps,  even  to  the  greatest 
philosopher  of  modern  days, 

"  Science  appears  but  what  in  truth  she  is, 
Not  as  our  glory  and  our  absolute  boast, 
But  as  a  succedaneum,  and  a  prop 
To  our  infirmity." 


232  LUCINIDiE. 

Genus  I.  LO'RIPES  ^  Poli.     PI.  V.  f.  4. 

Body  somewhat  compressed:  mantle  having  the  margin 
notched :  incurrent  tube  rather  long  and  wrinkled  :  excurrent 
tube  sessile :  foot  awl-shaped. 

Shell  almost  equilateral,  irregularly  cancellated,  or  sculp- 
tured by  flexuous  strise  :  lunule  short :  ligament  (or  rather  the 
cartilage)  quite  internal :  teeth,  one  cardinal  in  the  right,  and 
two  in  the  left  valve ;  laterals  remote  and  sometimes  indistinct. 

The  celebrated  Neapolitan  conchologist,  Poli,  who 
founded  this  genus,  described  the  shell  under  another 
name — that  of  Loripoderma — a  hybrid  compound,  or 
"  Babylonish  dialect,^^  which  fortunately  we  are  not 
obliged  to  use.  It  may  be  known  from  Lucina  by  the 
different  position  of  the  ligament  or  cartilage,  which  is 
external  in  that  and  internal  in  this  genus.  Deshayes 
is  of  opinion  that  the  structure  of  the  ligament  is  of 
more  consequence  than  its  position;  but  the  structure 
or  composition  of  every  kind  of  ligament  or  cartilage  is 
the  same,  and  it  appears  to  me  that  the  position  of  this 
apparatus  deserves  to  be  considered  in  any  scheme  of 
classification.  Any  one  character,  if  certain  and  not 
liable  to  vary  in  the  same  genus,  is  as  good  as  another 
for  this  purpose. 

S  carles  Wood  says  that  "  this  is  a  recent  genus,  and 
its  age,  as  far  as  it  is  known  to  me,  does  not  extend 
beyond  the  middle  tertiaries."  It  is  difficult  to  distin- 
guish the  genus  Ungulina  of  Daudin  from  Loripes.  Ac- 
cording to  Chenu,  the  ligament  in  Ungulina  is  external ; 
but  its  exact  position  is  in  a  groove  on  the  hinge-plate, 
within  the  dorsal  margin. 

*  So  named  from  tlie  thong-shaped  foot. 


LORIPES.  233 

A.  Shell  concentrically  ribbed  and  slightly  decussated  by  lon- 
gitudinal striae ;  lateral  teeth  indistinct. 
(5-fet.) 

fy"?nc         1.  LoRiPES  LAc'TEUS*,(Linne.)  /H.31, 

Tellina  lactea,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1119.    Lucina  leucwna,  F.  &  H.  ii. 
p.  57,  pi.  XXXV.  f.  2  (as  L.  lactea). 

Body  whitish:  foot  cylindrical,  and  swollen  in  the  upper 
part. 

Shell  usually  of  a  somewhat  globular  form,  but  varying  in 
comparative  length  and  breadth,  rather  solid  and  opaque,  not 
glossy:  sculpture,  distant  lines  of  growth  and  fine,  irregular 
and  close-set  concentric  striae,  as  well  as  equally  fine  and  irre- 
gular but  less  numerous  longitudinal  striae  or  scratches,  which 
radiate  from  the  direction  of  the  beak,  and  cause  the  surface  to 
be  partly  decussated :  colour  white,  with  a  tinge  of  yellow : 
ejndermis  forming  a  mere  film,  and  slightly  iridescent :  margins 
rounded  and  sometimes  indented  or  sinuous  on  the  anterior 
side,  curved  in  front,  and  slightly  truncate  although  rounded  on 
the  posterior  side :  beaks  small,  rather  prominent,  much  in- 
curved and  close  together ;  they  are  placed  very  nearly  in  the 
middle  of  the  dorsal  margin  :  lunule  deep  and  heart-shaped : 
hinge-line  flexuous,  occupying  about  one-fourth  of  the  circum- 
ference :  cartilage  yellowish-brown,  shaped  like  a  lance-head, 
divided  into  two  semicylindrical  portions,  each  of  which  fills  a 
groove  on  the  hinge-plate  in  either  valve,  sloping  obliquely 
downwards  from  the  beak  within  the  line  of  the  posterior 
lateral  tooth,  and  terminating  abruptly  in  the  interior  of  the 
shell :  hinge-plate  broad  and  strong :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve 
one  triangular  cardinal,  and  occasionally  a  small  denticle,  be- 
sides two  indistinct  laterals  (one  on  each  side),  which  are  more 
or  less  raised  and  pointed  at  the  end  ;  in  the  left  valve  a 
double  cardinal,  which  receives  that  of  the  opposite  valve  in 
an  intermediate  socket,  and  two  laterals  as  in  the  other  valve ; 
the  posterior  lateral  is  much  the  longer:  inside  somewhat 
nacreous,  but  of  a  dull  hue  ;  margin  smooth  and  plain  :  scars 
large  and  remarkably  distinct.     L.  0*7.    B.  0*7. 

Yar.  Desmarestii.  Shell  flatter  and  thinner.  Lucina  JDes- 
marestii,  Payraudeau,  Cat.  Moll.  Corse,  p.  44,  pi.  i.  f.  19,  20. 

Habitat  :  Muddy  gravel  and  sand  on  the  coasts  of 

*  Milk-white. 


234  LUCINIDiE. 

our  southern,  south- western,  and  south-eastern  counties, 
and  in  the  south  and  west  of  Ireland ;  Llyn,  Carnarvon- 
shire (Pennant) ;  Scarborough  (Bean) ;  Seaton,  Dur- 
ham (Hogg,  fide  Alder) ;  and  Mr.  Dawson  has  dredged 
a  single  valve  off  Buchan  in  Aberdeenshire  at  some 
distance  from  land.  In  the  Channel  Isles  it  lives  in  the 
sand  at  low  tides ;  and  it  is  usually  found  elsewhere  at  a 
depth  of  only  a  few  fathoms.  The  locality  "  Scalloway," 
given  in  the  '  British  MoUusca '  on  my  authority,  is 
incorrect;  and  Mr.  M 'Andrew  informs  me  that  a  similar 
mistake  must  have  occurred  in  quoting  him  as  having 
taken  this  species  in  Zetland.  The  variety  is  from 
Southampton  and  Bantry  Bay.  I  am  not  aware  that 
this  species  has  ever  been  found  in  the  north  of  Europe. 
South  of  Great  Britain  it  is  widely  distributed  through 
the  Atlantic,  Mediterranean,  and  ^gean  seas ;  its  fur- 
thest limit  appears  to  be  the  Canary  Isles. 

The  shell  varies  considerably  in  the  degree  of  globose- 
ness,  and  in  the  proportions  of  length  and  breadth,  as 
well  as  in  the  development  of  the  teeth.  Very  young 
specimens  have  an  oblique  contour  and  are  much  broader 
than  long. 

Philippi  was  of  opinion  that  this  species  is  not  the 
Tellina  lactea  of  Linne,  because  the  latter  is  described 
as  ''  gibba."  Believing,  moreover,  that  the  present  spe- 
cies is  that  which  Lamarck  designated  lactea,  he  pro- 
posed the  name  oi  fragilis  for  Linnets  species.  Forbes 
and  Hanley  subscribed  to  Philippics  view,  but  changed 
the  specific  name  of  our  shell  to  leucoma,  I  do  not 
see  any  necessity  for  this  shifting  nomenclature.  The 
Lucina  leucoma  of  Turton,  if  we  may  trust  his  descrip- 
tion and  typical  specimens,  is  scarcely  a  variety  of  the 
shell  commonly  called  L.  lacteus.  Lamarck  appears  not 
only  to  have  made  two  species  out  of  the  old  one,  but 


LORIPES.  235 

to  have  placed  them  in  different  genera^  one  in  Lucina 
as  h.lactea,  and  the  other  in  Amphidesma  as  A.  lucinalis. 


B.  Shell  marked  by  flexuous  striae  ;  lateral  teeth  distinct. 
iV* '  "  2.  L.  divarica'tus *,  Linne.  \\-^z- 

Tellina  divaricata,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1 120.     Lucina  divaricata,  F.  &  H, 
ii.  p.  52,  pi.  XXXV.  f.  3. 

Shell  resembling  that  of  L.  lacteus  in  shape,  but  more 
tumid  and  having  an  oblique  outline,  thick  and  opaque,  rather 
glossy :  sculpture,'  numerous  imbricated  and  flexuous  strise, 
which  bend  from  the  middle  of  the  shell  to  each  side  with  a 
gentle  curve,  the  highest  point  or  centre  of  the  curve  being  in 
the  direction  of  the  beak  ;  the  striae  are  irregularly  concentric 
in  the  umbonal  area,  and  become  flexuous  in  the  subsequent 
stage  of  growth  ;  the  surface  is  also  marked  by  minute  close- 
set  longitudinal  striae  or  lines  as  in  the  last  species :  colour 
white  with  a  slight  tinge  of  yellow :  epidermis  so  thin  as  to 
be  scarcely  visible :  margins  rounded  on  all  sides,  except  where 
the  beak  projects ;  the  posterior  is  the  highest  and  forms  a 
kind  of  shoulder :  healcs  very  prominent,  gibbous,  close  toge- 
ther, and  twisted  towards  the  anterior  side :  lunule  deep, 
heart-shaped,  and  defined  on  each  side  by  a  strong  ridge : 
hinge-line  curved,  occupying  not  quite  one-fourth  of  the  cir- 
cumference ;  cartilage  Hght  horncolour,  narrower  than  in  L, 
lacteuSf  but  similar  in  shape  and  position :  hinge-plate  rather 
broad  and  strong :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  one  strong  blunt 
cardinal,  and  a  long,  sharp  and  raised  lateral  on  each  side ;  in 
the  left  valve  two  cardinals,  one  of  which  is  strong  and  blunt, 
and  the  other  very  much  smaller  and  on  a  lower  level,  besides 
two  laminar  laterals  on  each  side,  receiving  between  them  the 
single  lateral  on  the  corresponding  side  of  the  other  valve ; 
the  posterior  laterals  are  the  longest :  inside  shghtly  nacreous 
but  of  a  dull  hue ;  margin  finely  crenulated  :  scars  large  and 
distinct,  that  left  by  the  anterior  adductor  muscle  being  not 
much  longer  than  the  other.     L.  0-4.   B.  0-4. 

Habitat  :  South  coast  of  England,  but  exceedingly 

♦  Spread  out,  with  reference  to  the  diflferent  directions  exhibited  by 
the  markings  on  the  shell. 


236  LUCINID^. 

rare.  Montagu  obtained  a  single  valve  from  dredged 
sand  at  Falmouth ;  Turton  records  it  from  the  Land's 
End  and  Teignmouth^  although  the  only  specimen  in 
his  collection  appears  to  be  from  the  first  of  those  locali- 
ties; and  I  fortunately  obtained  in  1839  two  valves 
(right  and  left,  but  not  a  pair)  by  dredging  in  muddy 
sand,  at  a  depth  of  about  15  fathoms,  off  St.  Mawe's 
Creek  near  Falmouth,  some  miles  outside  the  harbour, 
and  where  no  ballast  had  ever  been  deposited.  Mytilus 
Adriaticus  occurred  on  the  same  ground ;  and  a  living 
specimen  of  Tellina  balaustina  has  since  been  got  there 
by  trawling.  Another  locality  is,  according  to  Dr. 
Leach  (on  the  authority  of  Dr.  Knox) ,  "  southern  seas 
of  Scotland,  between  Arran  and  Bute  and  the  Mull  of 
Cantire  ]''  but  the  length  and  height  of  a  specimen  said 
to  have  come  from  that  quarter  are  suspicious,  "one 
inch  and  threequarters."  It  must  have  been  the  com- 
mon West-Indian  shell  generally  known  as  the  Lucina 
divaricata  of  Lamarck  and  L.  quadripartita  of  D'Or- 
bigny.  S  carles  Wood  has  described  the  present  species 
from  the  Mammalian  and  Red  Crag.  CoUard  des 
Cherres  states  that  it  has  been  found  alive  at  Quelem 
in  Brittany ;  and  it  unquestionably  inhabits  aU  the  seas 
of  Southern  Europe,  as  well  as  the  coasts  of  Madeira 
and  the  Canaries.  Dr.  Gould  included  it  in  his  list ; 
but  Stimpson  considers  the  Massachusetts  shell  to  be  a 
distinct  species,  and  has  called  it  Lucina  strigilla. 

This  is  the  Lucina  digitaria  of  Poli,  Cardium  discors 
of  Montagu,  Lucina  undularia  of  Searles  Wood's  Cata- 
logue, and  L,  commutata  of  Philippi. 

A  valve  of  a  much  smaller  species,  which  is  fre- 
quently seen  in  parcels  of  West-Indian  shells,  was  sent 
between  forty  and  fifty  years  ago  by  Mr.  Dillwyn  to 
Col.  Montagu  for  his  opinion.    It  was  marked  "  foreign,'' 


LORIPES.  237 

and  returned  by  the  latter  with  a  note  in  pencil,  "  not 
C.  discors.'^  The  specimen  and  memorandum  are  close 
beside  me  while  I  am  writing.  I  mention  this  because 
there  seems  to  have  been  some  confusion  as  to  what 
species  Montagu  intended  by  his  Cardium  discors. 
Nearly  the  whole  of  his  priceless  collection  of  British 
shells,  which  he  presented  to  the  National  Museum,  has 
unluckily  been  lost  to  science ;  and  even  some  of  the 
few  specimens  that  are  still  preserved  were  many  years 
ago  removed  from  the  original  tablets,  no  care  having 
apparently  been  taken  in  the  course  of  rearrangement  to 
retain  the  names  affixed  by  the  donor  to  his  types.  No 
similar  neglect,  however,  has  happened  of  late  years; 
and  all  that  can  now  be  desired  by  the  public  to  ensure 
proper  care  being  taken  of  our  unrivalled  store  of  scien- 
tific wealth,  and  its  being  made  available  for  the  instruc- 
tion and  amusement  of  the  people,  are  more  space  and 
a  larger  staflF. 

Dr.  Pulteney,  Mr.  Bryer,  and  Dr.  Maton  are  reported 
to  have  found  the  Venus  tigerina  of  Linne  (a  species  of 
Loripes)  on  several  parts  of  the  Dorset  coast.  There 
is  no  likelihood,  much  less  satisfactory  evidence,  that 
it  is  indigenous.     It  inhabits  tropical  seas. 

Another  species,  the  Venus  orbiculata  of  Montagu, 
said  to  have  been  found  by  Laskey  at  Dunbar,  is  also 
spurious.  It  is  the  Lucina  squamosa  of  Lamarck,  and 
West  Indian. 

I  was  assured  by  Dr.  Lukis  that  the  Tellina  carnaria 
of  Linne  had  been  taken  alive  at  Guernsey ;  and  I  have 
noticed  it  on  the  Continent  in  collections  of  Mediter- 
ranean shells.  Most  writers  on  British  and  European 
conchology  have  given  it  a  place  in  their  lists ;  and  Mid- 
dendorff  asserts  that  it  is  a  native  of  the  Caspian  Sea. 
But  although  I  may  be  over-sceptical,  I  must  hesitate 


238  LUCINID^. 

before  I  can  recognize  its  claim  to  be  admitted  into  the 
British  fauna.  It  is  so  common  a  West-Indian  shell  that 
the  circumstance  of  its  appearing  on  any  of  our  shores 
(particularly  those  which  are  much  frequented)  is  no 
proof  of  its  inhabiting  the  adjacent  sea.  Shipwrecks, 
ballast,  sailors  returning  home  from  foreign  voyages,  or 
children  playing  on  the  sands,  might  account  for  any 
exotic  shells  being  found  in  such  places.  One  thing, 
however,  ought  to  be  noticed  with  regard  to  the  spe- 
cies in  question,  viz.  that  the  Tellina  Balthica  (or  soli- 
dula)  was  mistaken  for  it  by  some  of  the  old  writers. 
After  describing  that  species,  Lister  gives  the  following 
locality,  "  In  brevibus  Lancastriensibus.^'  Linne  cites 
Lister,  and  uses  the  same  word  "  brevibus ''  (shallows) 
coupled  with  "  oceani ''  in  denoting  the  habitat  of  his 
T.  carnaria.  Gmelin  tried  to  improve  this,  and  says,  as 
to  the  last-named  species,  "Habitat  copiosissima  in  An- 
glise  sinubus  et  insularum  oceani  Americani  littore." 
Da  Costa  and  Donovan  followed  suit,  the  former  making 
a  further  emendation  by  altering  the  name  to  "  Cardium 
carneosum.^^  Whether  the  Tellina  carnaria  of  Linne 
belongs  to  the  present  genus  has  not  yet  been  satis- 
factorily determined. 

The  Tellina  pisiformis  of  Linne  may  possibly  be  Bri- 
tish. Montagu  described  it  as  Cardium  arcuatum,  and 
said  that  it  had  been  dredged  up  in  Falmouth  Harbour 
with  sand  for  manure.  I  have  a  single  valve  that  was 
found  in  Cornish  shell- sand.  It  is  a  well-known  Medi- 
terranean species ;  and  De  Gerville  records  it,  by  the 
name  of  C.  discors,  from  Querqueville  on  the  coast  of 
Brittany.  Gmelin  called  it  Tellina  digitaria,  and  La- 
marck Lucina  digitalis.  The  sculpture  is  very  different 
from  that  of  Loripes  divaricatus.  In  that  species  the 
striae  are  arched  in  the  line  of  growth  and  thence  diverge 


LUCINA.  239 

to  each  side.  .  In  the  present  species  the  striae  run  ob- 
liquely from  one  side  to  the  other,  curling  upwards  at 
each  end.  L.  divaricatus  is  very  convex,  white  with  a 
tinge  of  pale  yellow,  and  rather  glossy,  while  L.  pisi- 
formis  is  compressed,  and  has  a  rosy  tinge  and  dull  hue. 
The  markings  on  the  latter  shell  are  such  as  may  be  seen 
on  the  tip  of  a  finger,  and  from  these  the  names  digitaria 
and  digitalis  have  been  derived.  It  occurs  in  the  Red  and 
Coralline  Crag.  In  consequence  of  the  anterior  mus- 
cular impression  being  simple,  S  carles  Wood  placed  this 
shell  provisionally  in  Astarte ;  and  Deshayes  has  lately 
formed  out  of  this  and  other  allied  fossil  species  the 
genus  Woodia,  a  just  compliment  to  our  distinguished 
palaeontologist. 

Genus  II.  LUCI'NA^,  Bruguiere.     PI.  V.  f.  5. 

Body  somewhat  compressed:  mantle  having  the  margin 
waved :  incurrent  as  well  as  excurrent  tube  sessile :  foot  tongue- 
shaped. 

Shell  rather  ineqidlateral,  concentrically  ridged:  lunule 
long  and  weU  defined :  liyament  for  the  most  part  external : 
teeth,  one  or  two  cardinals  in  the  right,  and  always  two  in  the 
left  valve,  one  of  which  latter  is  often  cloven ;  laterals  long 
and  laminar :  inside  chalky  and  pit-marked. 

Although  this  genus  has  been  divided,  it  must  be 
borne  in  mind  that  very  nearly  three-fourths  of  a  cen- 
tury have  elapsed  since  it  was  first  instituted.  The 
progress  of  conchological  discovery  has  been  unusually 
rapid  during  the  last  twenty  years,  owing  in  a  great 
measure  to  the  impulse  and  encouragement  given  to  the 
study  of  the  Mollusca  by  publications  specially  devoted 
to  it,  as  the  '  Zeitschrift  fiir  Malakozoologie,'  '  Malako- 
zoologische  Blatter,'  and  'Journal  de  Conchyliologie,' 

*  An  epithet  of  Juno. 


240  LUCINIDiE. 

and  not  less  to  the  continual  and  successful  labours  of 
Deshayes,  Dunker^  Pfeijffer,  Hanley,  Reeve,  H.  &  A. 
Adams,  Mcirch,  Fischer,  and  other  writers  on  the  subject. 
New  forms  are  every  day  being  brought  to  light,  and  re- 
quire the  former  system  of  classification  to  be  modified. 
The  old  tree  has  put  forth  a  greater  number  of  new 
shoots  than  the  branches  which  have  been  severed  from 
it,  and  it  is  not  less  vigorous  for  the  pruning ;  even  the 
loppings,  that  have  been  planted  and  carefully  tended^ 
are  flourishing,  and  bid  fair  to  rival  their  parent  stem. 
Species  of  Lacina  abound  in  tropical  seas,  and  Dr.  Philip 
Carpenter  has  enumerated  no  less  than  seventeen  as 
inhabiting  the  west  coast  of  North  America.  Lamarck 
asserted  that  in  certain  species  the  teeth  become  obli- 
terated by  age  and  disappear,  which  statement  has  been 
repeated  by  subsequent  writers.  The  British  species 
present  no  such  anomaly ;  on  the  contrary,  their  teeth 
are  developed  in  the  course  of  growth,  and  become 
stronger  and  more  conspicuous  in  the  adult  than  in  the 

1^1 -32^  1.  LuciNA  spini'fera  *,(Montagu)    hfflia 

Venus  spinifera,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  p.  577,  pi.  17.  f.  1 .    L.  spinifera,  F.  &  H. 
ii.  p.  49,  pi.  XXXV.  f.  1. 

Body  clear  white  :  foot  very  slender,  and  not  swollen. 

Shell  obtusely  triangular,  with  a  somewhat  obHque  out- 
line, compressed,  solid  and  opaque,  not  glossy.  Sculpture, 
about  30  fine,  plate-hke  concentric  ridges,  which  are  sHghtly 
imbricated,  their  edges  forming  sharp  spines  on  the  dorsal 
margin ;  these  ridges  are  more  regular  and  equidistant  in  the 
young  than  at  a  later  stage  of  growth ;  between  them  are 
extremely  numerous  and  fine,  but  irregular  concentric  striae ; 
and  there  are  here  and  there  a  few  longitudinal  lines  which 
are  not  visible  to  the  naked  eye :  colour  pale  yellowish- white : 
epidermis  fibrous  and  not  very  thin :  margins  shghtly  incurved 

*  Prickly. 


LUCINA.  241 

on  the  anterior  side,  which  j6ins  the  ventral  margin  at  almost  a 
right  angle,  rounded  in  front,  somewhat  truncate  on  the  poste- 
rior side,  and  sometimes  indented  by  a  slight  furrow  running 
nearly  parallel  with  the  margin  to  the  ligamental  area,  which 
is  very  gently  curved :  heaks  small  and  pointed,  not  project- 
ing, slightly  recurved,  placed  so  close  together  as  to  touch,  and 
considerably  nearer  to  the  anterior  side :  lunule  deep,  abruptly 
defined  by  the  edges  of  the  anterior  margin  :  corselet,  or  liga- 
mental area,  also  deep  and  well  defined :  ligament  very  long 
and  straight,  homcolour,  sunk  within  the  dorsal  margin,  but 
visible  outside,  with  the  exception  of  a  small  portion  on  the 
sides,  which  is  overlapped  by  a  thin  layer  of  shell :  hinge-line 
representing  an  obtuse  angle,  and  occupying  much  more  than 
one-third  of  the  circumference  :  hinge-plate  rather  broad  and 
strong :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  one  triangular  and  pointed 
cardinal,  and  on  each  side  of  it  a  ridge-like  lateral  which  is 
raised  at  the  end ;  in  the  left  valve  two  cardinals,  one  of  which 
is  much  smaller  than  the  other,  the  laterals  being  less  distinct 
than  in  the  other  valve :  inside  nacreous  and  partly  iridescent, 
salmoncoloured  in  the  centre ;  margin  bevelled  off  and  plain : 
smrs  large  and  distinct.     L.  0*85.   B.  1. 

Yar.  minor.  Shell  smaller  and  flatter,  with  stronger  and 
more  regular  ridges. 

Habitat  :  A  muddy  and  gravelly  bottom,  from  8  to 
90  fathoms,  on  nearly  all  our  coasts,  but  locally  distri- 
buted. It  is  much  more  common  in  the  west  of  Scot- 
land and  Ireland  than  it  is  on  the  southern  coasts  of 
England.  Captain  Beechey  dredged  it  in  145  fathoms 
off  the  Mull  of  Galloway.  The  variety  occurs  in  deep 
water  off  Shetland ;  and  there  is  a  remarkable  coinci- 
dence in  size  between  it  and  the  southern  specimens. 
The  geographical  range  of  L.  spinifera  extends  from 
Nordland  to  the  ^gean  and  Canary  Isles.  It  occurs  in 
the  upper  miocene  tertiaries  of  the  South  of  France. 

Scotch  and  Irish  specimens  are  far  larger  than  those 
from  the  south  of  England  and  the  Mediterranean. 
Young  shells  are  exquisite  objects,  with  their  snow- 
white   complexion,   occasionally   suffused  with   a   pale 

M 


242  LUCINIDiE. 

orange  tint^  and  their  delicate  flounces  almost  equalling 
the  ornamentation  of  the  once-prized  Venus  Dione,  The 
fry  are  quite  smooth  and  glossy. 

This  constituted  the  type  of  Turton^s  genus  Myrtea, 
and  of  Leaches  genus  Cyrachcea,  It  is  the  Venus  Ma- 
telloides  of  Delle  Chiaje;  and  Philippi  at  first  adopted 
that  specific  name,  not  being  aware  that  the  species  had 
been  long  previously  described  by  Montagu.  Macgilli- 
vray  considered  it  to  be  only  the  young  of  L.  borealis ; 
but  it  may  be  readily  distinguished  from  that  shell  by 
its  shape,  which  is  triangular  instead  of  circular,  by  its 
beaks  being  much  less  prominent,  and  by  the  row  of  sharp 
spines  on  the  dorsal  margin. 

y^-'^'^  -  2.  L.  borea'lis  ^^Linn^.)    K^  U  3  . 

Venus  borealis,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1 134.    L.  borealis,  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  46, 
pi.  XXXV.  f.  6,  and  (animal)  pi.  M.  f.  6. 

Body  clear  white :  mantle  open  from  the  anterior  adductor 
to  near  the  posterior  muscle,  where  it  is  contracted  and  nearly 
closed :  labial  palps  one  on  each  side  of  the  mouth,  short,  coarse, 
thick,  nearly  cylindrical,  and  striated :  foot  placed  in  the  middle 
of  the  ventral  area,  very  narrow,  and  lancet-shaped  at  the  ex- 
tremity. 

Shell  roundish,  more  or  less  tumid,  soHd  and  opaque,  of  a 
duU  chalky  hue :  sculpture,  numerous  concentric  ridges  or 
ribs,  which  are  not  much  raised  although  tolerably  sharp ;  they 
become  closer,  irregular,  and  even  confluent  towards  the  front 
margin  in  adult  specimens,  and  are  somewhat  laminar  towards 
the  posterior  margin ;  the  only  other  markings  appear  to  he  a 
few  slight  and  minute  concentric  lines  between  the  ridges : 
colour  white :  epidermis  rather  thick,  fibrous,  puckered,  and 
light  yellowish-brown :  margins  obliquely  truncate  on  the  an- 
terior side,  and  forming  nearly  a  right  angle  with  the  dorsal 
margin  in  consequence  of  the  line  from  the  beaks  along  the 
lunule  being  almost  straight,  rounded  in  front,  with  a  sHght 
tendency  to  obliquity,  and  somewhat  truncate  on  the  poste- 

*  Northern. 


LUCINA.  243 

rior  side,  which  is  indented  by  an  indistinct  furrow  running 
nearly  parallel  with  the  ligamental  area :  heaks  very  small  and 
pointed,  rather  prominent,  much  recurved,  almost  contiguous, 
considerably  nearer  to  the  anterior  side  :  lunule  deep  and  ex- 
cavated :  corselet  level :  ligament  very  long  and  straight,  yel- 
lowish-brown, semicylindrical,  slightly  projecting  outside ;  its 
sides  are  covered  by  a  shelly  strip,  which  is  usually  found 
broken  in  small  pieces  by  the  action  of  closing  the  valves  : 
hiTige-line  curved,  occupying  not  quite  one-third  of  the  circum- 
ference :  hinge-plate  broad  and  thick :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve 
two  strong  cardinals,  the  anterior  one  being  double,  and  the 
posterior  much  smaller  and  set  more  obliquely,  and  on  each 
side  of  the  beak  a  plate-like  lateral,  the  anterior  one  being 
slightly  raised  at  the  end,  and  the  posterior  much  longer  than 
the  other ;  in  the  left  valve  two  similar  cardinals,  but  nearly 
of  equal  height,  and  con*esponding  laterals :  inside  chalky- 
white,  but  in  places  irregularly  tubercular  from  an  internal 
deposit  of  nacre :  margins  bevelled  off  and  plain,  sometimes 
grooved  longitudinally :  scars  remarkably  large  and  distinct. 
L.  1-4.   B.  1-5. 

Yar.  1.  depressa.  Shell  flatter  and  thinner,  with  fewer  ribs 
and  the  beaks  less  prominent. 

Yar.  2.  gihba.  Shell  much  smaller,  with  a  more  oblique 
outline,  the  valves  protuberant,  ribs  closer  together,  epider- 
mis iridescent,  and  the  beaks  more  prominent.  L.  0*45. 
B.0'5. 

Habitat  :  On  all  our  coasts,  in  muddy  gravel  and  sand, 
from  the  low-water  mark  of  spring  tides  to  82  fathoms. 
Captain  Beechey  has  dredged  it  off  the  Mull  of  Gallo- 
way in  110-145  fathoms.  The  late  Wm.  Thompson  and 
R.  Ball  found  it  in  lakes  of  brackish  water  at  Arran. 
Dr.  Lukis  informed  me  that  this  species  was  compara- 
tively rare  in  the  Channel  Isles,  and  that  the  numerical 
proportion  which  it  bore  there  to  Loripes  lacteus  was  as 
1  to  50.  He  added,  "  Lucina  borealis  was  wrongly  stated 
by  Forbes  and  Hanley  (vol.  ii.  p.  48)  to  occur  ^  abun- 
dantly near  St.  Peter^s  Port  in  Guernsey.'  We  do  not 
meet  with  it  excepting  at  Herm.  I  have  never  found  a 
single  specimen  on  the  Guernsey  coast,  although  I  have 

m2 


244  LirciNiD<ffi. 

digged  much  in  nearly  every  bay."  He  suspected  that 
Loripes  lactem  (single  valves  of  which  are  exceedingly 
plentiful  near  St.  Peter^s  Port,  Guernsey)  must  have  been 
mistaken  for  the  present  species.  Var.  1.  Many  places, 
in  deep  water.  Var.  2.  In  shallow  water,  Guernsey  and 
Scalloway  (J.  G.  J.) ;  Bantry  Bay  (Norman).  This 
species  occurs  in  the  tertiary  beds  of  the  Clyde  (Geikie) , 
Belfast  (Hyndman  and  Grainger),  Sussex  ( Godwin - 
Austen),  and  the  Mammalian,  Red,  and  Coralline  Crag 
(S.  Wood).  Abroad  it  ranges  from  Iceland  (Steenstrup) 
to  Messina  (Sars).  Brocchi  and  Philippi  enumerate  it 
as  an  Italian  fossil.  I  have  found  it  in  the  upper  mio- 
Cene  tertiaries  of  the  South  of  France,  as  well  as  in  the 
Udde valla  and  Christiania  beds.  Gould  describes  it  as 
a  Massachusetts  shell,  and  Stimpson  from  the  Boston 
coast ;  but  the  latter  now  denies  that  it  is  our  species, 
and  distinguishes  it  by  the  greater  size,  by  the  ribs 
being  more  distant  and  regular,  and  by  the  colour,  which 
Gould  says  is  white :  Stimpson  has  therefore  named  it 
filosa.  However,  if  the  claim  to  distinction  rests  only  on 
these  comparative  characters,  I  do  not  see  any  reason 
for  separating  the  Atlantic  and  Transatlantic  species. 

Montagu  states  that  this  shell  is  "  particularly  abun- 
dant at  Falmouth,  amongst  the  sand  dredged  from  the 
harbour  for  the  purpose  of  manure;  by  which  means 
it  is  common  in  the  arable  fields  about  that  place.''  I 
hope  geologists  may  not  be  misled,  and  consider  it 
fossil,  if  they  find  it  in  such  situations.  They  need  as 
much  caution  as  antiquaries  in  the  exercise  of  their 
pursuit,'^lthough  they  are  not  so  liable  to  be  wilfully 
deceived.  It  may  be  worth  while  to  fabricate  coins, 
flint  knives,  and  similar  relics  of  historic  and  prehistoric 
times ;  but  fossil  shells  have  no  such  marketable  value, 
they  are  not  so  easily  forged  or  imitated,  nor  would  even 


AXIN0S.  245 

Palissy's  workmanship  impose  on  a  palaeontologist  of  any 
experience.  The  shell  of  L.  borealis  has  a  considerable 
tendency  to  vary  in  respect  of  the  remoteness  or  proximity 
of  the  striae.  In  some  Guernsey  specimens  the  ribs 
nearly  disappear  towards  the  front.  A  specimen  from 
Exmouth  has  a  minute  pearl  lodged  between  the  pallial 
impression  and  the  inner  margin.  The  young  are  ob- 
liquely triangular,  and  marked  with  a  few  irregular 
white  streaks  which  radiate  from  the  beaks.  The  fry  are 
almost  globular,  perfectly  smooth,  and  glossy.  Speci- 
mens of  an  extraordinary  size  are  got  at  Tenby.  My  son 
picked  up  a  single  valve  on  the  sands  there,  measuring 
two  inches  in  breadth  and  nearly  as  much  in  length. 

Petiver  first  noticed  this  species  as  British,  and  called 
it  the  "  thread-girdled  white  Cockle."  Donovan  recog- 
nized it  as  the  Venus  borealis  of  Linne.  It  is  also  the 
V.  spuria  of  Gmelin  (from  the  figures  of  Lister  and 
Chemnitz),  Tellina  radula  of  Montagu,  and  Venus  cir- 
cinnata  of  Brocchi.  The  type  of  Turton^s  Lacina  alba 
is  composed  of  two  odd  and  much-worn  valves  of 
L.  borealis.  The  L.  lactea  and  L.  leucoma  of  Macgilli- 
vray  also  belong  to  the  present  species. 


Genus  III.  AXFNUS  ^  J.  Sowerby.     PI.  V.  f.  6. 

Body  convex :  mantle  having  the  margin  thickened,  with- 
out tubes :  gills  two  on  each  side,  an  outer  and  inner  pair ; 
foot  nearly  cyHndrical  and  very  slender. 

Shell  globular,  with  somewhat  of  a  triangular  outline, 
smooth ;  posterior  side  longitudinally  furrowed,  or  angulated : 
heahs  much  recurved :  lunide  short  and  sometimes  indistinct : 
ligament  usually  and  to  a  certain  extent  external,  placed  in  a 
groove  or  excavation  on  the  hinge-line,  and  outside  the  hinge- 
plate  :  teeth  altogether  wanting. 

*  Hatchet-shaped.  oC^l^r^ 


246  LUCINIDJE. 

If  Lucina  has  been  properly  made  the  type  of  a  sepa- 
rate family,  and  is  no  longer  to  be  regarded  as  a  genus 
containing  many  sections  or  subgenera,  the  validity  of 
the  present  genus  can  hardly  be  questioned.  A  com- 
parison of  the  characters  above  given  with  those  of 
Lucina,  as  now  sought  to  be  restricted,  will,  I  think, 
suffice  to  convince  most  conchologists  that  Axinus  is  a 
good  genus.  Those  who  are  of  opinion  that  the  family 
has  no  substantial  or  natural  basis  are  of  course  at 
liberty  to  adopt  the  old  genus  LMcina  in  its  original  in- 
tegrity. I  do  not  propose  any  new  genus.  Aocinus  has 
already  attained  the  respectable  age  of  forty  years.  It 
is  at  present  in  some  danger  of  being  set  aside  as  obso- 
lete or  unfashionable ;  but 

Multa  renascentur  quse  jam  cedidere,  cadentque 
Quae  nunc  sunt  in  honore  vocabula,  si  volet  usus, 
Quern  penes  arbitrium  est  et  jus  et  norma  loquendi. 

These  moUusks  are  of  small  size,  and  dwellers  in  mud 
and  sand  at  various  depths  of  water.  The  species  are 
by  no  means  numerous.  Three  of  them  are  British  and 
European,  and  another  is  Cuban.  Mr.  Searles  Wood 
says,  "  Species  strictly  belonging  to  this  genus  have  not 
been  described  from  any  formation  of  an  older  date 
than  the  tertiaries:  the  shell  called  Axinus  obscurus, 
from  the  Magnesian  limestone,  belongs  to  a  different 
group,  and  has  already  been  made  a  genus  of  by  Pro- 
fessor King,  under  the  name  of  Schizodus.''  The  shell 
of  Axinus  has  no  tooth.  What  has  been  taken  for  such 
is  merely  the  point  of  the  hinge-plate,  near  the  beak, 
which  becomes  thickened,  and  even  projects  a  little,  in 
full-grown  specimens.  This  process  is  unlike  the  tooth 
of  any  bivalve.  The  connexion  of  the  valves  depends 
wholly  on  the  ligament,  and  is  therefore  slight.  Sowerby, 
in  proposing  the  present  genus,  instanced  A.  angulatus 


AxiNus.  247 

of  the  London  Clay  as  the  type.  This  exhibits  all  the 
essential  generic  characters,  except  in  respect  of  the 
hinge,  which  is  not  visible  in  consequence  of  the  matrix 
in  which  the  shell  is  imbedded  being  too  hard  and  com- 
pact to  be  removed.  It  is  remarkable,  however,  that 
Sowerby  added  to  his  description  of  AxinuSj  "  I  suspect 
it  has  no  teeth /^ 

Several  names  for  this  genus  have  been  attributed  to 
Leach,  viz.  Thyasira,  Thiatira,  Thiatisa,  and  Bequania. 
The  first  only  is  classically  correct.  Turton  called  it 
Cryptodon,  Philippi  Pty china,  and  I  gave  another  generic 
name  [Clausina)  to  one  of  the  species.  All  these  are 
mere  synonyms  and  superfluous. 

I  would  recommend  those  of  my  readers  who  are 
acquainted  with  the  Danish  language  to  read  a  very 
interesting  account  by  Professor  Sars  of  the  animal  of 
A,  Sarsii,  contained  in  his  Report  of  a  zoological  exp. 
cursion  to  the  Loffoden  Isles  and  Finmark  in  1849. 
He  observes  that  Axinus  differs  from  all  other  Con- 
chifera  in  the  position  of  its  generative  organs,  which 
lie  outside  the  stomach,  and  not  within  it ;  and  he  com- 
pares this  genus  to  the  Brachiopoda  in  that  respect. 
He  found  by  a  microscopical  examination  that  some 
individuals  were  male  and  others  female. 

T  W  y  a.  *i  r  <c.  (4  a)<u^  5  <«- 

Kfn^.        1.  Axinus  FLEXuo'sus *,(Montagu)  ^\-ii. 

Tellina  flescuosa,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  p.  72.  Lucina  flextiosa,  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  54, 
pi.  XXXV.  f.  4. 

Body  clear  white  :  mantle  somewhat  contracted  on  the  pos- 
terior side,  so  as  to  form  a  round  hole  :  gilh  thick,  of  a  red- 
brown  colour  :  foot  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  ventral  area. 

Shell  roundish-oval,  tumid,  thin,  usually  opaque  but  some- 
times more  or  less  transparent,  scarcely  glossy :  sculpture,  irre- 

*  Flexuous. 


248  LUCINID^. 

gular  lines  of  growth  and  microscopical  frost-like  markings  : 
colour  white  :  epidermis  filmy  and  inconspicuous :  margins  ob- 
liquely truncate  on  the  anterior  side,  and  forming  nearly  a 
right  angle  with  the  dorsal  margin,  which  is  almost  straight  or 
sHghtly  incurved,  rounded  in  front,  and  flexuous  on  the  pos- 
terior side,  which  is  deeply  indented  by  a  wide  furrow  or 
groove  running  from  the  beaks  at  an  angle  of  about  30  degrees 
and  gradually  enlarging  outwards,  as  well  as  by  another  smaller 
and  parallel  furrow  close  to  the  ligamental  area :  beaks  small 
and  pointed,  but  not  prominent,  much  recurved,  almost  con- 
tiguous, a  little  nearer  to  the  anterior  side :  lunule  rather  deep 
and  heartshaped :  corselet  prominent,  well  defined  by  the  upper 
furrow,  and  forming  two  sharp  and  pouting  lips:  ligament 
rather  long,  yellowish-brown  or  light  horncolour,  not  pro- 
jecting beyond  the  lips  of  the  corselet,  but  distinctly  visible 
outside;  Hgamental  groove  narrow  and  shallow:  hinge-line 
obtusely  angular,  occupying  not  one-fourth  of  the  circumfe- 
rence :  hinge-plate  rather  broad  and  thick,  nearly  flat,  almost 
all  of  it  lying  on  the  posterior  side;  immediately  below  the 
beaks  it  is  indented  in  the  right  valve  and  sHghtly  reflected  in 
the  left,  which  gives  that  valve  the  appearance  of  having  an 
indistinct  or  obscure  cardinal  tooth :  inside  highly  glossy  and 
iridescent,  sometimes  sHghtly  striated  lengthwise ;  margin  thin 
and  plain:  pallial  scar  broken  in  a  zigzag  line,  in  conse- 
quence probably  of  a  corresponding  structure  in  the  edge  of 
the  mantle :  muscular  scars  large.     L.  0*375.    B.  0"35. 

Var.  polygona.  Rather  longer  in  proportion  to  the  breadth, 
marked  by  three  or  four  longitudinal  ridges,  giving  the  shell 
an  angular  form,  the  grooves  on  the  posterior  side  being  much 
deeper  than  usual. 

Monstr.  Having  a  longitudinal  groove  down  the  middle, 
which  is  longer  and  deeper  in  the  left  valve  than  in  the  right. 

Habitat  :  Gregarious  in  soft  mud  and  sand  on  all 
the  British  coasts,  from  Shetland  to  the  Channel  Isles, 
in  3-87  fathoms.  The  variety  is  from  the  deepest  water 
on  the  "  outer  haf/^  about  forty  miles  east  of  the 
Whalsey  Skerries,  and  the  monstrosity  from  Falmouth 
and  Tenby.  This  species  is  rather  plentiful  in  the 
'^  alluvial^'  deposits  at  Belfast  (Hyndman  and  Grainger); 
Clyde  beds  (Smith);  Coralline  Crag,  Sutton  (S.  Wood). 


AXiNUs.  249 

It  is  widely  distributed  through  the  North  Atlantic 
from  Spitzbergen  (Torell)  to  the  Canary  Isles  (M 'An- 
drew), and  likewise  through  the  Mediterranean  and 
iEgean.  The  greatest  bathymetrical  limit  recorded  is 
that  by  Danielssen,  viz.  180  fathoms,  at  Vadso  in  Fin- 
mark.  '^  Postglacial  ^'  beds  in  the  Christiania  diocese 
(Sars).  Gould  has  described  it  as  a  Massachusetts 
shell ;  but  in  a  review  of  his  work  by  Philippi,  in  the 
'  Zeitschrift  ^  for  1846,  the  North- American  species  is 
stated  to  differ  in  several  respects  from  ours,  and  the 
name  Lucina  Gouldii  was  therefore  given  to  it.  Morch 
refers  the  Greenland  shell  to  this  last  species,  and  says 
it  is  the  Tyatira  hyalina  of  Beck.  I  confess  that  I  have 
not  been  able  to  make  out  anything  more  than  a  varietal 
difference  between  the  Greenland  specimens  and  those 
of  A,  flexuosus  from  our  own  seas. 

Young  shells  are  globular,  and  the  principal  fold  on 
the  posterior  side  is  visible  in  every  stage  of  growth. 
The  liver  is  of  a  beautiful  purple  colour.  The  attach- 
ment of  the  ligament  to  the  hinge  is  slight,  which 
accounts  for  single  valves  being  so  frequently  thrown 
up  on  the  shore,  or  taken  by  the  dredge  in  sandy  bays. 

Lamarck  described  this  species  in  his  '  Histoire  na- 
turelle  des  Animaux  sans  Vertebres,'  both  as  Amphi- 
desma  flexuosa  and  Lucina  sinuata.  It  is  the  Cryptodon 
bisinuatum  of  S.  Wood's  Catalogue,  and  the  Pty china 
biplicata  (afterwards  changed  to  Axinus  sinuatus)  of 
Philippi.  The  Venus  sinuosa  of  Pennant  and  Donovan 
(thus  characterized,  "Thin,  convex,  a  deep  obtuse  sinus 
or  bending  in  the  front ")  appears  to  be  Thracia  distorta, 
which  is  often  contracted  in  this  way ;  and  Donovan's 
figure  confirms  that  idea.  S.  Wood,  however,  considered 
it  identical  with  the  present  species.  The  A.  Sarsii  of 
Philippi,  described  by  Loven  in  his  admirable  '  Index 

M  5 


250  LUCINIDyE. 

MoUuscorum  litora  Scandinaviae  occidentalia  habitan- 
tium/  is  not  uncommon  on  the  coasts  of  Norway  and 
Sweden;  but  it  has  not  been  found  in  our  seas.  I 
venture  to  regard  it  as  a  large  variety  of  A.  fleamosus. 
Some  remarks  will  be  found  on  the  subject  when  I  come 
to  treat  of  the  next  species. 

^^  •  2.  A.  Croulinensis  -^^-^ (Jeffreys.)      f^^-  ^'^ 

Clausina  Croulinensis,  Jeffr.  in  Ann.  Nat.  Hist.  vol.  xx.  p.  19 ;  ser.  3.  ii. 
p.  122,  pi.  V.  f.  2,  a-c  (young). 

Shell  obliquely  oval,  tumid,  of  a  moderate  thickness, 
opaque  except  in  the  young  state,  rather  glossy :  sculpture^ 
numerous  and  fine  but  irregular  concentric  striae :  colour  white  : 
epidermis  slight :  margins  rounded  on  the  anterior  side,  as 
well  as  in  front,  and  slightly  angular  on  the  posterior  side, 
which  is  indented  by  a  double  but  short  furrow :  heaks  small 
and  prominent,  much  more  recurved  than  in  the  last  species, 
almost  contiguous  and  central:  lunule  indistinct:  corselet 
narrow  but  well  defined  by  the  upper  furrow  :  ligainent  sHght, 
not  visible  outside ;  ligamental  groove  sloping  inwards :  hinge- 
Une  obtusely  curved,  occupying  not  one-fifth  of  the  circum- 
ference: hinge-plate  rather  narrow  but  thick,  almost  all  of 
it  lying  on  the  posterior  side ;  the  tooth-like  folds  are  as  in 

A.  flexuosus,  but  very  much  stronger  and  more  conspicuous : 
inside  highly  glossy,  iridescent,  and  smooth ;  margin  tMn  and 
plain :  pallial  scar  indistinct :    muscular  scars  oval.    ¥.  0-15. 

B.  0-135. 

Habitat  :  Skye  and  Shetland,  in  muddy  sand,  from 
45  to  85  fathoms ;  rare. 

This  shell,  compared  with  specimens  of  A.  fleoeuosus 
of  a  similar  size  and  age,  is  longer  and  more  oblique,  as 
well  as  proportionally  more  solid ;  the  margin  of  the 
anterior  side  is  curved,  instead  of  being  nearly  straight 
and  truncate;  the  furrows  on  the  posterior  side  are 
scarcely  visible  when  viewed  in  front ;   the  beaks  are 

*  From  its  having  been  first  found  near  Croulin  Island,  in  the  He-     \ 
brides. 


AXINXJS.  251 

much  more  recurved;  and  the  tooth-like  folds  are 
stronger  and  more  prominent.  I  at  one  time  thought 
it  might  be  the  young  of  A.  Sarsii ;  but  having  been 
favoured  by  my  kind  friends  in  the  North  with  a  series 
of  specimens  from  several  localities,  I  am  enabled  to 
express  a  positive  conviction  that  my  shells  are  not  the 
young  of  that  species  or  variety.  The  shell  of  A,  Sarsii 
in  all  states  of  growth  is  even  more  globular  than  A. 
fiexuosuSj  the  furrows  are  equally  strong  (except  in 
large  specimens,  when  they  are  less  conspicuous),  and 
the  tooth-like  folds  are  wanting  or  indistinct.  A.  Sarsii 
is  usually  found  in  deeper  water  than  A.  fleomosus,  and 
I  am  not  aware  that  both  forms  have  ever  been  taken 
together.  Asbjornsen  gives  different  localities  for  each 
on  the  coast  of  Norway ;  and  Malm  informs  me  that 
on  the  Swedish  coast  he  always  finds  A,  fleocuosus  on 
softer  ground  and  in  shallower  water  than  the  other. 
A.  Sarsii  attains  a  much  larger  size ;  and  Lilljeborg 
showed  me  a  comparatively  gigantic  specimen,  which 
was  upwards  of  an  inch  long.  It  occurs  in  the  Udde- 
valla  beds.  The  authors  of  the  '  British  MoUusca '  in- 
advertently placed  A.  Croulinensis  with  A.ferruginosus. 
The  outline  of  each  will  be  sufficient  to  distinguish 
them,  independently  of  other  characters.  The  shell  of 
the  former  is  obliquely  oval,  and  that  of  the  latter 
almost  globular. 

Slw^         3.  A.  FERRUGiNo'sus^,(^rorbes.)         ^' 

Kellia  fermginosa,  Forbes,  ^gean  Invert.,  Brit.  Assoc.  Eep.  1843,  p.  192. 
Lucina  ferruginosa,  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  60,  pi.  xxxiv.  f.  1. 

Shell  nearly  globular,  but  more  tumid  towards  the  beaks, 
covered  with  a  thick  ferruginous  crust  or  coating  like  the  rust 
of  old  iron,  beneath  which  it  is  thin,  opaque,  and  rather  glossy ; 

*  Covered  with  iron-rust. 


252  LXJCINID;E. 

sculpture,  irregular  lines  of  growth  and  intermediate  micro- 
scopical striae :  colour  reddish -brown  outside,  and  milk-white 
inside  the  crust:  epidermis  thin  and  obscured  by  the  outer 
covering :  margins  rounded  on  the  anterior  side  and  in  front, 
obliquely  truncate  or  sloping  on  the  posterior  side,  which  is 
slightly  flexuous  and  marked  by  a  broad  but  shallow  furrow 
radiating  from  the  beak,  as  in  the  last  species :  heaks  small 
and  tubercular,  rather  prominent,  much  recurved,  not  so  close 
together  as  in  A.  Jlexuosus,  and  nearer  to  the  anterior  side : 
lunule  imperfectly  defined :  corselet  indistinct :  ligament  short, 
reddish-brown,  sunk  within  the  lips  of  the  corselet  and  hardly 
visible  outside ;  ligamental  groove  very  slight  and  narrow : 
hinge-line  obtusely  angular,  deeply  excavated  in  the  centre 
on  the  posterior  side  of  the  beak,  and  occupying  about  onc- 
third  of  the  circumference:  hinge-plate  narrow  and  sharp, 
reflected  and  projecting  below  the  beak  on  the  anterior  side,  so 
that  the  edge  appears  like  a  blunt  cardinal  tooth ;  by  far  the 
greater  part  of  the  hinge-plate  lies  on  the  posterior  side :  inside 
rather  glossy  ;  margin  plain :  pallial  scar  slight,  entire :  mm- 
cular  scars  conspicuous  and  round.     L.  0*125.   B.  0*125. 

Habitat  :  Muddy  ground  and  sand  in  30-50  fathoms, 
Sound  of  Skye ;  20-100  fathoms,  Loch  Fyne ;  and  70- 
80  fathoms,  off  the  west  coast  of  Shetland.  Close  to 
Crouiin  Island,  in  the  first  of  these  localities,  it  is 
remarkably  plentiful.  Captain  Hoskyn  has  lately  taken 
specimens  off  the  west  coast  of  Ireland  at  a  depth  of 
210  fathoms.  Glacial  beds,  Aberdeenshire  (Jamieson); 
Coralline  Crag,  Sutton  (S.Wood).  Torell  has  dredged  it 
in  250  fathoms  off  the  coast  of  Greenland ;  Loven  and 
other  writers  have  mentioned  it  in  their  lists  as  Scan- 
dinavian, from  Finmark  to  Bohuslan ;  and  Forbes  first 
described  it,  as  inhabiting  the  ^gean  at  a  depth  of  119 
fathoms. 

The  young  are  oval  and  transparent.  Some  speci- 
mens of  a  larger  size  than  usual  have  a  snout-like 
process  which  projects  from  the  angle  of  the  posterior 
side,  and  is  caused  by  an  excessive  accumulation  of  the 
ferruginous  crust  in  that   part.     This  induces   me  to 


DIPLODONTA.  253 

think  that  the  coating  arises  from  a  deposit  of  fsecal 
matter  in  still  and  deep  water,  and  not  from  any  pecu- 
liar secretion  of  the  animal,  or  from  a  mineral  or  che- 
mical deposit. 

It  is  the  Cryptodon  rotundatum  of  Searles  Wood^s 
'  Catalogue  of  the  Crag  Mollusca/  Judging  from  an 
examination  of  a  single  valve  so  named  by  Forbes,  his 
Kellia  abyssicola  from  the  ^gean  appears  to  be  only 
the  decorticated  state  of  the  present  species. 

Genus  IV.  DIPLODON'TA  *,  Brown.     PI.  V.  f.  7. 

Body  nearly  globular,  but  compressed :  mantle  thick,  having 
a  plain  margin :  tubes  none :  gills  two  on  each  side :  labial 
palps  the  same :  foot  lancet-shaped. 

Shell  squarish,  convex,  and  smooth:  beaJcs  not  much  re- 
curved :  lunide  inconspicuous :  ligament  quite  external :  teeth, 
two  cardinals  in  each  valve,  the  anterior  of  which  in  the  right 
valve  is  simple,  and  the  other  bifid  or  cloven,  the  contrary  being 
the  case  in  the  left  valve ;  laterals  laminar  and  indistinct. 

The  peculiarity  of  this  genus  consists  in  there  being 
two  separate  gills  and  as  many  labial  palps  on  each  side, 
instead  of  a  single  gill  and  palp  as  in  all  the  other  genera 
of  the  same  family,  and  also  of  the  ligament  being  alto- 
gether external,  and  the  cardinal  teeth  more  numerous 
and  symmetrical.  In  adult  specimens  the  anterior 
muscular  impression  is  elongated,  like  that  of  Lucina. 

The  Diplodontce  inhabit  every  part  of  the  marine 
world;  and  many  fossil  species  have  been  described. 
ToreU  has  lately  dredged  at  Spitzbergen  a  new  species, 
which  is  nearly  allied  to  the  only  one  we  have  in  the 
British  seas. 

It  is  the  genus  Mysia  of  Leach,  and  (according  to 
Woodward)  Sphaerella  of  Conrad. 

*  Double-tooth. 


254  LUCINID^. 

[^^'b'h  DiPLODONTA  ROTUNDA'tA ^^(Montagu)        Nf«2.cy 

Tellina  rotundata,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  p.  71,  tab.  2.  f.  3.    D.  rotundata^ 
F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  66,  pi.  XXXV.  f.  6,  and  (animal)  pi.  M.  f.  7. 

Body  clear  white :  gills  laminar,  somewhat  elongated  and 
angular,  folded  or  puckered  at  the  edges,  pectinated,  and  fixed 
as  usual  to  the  dorsal  range,  the  upper  plate  being  little  more 
than  half  the  depth  of  the  lower  one :  pdl^s  short,  pointed, 
pectinated,  and  somewhat  triangular :  orifice  at  the  posterior 
end  very  small  and  inconspicuous :  foot  central,  rather  long, 
and  conical,  minutely  perforated  at  the  point. 

Shell  obliquely  quadrilateral,  gibbous,  not  very  thin,  opaque, 
moderately  glossy :  sculpture,  strongly  marked  and  irregular 
lines  of  growth,  and  (under  the  microscope)  exceedingly  fine 
and  close-set,  regular  longitudinal  lines  on  the  umbonal  area, 
which  radiate  from  the  beak  and  are  only  perceptible  in  fresh 
specimens,  as  well  as  equally  fine  and  numerous,  but  irre- 
gular and  often  wavy  or  confluent,  transverse  lines  on  the 
rest  of  the  surface  :  colour  milk-white :  epidermis  fibrous  and 
yellowish,  usually  rubbed  off  except  in  front :  margins  obtusely 
angular  on  the  anterior  side,  where  the  slope  to  the  beak  and 
front  is  nearly  equal,  obliquely  rounded  in  front,  somewhat 
produced  and  very  much  broader  on  the  posterior  side,  which 
is  also  rounded  at  the  end,  and  straight  behind :  beaks  small, 
scarcely  projecting  beyond  the  dorsal  line,  and  not  contiguous : 
lunule  very  small,  but  deep,  not  well  defined,  and  hidden  by  the 
beaks :  ligament  short,  semicylindrical,  yellowish-brown  or  of 
a  golden  hue,  projecting  beyond  the  dorsal  margin ;  ligamental 
groove  rather  deeply  cut :  hinge-line  slightly  curved,  occupy- 
ing nearly  one-third  of  the  circumference :  hinge-plate  broad 
in  the  middle  and  tapering  gradually  to  each  end;  the  pos- 
terior side  is  the  longer :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  two  erect 
cardinals,  the  posterior  of  which  is  double  and  placed  more 
obliquely  than  the  other,  as  well  as  a  plate-like  lateral  on  each 
side,  the  anterior  of  which  is  distinct ;  in  the  left  valve  the 
same  number  and  kind  of  cardinals  and  laterals,  but  the  posi- 
tion of  the  former  is  reversed :  inside  marked  by  slight  longi- 
tudinal lines,  frost-like  in  the  centre  and  at  the  back,  but 
glossy  towards  the  margin,  which  is  plain :  pallial  scar  distinct, 
broad,  and  entire :  muscular  scars  large  and  well  marked,  the 
anterior  one  irregularly  elliptical,  and  the  posterior  oval. 
L.  0-9.   B.  1. 

*  Eounded. 


DIPLODONTA.  255 

Habitat  :  Not  uncommon  on  the  southern  coasts  of 
England  and  in  the  Channel  Isles,  and  also  in  the 
south  and  west  of  Ireland,  in  12-20  fathoms,  sandy- 
mud.  Being  elsewhere  local,  I  may  mention  that  it  has 
been  taken  by  Forbes  and  M 'Andrew  in  7-25  fathoms 
off  Lundy  Island,  by  Lyons  at  Tenby,  by  myself  in  20 
fathoms  at  Fishguard,  and  by  M 'Andrew  in  12  fathoms 
off  Anglesea.  Sir  W.  C.  Trevelyan  and  the  Rev.  G.  C. 
Abbes  are  reported  to  have  found  it  at  Seaton  and 
Whitburn;  but  Alder  suspects  these  specimens  were 
''derived  from  ballast.^'  Possibly  Lucinopsis  undata 
may  have  been  mistaken  for  it.  The  present  species  is 
a  Coralline  Crag  fossil.  Its  foreign  distribution  is  alto- 
gether southern,  viz.  Vannes  (Mittre) ;  Nice  (Risso) ; 
Sicily  (Philippi) ;  ^gean  (Forbes) ;  Madeira  and  the 
Canary  Isles  (M'Andrew). 

I  have  a  distorted  specimen,  which  is  so  much  con- 
tracted in  the  middle  as  to  look  like  a  kidney  bean. 
Occasionally  the  anterior  side  is  much  shorter  than 
usual,  making  the  shell  decidedly  inequilateral.  Young 
shells  are  flatter;  and  the  fry  are  triangular  also,  and 
in  fact  so  different  in  shape  that  I  described  and  figured 
it  in  the  '  Annals  of  Natural  History '  for  January  1858 
as  a  distinct  species  under  the  name  of  Diodonta  Bar- 
leei.  The  portly  and  protuberant  form  of  the  adult, 
compared  with  the  slim  figure  of  the  young,  reminds 

one  of 

"  the  Justice 

In  fair  pound  belly  with  good  capon  lined." 

Good  living  will  doubtless  tell  upon  the  Diplodonta,  as 
well  as  upon  his  Worship. 

This  species  is  the  D.  dilatata  of  Philippi  and  Gloco- 
mene  Montaguana  of  Leach. 


256  CARDITIDiE. 


Family  X.  CARDI'TID^,  Gray. 

Body  oblong  or  roundish-oval :  mantle  thin,  open  in  front, 
and  folded  behind  into  a  short  excretal  tube :  foot  tongue- 
shaped  and  extensile,  byssiferous. 

Shell  shaped  like  the  animal,  equivalve,  inequilateral : 
ligament  external:  hifige  strong,  furnished  with  one  or  two 
cardinal  teeth,  which  are  set  more  or  less  obliquely,  and  with 
a  laminar  posterior  lateral  tooth  in  each  valve :  pallial  scar  in 
nearly  every  case  entire:  m-mcvlar  scars  large,  round,  and 
deep. 

I  give  this  family  provisionally  as  British,  not  know- 
ing where  else  to  place  the  abnormal  genus  Cyamium, 
as  well  as  a  species  of  Cypricardia,  which  at  present  I 
am  not  sure  is  indigenous.  The  present  members  of  this 
family  are  dispersed  over  the  ocean,  but  chiefly  confined 
to  the  southern  zone :  their  ancestors  flourished  in  the 
northern  hemisphere,  and  multiplied  exceedingly  during 
the  tertiary  epoch. 

With  respect  to  the  shape  of  the  pallial  scar,  being 
the  impression  produced  by  the  adhesion  of  the  mantle 
to  the  inside  of  the  shell  near  the  front  margin,  I  think 
an  undue  importance  has  been  attached  to  this  cha- 
racter. When  it  is  sinuous  or  indented,  it  certainly 
shows  that  the  animal  has  two  distinct  tubes  springing 
from  a  common  sheath,  at  the  posterior  side ;  but  when 
it  is  simple,  or  even  flexuous,  we  cannot  learn  from  it 
whether  there  are  two  such  tubes,  or  only  one,  nor 
what  their  length  may  be,  nor  even  whether  there  is 
any  tube  at  all.  Cardium  and  Venus  have  each  a  double 
tube  on  the  posterior  side ;  but  the  pallial  scar  in  tKe 
former  is  simple  or  entire,  and  in  the  latter  sinuous. 


CYAMIUM.  257 

Genus  CYA'MIUM  *,  Philippi.    PI.  V.  f.  8. 

Body  somewhat  compressed :  excurrent  tvhe  scarcely  pro- 
jecting beyond  the  posterior  side  of  the  shell :  gills  large  :  foot 
slender. 

Shell  oblong,  very  inequilateral :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve 
one  strong  and  large  double  cardinal  (appearing  like  two  single 
teeth  in  immature  specimens),  and  in  the  left  valve  two  cardi- 
nals ;  each  valve  has  an  indistinct  lateral  tooth  on  the  poste- 
rior side. 

The  type  of  this  genus  is  a  small  shell  from  the  Falk- 
land Isles,  which  Philippi  described  in  1845  as  Cyamium 
antarcficum.  This  is  the  only  species  known,  unless 
the  British  shell  which  I  am  about  to  mention  belongs 
to  the  same  genus.  The  ligament  in  both  species  is 
external.  Loven  adopted  Philippics  genus  for  our  shell, 
which  has  a  wide  European  range ;  but  he  did  so  with 
some  doubt,  because  it  was  supposed  that  the  ligament 
in  Cyamium  was  internal.  Forbes  and  Hanley  seem 
also  to  have  entertained  the  latter  idea ;  and  they  con- 
sequently proposed  a  new  genus,  Turtonia,  for  the  re- 
ception of  the  northern  species.  Messrs.  H.  and  A. 
Adams,  in  their  most  useful  and  elaborate  work, '  The 
Genera  of  recent  Mollusca,^  at  first  united  Turtonia  with. 
Cyamium ;  but  in  the  appendix  they  expressed  a  dififerent 
opinion,  and  separated  them,  on  the  ground  that  "  the 
shell  of  the  former  is  closed  at  both  ends,  the  ligament 
is  more  exposed  than  in  Cyamium,  and  it  is  also  pro- 
vided with  slightly  prominent  elongated  lateral  teeth 
which  are  absent  in  Cyamium.^'  Having  several  times 
examined  minutely  a  series  of  specimens  of  C,  antarcti- 
cum  in  the  British  and  Stockholm  Museums,  I  have 
arrived  at  a  difierent  conclusion;  and,  after  carefully 
weighing  the  reasons  stated  by  the  able  systematists 

*  A  little  bean. 


258  CARDITIDiE. 

above-named,  I  feel  satisfied  that  the  two  species  from 
the  extremities  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean  ought  to  be  in- 
cluded in  the  same  genus.  Perfect  specimens  of  C.  ant- 
arcticum  are  closed  at  both  ends ;  and  the  ligament  is  as 
much  exposed,  and  the  lateral  teeth  are  as  fully  deve- 
loped, in  that  species  as  in  the  other. 

There  is,  however,  a  much  greater  difficulty  as  to  the 
position  and  relations  of  this  anomalous  genus,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  following  description  of  Turtonia  in  the 
'  British  Mollusca '  (vol.  ii.  p.  80)  :  "  Animal  with  the 
mantle  widely  open  anteriorly,  a  single  very  slender 
siphonal  tube  at  the  shorter  end,  and  an  ample  and 
strong  foot  angulated  at  its  posterior  base  proceeding 
from  the  longer .''  The  authors  also  state  in  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  species,  "  all  we  know  of  the  animal  is  con- 
tained in  the  generic  character,  due  to  the  observations 
of  Mr.  Alder."  The  representation  of  the  animal,  given 
in  pi.  O.  f.  1.  of  that  work,  corresponds  with  the  above 
description.  In  the  '  Supplementary  Notes  on  the 
Acephala'  (vol.  ii.  p.  375),  and  in  the  description  of  the 
plates  (vol.  i.  p.  480),  a  material  error  is  noticed  as  to 
the  engraving,  viz.  in  the  ^^  siphon  projecting  from  the 
short,  instead  of  the  long,  end  of  the  shell."  The  de- 
scription remains  uncorrected.  Mr.  J.  de  C.  Sowerby 
assured  me  that  he  accurately  made  the  engraving  from 
a  sketch  famished  by  the  late  Professor  Forbes,  whose 
name  as  the  draughtsman  appears  on  the  plate.  I 
thereupon  wrote  to  Mr.  Alder  for  further  information ; 
and  in  reply  he  says,  "  I  am  quite  certain  of  Turtonia 
minuta  (the  species  in  question)  having  a  small  slender 
siphonal  tube,  which  is  occasionally  exserted,  but  at  the 
longer  end.  I  have  hunted  out  my  sketches  of  the 
animal,  which  after  some  search  I  have  found  in  an  old 
memorandum-book  of  1838,  and  herewith  send  you  a 


CYAMIUM.  259 

traciug  of  them.  You  will  see  that  in  two  of  the  figures 
the  tube  is  exserted  :  but  the  animal  is  rather  shy  in 
extending  it,  and  it  can  only  be  seen  by  watching  the 
opportunity.  It  is  probably  the  anal  siphon,  as  is  sup- 
posed to  be  the  case  in  Lucina  [Loripes'jj — the  branchial 
siphon  being  either  very  short  or  only  formed  by  a  fold 
in  the  open  mantle,  as  in  some  other  genera/^  I  have 
myself  failed  to  detect  any  slender  tube  such  as  Mr. 
Alder  has  described,  although  during  the  last  two  years 
I  have  examined  a  great  number  of  living  and  active 
individuals  on  the  spot  and  under  extremely  favourable 
circumstances.  Subjoined  is  the  result  of  my  observa- 
tions, which  were  noted  at  the  time  of  their  being  made, 
with  respect  to  the  shape  and  position  of  the  tube  and 
foot.  The  excretal  or  anal  tube  is  small,  button-shaped, 
and  almost  sessile.  It  is  situate  on  the  upper  part  of 
the  posterior  or  broader  side  of  the  shell.  This  process 
is  formed  out  of  a  fold  or  contraction  of  the  mantle,  and 
slightly  separated  by  a  raised  edge  from  the  long  ventral 
opening.  It  is  occasionally  protruded,  but  never  to  a 
greater  extent  than  the  one-hundredth  part  of  an  inch. 
When  this  takes  place  the  lower  side  is  higher  than  the 
upper,  and  appears,  when  viewed  sideways,  like  an  ex- 
ceedingly minute  tooth  or  conical  point.  Being  nearly 
transparent,  the  raised  edges  cannot  be  seen,  unless  the 
object  is  placed  in  relief  on  a  black  ground.  The  mouth 
or  orifice  of  the  tube  is  roundish-oval  and  plain.  I 
repeatedly  observed  excretal  pellets  ejected  from  it.  No 
other  tube  or  orifice  was  perceptible  on  the  same  side. 
The  ventral  gape,  occupying  the  middle  of  the  open 
valves,  is  very  large  and  wide.  It  serves  for  the  ad- 
mission of  food,  as  well  as  of  water  to  aerate  the  gills. 
There  was  always  a  current  passing  into  it,  charged 
with  animalcula.     The  edges  of  the  mantle  towards  the 


260  CARDITID^. 

posterior  side  project  or  "pout^^  a  little.  The  foot  is 
slender,  remarkably  flexible,  and  extensile.  It  often 
assumes  a  cylindrical  shape,  especially  when  the  animal 
is  creeping,  being  dilated  with  water  through  an  open- 
ing at  the  base  or  heel.  It  is  nearly  as  long  as  the  shell 
is  broad,  and  is  sometimes  thrust  out  on  the  anterior 
side,  so  as  to  resemble  a  tube  or  siphon,  as  represented 
in  Forbes  and  Hanley's  plate.  The  figures  given  in  the 
present  volume  were  taken  from  the  life  by  Dr.  Saxby, 
and  are  perfectly  accurate  in  every  particular. 

The  European  species  of  Cyamium  lives  between 
tide-marks,  and  literally  swarms  in  some  places.  It 
attaches  itself  to  seaweeds  and  other  objects  by  means 
of  a  fine  but  tenacious  byssus.  Although  it  is  minute 
(barely  a  tenth  of  an  inch  from  one  end  to  the  other)  it 
did  not  escape  the  keen  eye  of  the  great  Otho  Fabricius, 
who  described  it  with  his  wonted  accuracy  upwards  of 
eighty  years  ago.  No  species  has  been  recognized  in  a 
fossil  state.  The  Cyamium?  eximium  of  Searles  Wood 
appears  to  belong  to  another  genus. 

a\.'b'i)*         Cyamium  minu'tum ■^, (Fabricius)     ^^f  J^<> 

Venus  minuta,  Fabr.  Faun.  Grcenl.  p.  412.      Turtonia  minuta,  F.  &  H. 
ii.  p.  81,  pi.  xviii.  f.  7  &  7a,  and  (animal)  pi.  O.  f.  1. 

Body  gelatinous,  greyish-white  with  a  faint  tinge  of  purple : 
tube  alinost  sessile  :  foot  very  flexible. 

Shell  rhomboidal,  or  inclined  to  triangular  in  consequence 
of  the  prominence  of  the  beaks,  convex,  rather  thin,  semi- 
transparent  and  glossy :  sculpture,  irregular  lines  of  growth, 
and  fine  but  not  close-set  intermediate  striae  :  colour  purphsh- 
brown,  varying  in  intensity,  and  sometimes  very  pale,  espe- 
cially in  front :  epidermis  only  observable  in  bleached  speci- 
mens :  margins  rounded  on  the  anterior  side,  with  an  oblique 
slope  to  the  front,  which  has  a  long  and  gentle  curve,  wedge- 

*  Minute. 


CYAMIUM.  261 

shaped  at  the  posterior  angle,  and  gradually  and  slightly  curved 
on  the  dorsal  side ;  umbonal  area  prominent :  healcs  blunt  and 
calyciform,  not  much  recurved,  almost  contiguous,  and  often 
eroded ;  they  are  placed  very  excentrically,  being  close  to  the 
anterior  side :  ligament  cylindrical,  homcolour,  extending  from 
the  beaks  towards  the  posterior  or  longer  side,  and  rising  above 
the  level  of  the  dorsal  line:  hinge-line  obtusely  angular: 
hinge-plate  narrow,  occupying  rather  more  than  one-third  of 
the  circumference :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  one  extremely 
thick  and  blunt  cardinal,  which  is  often  bifid  or  trifid  ;  in  the 
left  valve  two  erect  and  recurved  cardinals ;  all  these  teeth 
are  in  adult  specimens  deeply  and  beautifully  tinged  with 
purple,  and  project  from  under  the  beaks;  laterals  hardly 
distinguishable  from  the  hinge-plate  and  apparently  forming 
part  of  it :  inside  glossy,  but  not  nacreous  :  pallial  scar  entire : 
muscular  scars  distinct ;  the  posterior  is  the  larger  of  the  two. 
L.  0-07.  B.  0-09. 

Habitat  :  Gregarious  among  seaweeds  and  under 
stones  at  low-water  mark,  and  in  the  laminarian  zone, 
on  sheltered  parts  of  our  coasts  from  Unst  to  Aldemey. 
Mr.  Grainger  has  noticed  it  in  the  so-called  "  alluvial  ^' 
deposit  at  Belfast.  This  species  has  a  high  northern 
range,  but  its  southern  distribution  is  limited.  Fabri- 
cius,  Moller,  Morch,  and  Torell  found  it  in  Greenland, 
and  the  last-named  conchologist  (as  well  as  Steenstrup) 
in  Iceland ;  Loven  and  others  have  recorded  it  from  the 
Scandinavian  coasts,  Recluz  and  Macd  from  Cherbourg, 
and  myself  from  the  Gulf  of  Spezzia.  Stimpson  says 
that  it  lives  in  Massachusetts  Bay,  "  abundantly  in  June, 
about  the  roots  of  fuci,  which  cover  the  boulders  at 
Point  Shirley." 

According  to  Fabricius  this  tiny  shell  has  a  Green- 
landic  name,  "  Ipiksaunarak."  On  certain  parts  of  our 
coast  it  occurs  in  countless  multitudes.  Mr.  Hyndman 
estimated  that  35,000  shells  were  contained  in  the  sto- 
mach of  a  single  mullet  caught  in  Larne  Lough,  where 
I  have  noticed  them  covering  the  leaves  and  stalks  of 


262  CARDITIDiE. 

Zoster  a  marina.  I  have  also  seen  them  at  Balta  clus* 
tering  in  vast  profusion  round  the  base  of  the  pegtop- 
shaped  plants  of  Himanthalia  lorea,  or  the  common 
strapweed;  and  my  friend  Mr.  Norman  brought  me 
one  day  a  small  hand-net  nearly  full  of  them,  which  he 
had  captured  by  sweeping  the  seaweeds  at  low  water  on 
the  Whalsey  Skerries.  There  must  have  been  millions 
in  this  heap.  The  animal  is  a  fearless  or  hardy  little 
creature,  and  very  active.  When  put  into  a  saucer  of 
sea-water,  it  immediately  stretched  out  its  white  and 
slender  foot,  attaching  the  point  to  the  surface  of  the 
vessel,  and  walked  about  with  tolerable  rapidity.  I 
have  observed  it  in  a  rock-pool,  after  having  thus  shifted 
its  quarters,  drawing  in  the  foot  and  mooring  itself  to  a 
stone,  or  leaf  of  a  seaweed,  by  its  strong  but  almost 
transparent  byssus.  Under  a  microscope  the  gills  may 
be  seen  through  the  shell,  when  it  is  of  a  lighter  colour 
and  therefore  more  transparent  than  usual,  to  flap  like 
those  of  a  fish.  It  swims  freely  in  an  inverted  position, 
the  beaks  of  the  shell  downwards,  and  the  point  of  the 
foot  expanded.  The  motion  of  swimming  seems  to  be 
effected  by  a  series  of  muscular  contractions  parallel  with 
the  line  of  progress,  the  point  only  of  the  foot  being  so 
employed.  The  gills  are  then  distinctly  visible  through 
the  open  folds  of  the  mantle,  and  consist  of  two  pairs ; 
the  outer  pair  are  rather  larger  and  higher  than  the 
inner  pair.  The  mantle  appears  to  have  two  folds,  the 
inside  one  being  the  smaller.  When  the  animal  is 
creeping,  the  foot  is  folded  inwards  for  its  whole  length. 
It  is  then  filled  with  water  through  a  wide  and  open 
slit  in  the  heel  or  base,  and  becomes  of  a  tubular  or 
cylindrical  shape.  Several  individuals  being  confined 
in  the  same  vessel,  after  restlessly  and  actively  moving 
about  for  some  time,  assembled  in  groups,  young  and 


CYAMIUM.  263 

old,  and  continued  in  a  torpid  or  quiescent  state  even 
after  they  had  been  provided  with  a  fresh  supply  of 
water.  In  this  state,  however,  the  shells  were  partly 
open,  and  the  Cyamia  were  still  feeding.  The  fiy  are 
enveloped  in  irregularly  oval  gelatinous  masses,  each 
containing  from  12  to  20  individuals.  These  spawn- 
masses  are  deposited  on  extraneous  substances;  so 
that  the  animal  is  not  viviparous.  The  fry  are  found 
in  various  stages  of  development ;  but  in  every  state  the 
shells  are  perfectly  formed  and  can  be  seen  through  the 
transparent  envelope. 

Fleming,  in  his  '  British  Animals,'  seems  to  have  mis- 
taken this  species  for  Lascea  rubra.  It  is  the  My  a  pur- 
purea of  Montagu.  Brown  placed  it  in  the  genus  Saxu 
cava,  Deshayes  in  CJmne,  and  MoUer  in  Lescea, 

In  some  sheU-sand  dredged  for  Dr.  Lukis  at  about 
20  fathoms,  on  the  east  coast  of  Guernsey,  and  within 
two  miles  of  the  land,  I  found  not  only  a  living  Car^ 
dium  papillosum  and  other  rarities,  but  also  a  young  and 
perfect  specimen  of  Cardita  lithophagella  of  Lamarck. 
It  is  the  Byssomya  Guerinii  of  Payraudeau,  and  is  not 
very  uncommon  in  the  Mediterranean.  In  all  probabi- 
lity it  belongs  to  the  genus  Cypricardia.  Lamarck,  in 
describing  this  genus,  says  that  it  has  three  cardinal 
teeth  and  one  lateral,  and  that  Cardita  has  only  one 
cardinal  and  one  lateral  tooth.  But  the  present  species 
has  two  cardinal  teeth,  and  one  posterior  lateral  tooth, 
in  each  valve,  besides  an  anterior  lateral  in  the  left 
valve.  The  pallial  scar  is  deeply  sinuous  or  indented  at 
the  posterior  side,  and  the  muscular  scars  are  of  enor- 
mous size.  In  these  respects  it  would  come  nearer  to 
Venerirupis.  The  '  Joiimal  de  Conchyliologie '  for  1850 
has  an  able  article  by  M.  Mittr^  on  this  species,  in  which, 
however,  he  erroneously  considered  it  to  be  the  Cypri* 


264  CARDIIDiE. 

cardia  coralliophaga  of  Lamarck,  a  native  of  the  West- 
Indian  seas,  which  buirows  in  corals  and  madrepores. 
The  usual  habitat  of  C.  lithophagella  is  in  crevices  of 
rocks  j  but  the  irregular  and  often  distorted  shape  of  the 
shell  induces  me  to  believe  that  it  does  not  perforate  them. 
Young  shells  are  not  much  unlike  Cyamium  minutum  of 
a  comparatively  large  size,  and  are  nearly  of  the  same 
colour ;  but  they  are  flatter,  and  the  hinge-process  and 
scars  are  quite  different.  It  is  possible  that  Montagu 
may  have  described  the  young  of  C.  lithophagella  under 
the  name  of  Donax  rubra,  which  he  said  was  very  rare 
and  had  been  taken  "  amongst  coralline  in  deep  water .^' 
The  D.  rubra  of  Turton  is  the  fry  of  D.  trunculus.  1  hope 
this  notice  may  induce  conchologists  to  search  for  C. 
lithophagella  on  our  southern  coasts,  and  especially  in 
the  Channel  Isles. 

Family  XI.  CAKDriD^,  Broderip. 

Body  globular  or  roundish-oval:  mantle  widely  open  in 
front,  and  forming  two  short  and  usually  contiguous  tubes  at 
the  posterior  or  larger  end :  gills  two  on  each  side,  unequal : 
foot  very  large  and  conical,  much  bent  in  the  middle :  bijssus 
rarely  produced. 

Shell  equivalve,  ventricose,  with  a  triangular  outHne, 
generally  somewhat  equilateral,  sculptured  by  longitudinally 
radiating  ribs  or  striae,  and  in  most  cases  also  with  concentric 
plates  or  foliations,  which  form  spines,  tubercles,  or  vaulted 
scales ;  umbonal  area  prominent :  ligament  quite  external, 
placed  on  the  posterior  side,  and  in  some  cases  continued  under 
the  beaks  to  the  other  side :  hinge  short  but  thick,  furnished 
with  one  or  two  rather  small  but  strong  and  conical  cardinal 
teeth  in  each  valve,  besides  lateral  teeth,  but  the  latter  are 
sometimes  wanting  or  inconspicuous :  paUial  scar  entire : 
muscular  scars  oval  and  distinct. 

We  are  now  in  smooth  water,  and  not  sorry  to  have 
escaped  from  the  troubled  sea  and  short  broken  waves, 


CARDIUM.  265 

^  liich  lately  hindered  our  passage  and  made  it  so  difficult 
and  unpleasant.  The  present  group  is  free  from  all 
those  anomalies  that  rendered  the  position  and  arrange- 
ment of  many  genera  in  the  last  two  families  extremely 
critical  and  indefinite,  taxing  the  discriminative  powers 
of  the  systematist  to  an  extent  which  makes  concho- 
logical  nature  almost  faint  under  the  task.  The  Cockles 
are  easily  characterized  and  cannot  be  well  confounded 
with  any  other  family. 

Although  the  mantle-scar  is  usually  entire,  Mr.  Clark 
has  observed  that  "  in  some  species  an  imperfect  pallial 
siphonal  sinus  may  be  seen.^'  I  have  in  vain  searched 
for  such  a  mark.  According  to  Dr.  Carpenter  the 
microscopical  structure  of  these  shells  is  very  much 
the  same  as  in  the  Area  family.  He  says  that  in  various 
species  of  Cardium,  which  he  had  examined,  he  found 
"  a  considerable  amount  of  tubular  structure  in  the 
external  layer,  while  in  Isocardia  there  is  scarcely  a 
vestige  of  it — thus  bearing  out  the  general  statement 
that  the  presence  of  the  tubular  structure  has  a  relation 
to  the  costations,  foliations,  or  other  sculpturing  of  the 
external  surface.^^ 

Cockles  inhabit  sandy  and  soft  ground ;  and  they  are 
widely  distributed  over  all  seas,  from  low-water  mark  to 
considerable  depths. 

We  have  only  the  typical  genus  :  the  others  [Car- 
dissa,  Papyridia,  and  Aphrodita)  are  tropical  and  arctic 
forms. 

Genus  CAR'DIUM  *,  Linne.     PI.  V.  f.  9. 

Body  globose :  mantle  thin  at  the  edges  and  tubercled  be- 
hind, very  slightly  adhering  to  the  shell:  tubes  unequal  in 
size,  but  nearly  of  the  same  length,  covered  with  cirri  or  fila- 

*  Heart-shaped. 


266  CARDIID^. 

ments :  gills  short ;  upper  pair  smaller  than  the  lower :  palps 
triangular :  foot  sickle- shaped. 

Shell  convex,  closed  in  nearly  every  case :  beaJcs  bent  in- 
wards, but  scarcely  (if  at  all)  to  one  side :  teeth,  in  the  right 
valve  usually  two  cardinals,  besides  two  laterals  on  the  ante- 
rior side  and  one  on  the  posterior  side ;  sockets  deep :  inside 
more  or  less  fluted,  and  having  the  margin  notched. 

This  genus  is  redolent  of  the  good  old  times.  It 
carries  with  it  a  smack  of  true  conservatism — progressive 
improvement  without  innovation.  Every  sound  con- 
chologist  must  rejoice  at  seeing  the  name  of  Cardium 
still  preserved,  with  a  few  others,  and  to  know  that 
they  have  survived  the  extensive  and  often  injudicious 
changes  which  systematists  have  been  continually  pro- 
posing since  the  death  of  the  much-honoured  Swede. 
Some  corrections  and  modifications  of  his  scheme  of 
classification  were  required  by  the  progress  of  science, 
and  they  have  been  made.  With  regard  to  our  own 
moUuscan  fauna,  C.  corneum,  C.  lacustre,  C.  amnicum, 
C.  rubrum,  C.  discors,  and  C.  arcuatum  of  Montagu 
have  been  placed  in  very  diff'erent  families,  and  a  few 
species  have  lately  been  added  to  the  British  list.  But 
the  genus  has  a  solid  foundation,  and  is  likely  to  last  as 
long  as  conchology  itself. 

Its  large  and  fleshy  foot  is  admirably  adapted  for 
penetrating  and  burrowing  into  sand.  The  mode  by 
which  this  operation  is  effected  has  been  well  described 
by  Reaumur.  He  says  that  when  the  animal  wishes  to 
sink,  it  lengthens  its  arm  [or  foot],  and  at  the  same 
time  attenuates  the  extremity  of  it,  which  thus  becomes 
almost  pointed.  With  this  it  makes  a  hole,  like  a 
gardener  using  his  dibble,  and  buries  the  arm  in  the 
sand,  continuing  the  perforation  with  the  pointed  end ; 
and  by  repeatedly  lengthening  and  contracting  this 
muscular  organ,  it  in  a  short  time  works  the  sheU  below 


CARDIUM.  267 

the  surface.  When_,  on  the  contrary,  the  animal  would 
return  to  the  light,  it  is  only  necessary  to  expand  and 
press  its  arm  firmly  against  the  sand,  and  the  shell  will 
rise  in  proportion  to  the  power  exerted  from  beneath, 
and  will  soon  be  disengaged.  By  this  means  the  cockle 
is  also  enabled  to  move  both  forwards  and  backwards, 
but  in  a  very  limited  degree.  So  far  Reaumur.  I 
may  also  observe  that  the  sand  in  which  it  lives  is  always 
more  or  less  saturated  or  infiltrated  with  water,  and 
sometimes  is  even  semifluid,  making  it  much  easier  for 
the  cockle  to  work  its  way  than  if  it  had  to  penetrate  a 
harder  mass.  The  foot  is  very  elastic ;  and  the  pro- 
digious leaps  which  the  animal  makes  with  it  have  been 
noticed  by  many  winters  on  popular  science :  Mr. 
Gosse  gives  an  amusing  account  of  the  feats  which  his 
"  Signor  tuberculato  ^'  (C  tuberculatum)  performed  in 
this  way.  The  ridge-and-furrow  sculpture  is  very  re- 
gular, and  by  means  of  this  alternate  arrangement  each 
valve  locks  closely  into  the  other.  Owing  to  the  ad- 
ductor muscles  being  but  slightly  attached  to  the  shell, 
the  animal  immediately  becomes  loose  when  put  into 
boiKng  or  scalding  water.  Collectors  therefore  expe- 
rience no  trouble  in  cleaning  the  inside  of  any  cockle- 
shell. For  this  reason  also  live  cockles  are  much  more 
easily  opened  than  oysters,  the  latter  operation  being 
rather  an  arduous  undertaking  to  a  bungling  tyro. 
They  may  have  served  to  illustrate  the  proverb  men- 
tioned by  Hesiod — KO'^yr)v  SteXetv — signifying  any  slight 
task. 

Very  many  species  of  Cardium  occur  in  a  fossil  state. 
Mr.  S carles  Wood  says,  "  Species  possessing  undoubted 
characters  of  this  genus  have  been  obtained  from  the 
middle  secondary  formations,  and  they  are  largely  deve- 

n2 


268 


CARDIIDiE. 


loped  in  the  tertiaries,  while  from  the  present  seas  not 
less  than  200  species  have  been  obtained/' 

It  is  much  more  difficult  to  reconcile  the  synonymy 
of  our  native  species  than  to  distinguish  them.  As  Loven 
has  justly  remarked,  "  Cardia  europsea  misere  confusa/' 
I  will  endeavour  not  to  increase  this  perplexity,  with- 
out disregarding,  however,  the  established  rules  of  pri- 
ority and  general  usage. 

The  meaning  of  the  generic  name  (heart-shaped) 
will  appear  when  the  united  valves  are  viewed  in  profile. 
The  genus  Cerastes  was  formed  by  Poli  for  the  animal. 


A.  Shell  more  or  less  globular ;  ribs  strong,  and  covered  with 
spines,  tubercles,  or  vaulted  scales. 

This  section  may  be  further  subdivided  into 

a.  Round.     1.   C.  aculeatum.     2.   G.  echinatum.     3.   C.  tu~ 

berculatum.     4.   G.  papillosum, 
h.  Triangular.      5.   G.  eodguum.      6.  G.  fasciatum.      7.  G. 

nodosum.     8.   G.  edule. 
c.  Longitudinally  oval.     9.  G.  minimum. 

1.  Cardium  aculea'tum  ^,  Linne.     fi  tt- \i^,\^S' 

C.  aculeatum,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1 122 ;  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  4,  pi.  xxxiii.  f.  1 . 

Body  of  a  vermiHon  colour  :  foot  long  and  awl-shaped. 

Shell  very  gibbous,  with  a  somewhat  obhque  outline,  thin  j 
for  its  size,  opaque  and  rather  glossy :  sculpture,  20-22  strong  1 
compressed  ribs,  which  are  a  little  broader  than  the  furrows 
between  them  ;  each  rib  is  divided  in  the  middle  by  a  ridge  of 
spines,  which  bend  towards  the  posterior  side,  being  longer  and 
double  on  that  part  and  tubercular  on  the  anterior  side ;  the 
furrows  are  transversely  striated,  or  in  aged  specimens  are 
marked  with  flexuous  wrinkles ;  in  younger  shells  there  are  a 
few  irregular  longitudinal  lines,  giving  the  furrows  an  appear- 

*  Thorny. 


CARDIUM.  269 

ance  of  being  partially  decussated ;  the  ribs  are  also  striated 
transversely,  but  less  distinctly  than  the  furrows ;  the  whole 
surface  is  covered  with  frost-like  microscopical  markings :  colour 
yellowish  with  a  reddish  tinge :  epidermis  fibrous,  only  obser- 
vable near  the  margins,  having  been  removed  in  other  parts 
by  continual  attrition :  margins  rounded  on  the  anterior  side, 
and  sloping  with  an  obKque  curve  in  front  to  the  posterior  side, 
which  is  produced,  much  broader  than  the  other  side,  truncate, 
and  exhibits  a  long  and  narrow  but  distinct  gape  extending  from 
the  edge  of  the  hinge-line  to  the  angle  where  it  joins  the  ventral 
margin :  beaks  almost  touching  each  other ;  umbones  tumid : 
Ugament  cylindrical  and  thick, resembling  the  chrysalis  of  a  large 
fly,  prominent,  reddish-brown:  hinge-line  obtusely  angular: 
hinge-plate  folded  back  towards  the  beaks,  occupying  scarcely 
one-third  of  the  circumference :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  two 
erect  cardinals,  besides  two  laterals  on  the  anterior  and  one  on 
the  posterior  side ;  in  the  left  valve  two  similar  cardinals,  the 
posterior  of  which  is  very  much  smaller  than  the  other,  besides 
one  lateral  on  each  side ;  all  the  lateral  teeth  are  triangular 
and  pointed :  inside  rather  glossy,  fluted  towards  the  front  and 
anterior  margins,  the  concavities  corresponding  with  the  outside 
ribs ;  the  under  side  of  the  furrows  is  flat :  pallial  scar  broad 
and  entire :  muscular  scars  about  equal  in  breadth,  but  the 
anterior  one  is  the  longer.     L.  3-2.    B.  3*35. 

Habitat  :  Not  uncommon  on  the  South-Devon 
coasts,  especially  at  Paignton  near  Torbay,  but  scarcely 
ever  found  in  a  living  state ;  Weymouth  (Thompson) ; 
Guernsey  (Lukis) ;  Dublin  Bay  (Brown) ;  Point  of 
Ayre_,  Isle  of  Man  (E.  Forbes) ;  Hebrides  and  Orkneys 
(Pennant).  These  last  two  localities,  as  well  as  the 
next,  are  very  doubtful.  Mr.  James  Smith  says,  on  the 
authority  of  the  late  Dr.  Landsborough,  that  it  occurs 
in  the  glacial  deposit  at  Stevenston.  Sars  has  dredged 
a  fine  specimen  near  Bergen ;  De  Gerville,  Collard  des 
Cherres,  and  Mace  have  recorded  the  species  as  in- 
habiting the  North  of  France ;  and  many  other  authors 
have  described  or  enumerated  it  as  Mediterranean.  It 
may  on  the  whole  be  considered  a  southern  form. 

Young  specimens  are  globular  and  not  angular ;  and 


270  CARDIID.E. 

they  are  sometimes  marked  with  concentric  zones  of  a 
paler  colour  than  the  rest  of  the  shell,  denoting  the 
lines  of  growth.  This  state  is  the  C.  spinosum  of  J. 
Sowerbv.  C  ciliare  of  Montagu  represents  an  earlier 
stage  of  growth  :  Linne's  species  of  that  name  is  very 
different.  Turton  noticed  and  figured  in  his  '  Con- 
chylia  Dithyra'  (p.  181,  tab.  13.  f.  7)  a  distorted  shell, 
obliquely  t^visted  to  the  posterior  side  which  is  more 
elongated  or  produced  than  usual.  The  cardinal  teeth 
in  this  specimen  are  equal  in  size,  tubercular,  and 
slightly  cloven ;  there  is  a  third  cardinal  in  the  right 
valve,  and  the  laterals  are  very  short.  Linne  supposed 
that  the  present  species  was  perhaps  a  variety  of  C. 
echinatum ;  but  the  latter  is  much  smaller,  more  solid, 
and  never  angular,  and  it  has  shorter  prickles.  The 
posterior  gape,  also,  in  C  aculeatum  is  very  considerable, 
while  in  C  echinatum  it  is  scarcely  perceptible. 

^v-u  2.  C.  ECHINATUM  *,  Linne.       ct^t.  Kf'fW- 

C.  echinatum,  Linn.  Srst.  Nat.  p.  1122  ;  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  7,  pi.  raiii.  f.  2, 
and  (animal)  pi.  N.  f.  3. 

Body  somewhat  compressed,  varying  in  colour  from  yel- 
lowish-white to  a  rich  pink :  mantle  open  for  three-fourths  of 
its  circumference,  having  a  plain  and  thin  margin  (which  in 
the  young  is  dentate  or  notched)  about  a  line  in  breadth, 
behind  which  it  is  suddenly  thickened,  and  at  regular  intervals 
raised  into  a  series  of  glandular  warts  or  tubercles,  corre- 
sponding with  the  grooves  inside  the  shell :  tubes  contiguous, 
each  encircled  with  a  fringe  of  white  cirri  or  tentacular  pro- 
cesses, which  have  at  their  base  a  corresponding  row  of  yellow, 
brown,  or  red  points ;  the  outside  of  the  tubes  is  also  clothed 
with  some  scattered  and  coarse  white  pendulous  filaments;  the 
excurrent  tube  is  rather  the  shorter  and  smaller  of  the  two, 
and  its  orifice  is  provided  with  a  globular  valve,  which  is  occa- 
sionally protruded :  mouth  very  large  and  funnel-shaped  :  ^7/* 

♦  Pricklv. 


CARDIUM.  271 

semioval ;  the  upper  pair  are  as  long  as  the  lower,  but  not 
half  the  depth  :  palps  very  long,  slender  and  pointed,  strongly- 
striated  on  the  inside  and  less  so  on  the  outside  :  foot  finger- 
shaped,  closely  striated  lengthwise,  covered  with  a  flesh- 
coloured  or  vermilion  delicate  skin,  under  which  it  is  pure 
white ;  its  length  is  at  least  twice  that  of  the  shell. 

Shell  roundish,  very  convex,  rather  solid,  opaque  and 
of  a  dull  hue :  sculpture,  about  20  strong  but  somewhat  com- 
pressed ribs,  which  are  a  trifle  broader  than  the  furrows  be- 
tween them ;  the  crest  of  each  rib  has  a  numerous  row  of 
triangular  and  short  but  stout  spines,  which  are  connected 
together  at  the  base  and  are  usually  curved  towards  the  pos- 
terior side ;  all  these  spines  are  nearly  equal  in  diameter  and 
length;  both  ribs  and  furrows  (especially  the  latter)  are  crossed 
by  flexuous  wrinkles,  which  are  coarser  and  more  distinct  on 
the  posterior  side;  in  young  specimens  are  observable  some 
longitudinal  Hues  and  microscopical  markings  similar  to  those 
noticed  in  the  description  of  the  last  species :  colour  yellowish - 
white  :  epidermis  fibrous,  mostly  obliterated :  margins  rounded 
on  the  anterior  side,  and  sloping  to  the  front,  which  is  curved, 
but  much  less  obliquely  than  in  C.  aculeatum ;  posterior  side 
not  much  produced,  although  considerably  broader  than  the 
other,  slightly  truncate,  and  exhibiting  a  narrow  and  indistinct 
gape :  heaks  more  or  less  contiguous  ;  umbones  tumid ;  below 
the  beaks  on  the  anterior  side  is  a  nearly  smooth  heart-shaped 
space,  the  lips  of  which  project  or  pout,  especially  on  the  upper 
part :  ligament  shaped  like  that  of  the  last  species,  brownish- 
homcolour :  hinge-line  obtusely  curved :  hinge-plate  reflected, 
occupying  about  one-third  of  the  circumference  :  teeth,  in  each 
valve  two  erect  nearly  equal-sized  cardinals,  with  laterals 
similar  to  those  of  the  other  species :  inside  and  scars  the  same. 
L.  2-2.  B.  2-3. 

Var.  1.  eapansa.  Shell  rather  more  depressed  and  spread 
out  at  each  end. 

Var.  2.  ovata.  Shell  transversely  oval ;  ribs  sharp,  obliquely 
radiating,  and  much  narrower  than  the  furrows;  transverse 
striae  fewer  than  in  typical  specimens  of  a  similar  size ;  dorsal 
margin  nearly  straight ;  there  is  only  a  single  minute  cardinal 
tooth  in  each  valve,  besides  indistinct  laterals.  L.  0-125. 
B.  0-15. 

Habitat  :  All  our  sandy  coasts,  at  various  depths 
from  5  to  100  fathoms.     It   occurs   in  almost   every 


272  CARDIIDiE. 

newer  pliocene  deposit  from  the  Belfast  bed  (Grainier) 
to  the  Caithness  boulder-clay  (Peach),  and  also  in  the 
Red  Crag.  Var.  1.  Exmouth  Ullapool  and  Lerwick 
(J.  G.  J.) ;  Dublin  Bay  (Warren).  Var.  2.  Barmouth 
and  Shetland  (J.  G.  J.);  Inverary  (M'Nab).  The  last 
variety  resembles  in  many  respects  the  C.  elegantulum  of 
Moller,  and  the  C.  strigilliferum,  a  Coralline  Crag  shell. 
In  two  of  my  specimens  some  of  the  spines  are  vaulted 
as  in  C.  elegantulum.  That  species  inhabits  Greenland, 
Iceland,  and  Finmark.  The  geographical  range  of  C. 
echinatum  is  very  extensive.  Fabricius  has  recorded  it 
from  Greenland,  Landt  from  the  Faroe  Isles,  Loven 
and  others  from  Scandinavia,  De  Gerville  and  others 
from  the  North  of  France,  Risso  and  others  from  the 
Mediterranean,  Chiereghini  from  the  Adriatic,  Forbes 
from  the  iEgean,  and  M*^ Andrew  from  Vigo,  Madeira, 
and  the  Canaries. 

O.  F.  Miiller  says  that  the  animal  seems  to  be  little 
else  than  a  huge  foot.  The  coloured  points,  which  stud 
the  orifices  of  the  tubes  (and  also,  according  to  the  last- 
named  author,  the  margin  of  the  mantle),  may  be  ana- 
logous to  the  "  eyes  "  of  a  scallop.  The  largest  British 
specimens  I  have  measure  a  trifle  more  than  two  inches 
and  three  quarters  in  length.  Those  from  the  south  of 
Europe  are  much  smaller.  Sometimes  the  shell  is  par- 
tially coated  with  a  ferruginous  deposit. 

This  common  species  was  first  described  by  Ronde- 
letius  as  "  Concha  echinata ;"  and  although  the  specific 
name  was  accompanied  by  expletives,  and  is  pre-Linnean, 
it  has  survived  the  changes  consequent  on  the  institution 
of  the  binomial  system.  The  young  is  the  Cardium 
ciliare  of  Pennant,  C.parvum  of  Da  Costa,  and  C.  spatula 
of  Solander. 


CARDIUM.  273 

^•^^7        3-  C.  tubercitla'tum  *,  Linne.         p'^^v 

C.  tuhereulatum,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1124.     C.  rusticum,  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  11, 
pi.  xxxi.  f.  3,  4. 

Body  reddish-yellow :  mantle  thickened  and  notched  on  the 
posterior  side :  tubes  fringed  with  cirri :  foot  long  and  of  a 
crimson  colour. 

Shell  resembling  that  of  C.  echinatum ;  but  it  is  larger,  and 
much  more  globular  and  solid ;  the  sculpture  is  coarser,  and 
there  are  21  or  22  ribs ;  the  spines  are  more  like  tubercles, 
those  on  the  anterior  side  being  spatulate,  or  flat  and  trans- 
versely triangular,  while  those  in  front  and  on  the  posterior 
side  are  very  short  and  bluntly  conical :  colour  yellowish-brown 
with  a  tinge  of  red,  often  disposed  in  beautifully  variegated 
zones  or  bands :  margins  in  front  remarkably  contracted  or 
pinched  in,  so  as  greatly  to  increase  the  convexity  of  the  shell. 
It  does  not  differ  in  other  particulars  from  C.  echinatum. 
L.  2-9.   B.  3-2. 

Habitat  :  Cornwall,  Devon,  and  Dorset,  in  sandy 
bays,  from  low  water  at  spring  tides  to  12  fathoms; 
Guernsey  (Lukis) ;  Bantry  Bay  (Humphreys) .  Leach 
says,  '^abundantly  in  the  Firths  of  Forth  and  Clyde, 
Yawl  [Youghal],  Bantry,  Cork,  and  Dingle  Bays,  Ire- 
land ;"  but  I  fear  he  has  confounded  this  species  with 
C.  echinatum.  Newer  pliocene,  Worcestershire  (J.  Smith) ; 
Sussex  tertiaries  (Godwin- Austen).  It  has  not  been 
recorded  from  any  place  north  of  Great  Britain ;  but 
its  range  southward  extends  from  Finistere  to  Vigo, 
Madeira,  and  the  Canary  Isles,  as  well  as  throughout 
the  Mediterranean  as  far  as  Sicily. 

Young  shells  are  very  pretty.  They  are  invariably 
coloured  like  the  adult,  the  ribs  are  covered  with  white 
calyciform  tubercles,  and  the  transverse  markings  form 
near  the  beaks  a  fine  and  regular  lattice-work.  A  single 
valve  in  Dr.  Turton's  collection  is  obliquely  elongated  at 

*  Covered  with  tubercles. 

n5 


274  CARDIID^. 

the  posterior  extremity,  showing  that  the  same  kind  of 
monstrosity  occurs  in  different  species  which  agree  in 
general  structure. 

In  the  present  instance  I  have  omitted  some  of  the 
characters,  believing  that  a  comparison  between  this 
species  and  the  last  would  be  sufficient.  The  two  are 
very  similar.  Such  a  strong  family  likeness  runs  through 
all  the  Cockles,  and  indeed  through  every  other  equally 
homogeneous  group,  that  some  may  think  it  superfluous 
to  repeat  the  same  particulars  in  describing  each  species. 
But  nothing  is  more  difficult,  and  often  more  unsatis- 
factory, than  to  compress  the  description  within  narrow 
limits.  In  attempting  to  seize  the  salient  points,  others 
which  perhaps  are  not  less  material  are  liable  to  remain 
unnoticed.  "  Dum  brevis  esse  laboro,  obscurus  fio." 
More  harm  to  science  has  been  done  by  a  slight  and 
consequently  vague  diagnosis  than  by  a  too  great  pro- 
lixity of  detail. 

This  species  may  be  the  C.  rusticum  of  Linne;  but 
there  is  equal  probability  that  it  is  his  C.  tuberculatum, 
which  is  of  prior  date.  The  latter  name  only  is  given 
in  his  descriptive  Catalogue  of  the  Museum  of  Queen 
Louisa  Ulrica ;  and  the  comparison  there  made  between 
the  present  species  and  C.  echinatum  is  full  and  con- 
clusive. Even  in  the  '  System  a  Naturae,^  which  contains 
a  description  of  all  three  species,  C.  tuberculatum  is 
placed  next  but  one  to  C.  echinatum,  and  C.  rusticum 
follows  C.  edule,  which  is  separated  from  the  first  by 
eight  other  species.  I  have  observed  a  similar  order  of 
sequence  in  the  present  work,  as  I  consider  it  a  great 
help  to  classification,  and  that  this  method  of  asso- 
ciating or  bringing  together  species  closely  allied  to 
each  other  enables  the  student  to  distinguish  them 
more  readily  than  if  they  were  arranged  indiscrimi- 


CARDIUM.  275 

nately  and  without  regard  to  their  natural  connexion. 
The  characters  assigned  by  Linne  to  C.  tuberculatum 
{"  sulcis  obtusis  nodosis  transversim  striatis  ")  are  more 
applicable  to  our  shell  than  those  by  which  C.  rusticum 
is  described,  viz.  "  sulcis  xx  remotis  interstitiis  rugosis." 
For  the  above  reasons,  and  because  every  writer  on 
European  or  British  conchology,  except  Poli  in  the  last 
century  and  Forbes  and  Hanley  of  late  years,  has  applied 
the  name  of  rusticum  to  a  variety  of  C.  edule,  it  would 
seem  undesirable  to  reject  the  well-known  and  appro- 
priate name  of  tuberculatum.  I  may  also  observe  that 
Mr.  Hanley,  in  his  Supplement  to  Wood's  ^  Index  Tes- 
taceologicus '  (the  publication  of  which  was  completed 
in  1856),  regarded  the  C.  rusticum  of  Linne  as  "pro- 
bably a  variety  of  edule.''  The  C.  ciliare  of  Donovan 
(but  not  of  Linne)  and  C.  nodosum  of  Montagu  (but  not 
of  Turton)  are  the  young  of  the  present  species. 

'^  •  'SS  4,    C.  PAPILLO'SUM  ^  Poli.  (pI     3^ 

C.  papillosum,  Poli,  Test.  utr.  Sicil.  ii.  p.  56,  t.  xvi.  f.  2-4. 

Shell  very  gibbous  and  nearly  globular,  with  a  somewhat 
obHque  outline,  solid  and  opaque,  glossy :  sculpture,  25  or  2Q 
flattened  ribs,  with  very  narrow  furrows  or  interstices  between 
them ;  each  rib  is  furnished  with  a  series  of  white  tubercles, 
which  are  conical  and  more  or  less  incurved  on  the  posterior 
side,  smaller  in  the  middle,  and  bluntly  triangular  or  calyci- 
form  on  the  anterior  side ;  the  fiurows  are  crossed  and  in- 
dented by  numerous  regular,  narrow  slits  or  punctures :  colour 
yellowish,  sometimes  variegated  by  reddish-brown  streaks  or 
bands,  especially  on  the  posterior  side :  epidermis  fibrous  and 
rather  coarse,  light  yellowish-brown,  only  observable  in  the 
furrows :  margins  rounded  on  the  anterior  side,  with  an  ob- 
lique slope  to  the  front,  which  is  also  curved,  and  obtusely 
truncate  on  the  posterior  side,  which  is  expanded  and  twice 
the  breadth  of  the  other  side ;  a  blunt  and  indistinct  angle 

*  Covered  with  papilla . 


^76  CARDlIDvE. 

runs  from  the  beak  to  the  lower  part  of  the  posterior  margin; 
there  is  no  perceptible  gape  :  beaks  very  small,  not  contiguous, 
slightly  inclining  to  the  anterior  side  ;  beneath  them  on  this 
side  is  a  false  lunule  or  smooth  lozenge-shaped  space  with 
slightly  prominent  lips  :  ligament  cylindrical,  yellowish-brown 
with  a  golden  hue :  Jiinye-line  curved :  hinge-plate  reflected, 
occupying  about  one-fourth  of  the  circumference  :  teeth,  in  the 
right  valve  two  triangular  cardinals,  the  posterior  of  which  is 
much  larger  and  higher  than  the  other,  besides  two  short  an- 
terior laterals  also  of  unequal  size,  and  one  triangular  and  pro- 
jecting posterior  lateral ;  in  the  left  valve  two  cardinals,  the 
anterior  of  which  is  the  larger,  besides  a  single  lateral  on  each 
side,  the  anterior  one  being  triangular  and  projecting :  inside 
bright  and  glossy,  sometimes  stained  with  purple  or  reddish- 
brown  towards  the  beaks  and  on  the  posterior  side,  fluted  near 
the  margin  only :  pallial  scar  indistinct :  muscular  scars  large, 
roundish-oval,  and  equal-sized.     L.  0-55.   B.  0-6. 

Var.  lactea.     Shell  milk-white. 

Habitat:  In  gravelly  sand,  at  15-20  fathoms,  off 
Guernsey  and  Sark,  as  well  as  thrown  up  on  the  beach 
at  Herm  (Lukis  and  J.  G.  J.).  It  is  at  present  one  of 
our  most  scarce  shells,  although  I  have  a  series  from  not 
much  larger  than  half  a  line  to  the  full  size.  I  shall 
not  be  surprised  if  it  is  found  on  the  Cornish  coast.  Its 
exotic  range  is  entirely  southern.  No  writer  on  the 
conchology  of  the  North  of  France  appears  to  have 
noticed  it.  It  inhabits  every  part  of  the  Mediterranean, 
and  also  the  ^gean,  as  well  as  the  Atlantic  from  Vigo 
to  the  Canary  Isles,  at  various  depths  from  6  to  75 
fathoms. 

The  appearance  of  punctures  in  this  and  the  follow- 
ing three  species  arises  from  the  ribs  being  crowded  or 
squeezed  together,  so  as  to  prevent  the  free  development 
of  the  interstitial  striae. 

The  late  Dr.  Lukis  discovered  the  interesting  and 
remarkable  species  now  described,  to  be  an  inhabitant  of 
our  seas ;  and  he  most  liberally  sent  me  the  finest  of  the 


CARDIUM.  277 

first  two  specimens  which  he  found.  Both  were  living 
when  taken  by  the  dredge.  I  cannot  resist  the  oppor- 
tunity of  acknowledging  my  gratitude  for  the  valuable  aid 
and  communications  which  I  continually  received  from 
this  kind  friend  for  many  years  and  up  to  the  time  of  his 
lamented  and  premature  death.  His  gifted  mind,  varied 
acquirements,  generous  nature,  and  great  amiability 
fascinated  all  who  had  the  good  fortune  to  know  him. 
He  was  a  true  naturalist.  These  and  collectors  are  too 
frequently  classed  together;  but  there  is  an  essential 
difference  between  them.  The  former  loves  science  for 
its  own  sake,  and  not  for  the  childish  pleasure  of  ac- 
quiring many  rare  species  or  even  a  unique  specimen. 
He  is  never  selfish  or  covetous,  his  only  craving  being 
for  the  sympathy  of  others  who  have  the  same  tastes  as 
himself.  The  mere  collector  is  generally  not  so  intel- 
lectual or  estimable.  Dr.  Lukis  exemplified  this  dif- 
ference. The  feelings  that  prompted  him  to  share  the 
discovery  above-mentioned  with  a  brother  naturalist 
were  doubtless  the  same  as  those  expressed  by  the  most 
philosophic  of  our  modern  poets  in  the  following  lines: — 

"  Often  have  I  sighed  to  measure 
By  myself  a  lonely  pleasure, 
Sighed  to  think,  I  read  a  book 
Only  read,  perhaps,  by  me." 

May  such  characters  never  be  wanting  in  our  land ! 

C.  papillosum  is  the  C.  scobinatum  of  Lamarck,  C, 
planatum  of  Renier,  and  C.  Polii  of  Payraudeau.  The 
last-named  author  said  that  another  species  of  Cardium 
[C.  echinatum),  having  papillse,  was  known  before  Poli 
described  the  present  species  as  papillosum ;  but  this 
hardly  seems  a  sufficient  reason  for  changing  the  name. 
The  young  is  C.  punctatum  of  Brocchi,  but  not  of  Phi- 
lippi. 


278  CARDIID^. 

H-^^"  5.  C.  exi'guum^  Gmelin.  ^^^e^.  N^  l^^ 

C.  exiguum,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  (ed.  Gmel.)  p.  3255.     C.  pi/ffnusum,  F.  &  H. 
ii.  p.  29,  pi.  xxxii.  f,  8,  and  (animal)  pJ.  N.  f.  2. 

Body  triangular  and  much  truncated  at  the  posterior  side, 
yellowish-white:  mantle  plain-edged  in  front,  and  fringed 
with  numerous  white  filaments  about  the  bases  of  the  siphonal 
tubes  :  incurrent  (or  branchial)  tube  the  larger  of  the  two,  and 
surrounded  by  a  border  of  about  ten  filaments,  with  as  many 
or  more  tawny  streaks  radiating  from  it ;  there  is  also  a  tinge 
of  tawny  or  orange  around  the  orifice  of  the  smaller  or  excur- 
rent  tube ;  both  are  nearly  sessile :  foot  long,  cylindrical,  and 
large  in  proportion  to  the  body  ;  its  base  is  tinged  with  tawny, 
the  rest  being  white. 

Shell  obliquely  triangular,  exceedingly  gibbous,  solid  and 
opaque,  usually  of  a  dull  hue,  and  never  so  glossy  as  that  of 
the  last  species :  sculpture,  20  or  21  ribs,  which  are  at  fiirst 
sharp  and  angular  but  afterwards  become  compressed  and 
,  broad,  especially  in  front ;  the  ribs  are  in  young  specimens 
I  more  or  less  covered  with  small  whifeiubercles,  which  are 
'  not  formed  in  the  adult  except  on  the  anterior  side ;  the  fur- 
rows, which  are  very  narrow,  are  crossed  and  indented  by 
numerous  regular,  oval  punctures  :  colour  yellowish  or  dirty- 
white,  sometimes  variegated  by  purplish-brown  streaks  or 
blotches,  which  are  more  visible  on  the  posterior  side,  occa- 
sionally tinged  with  pink :  epidermis  fibrous  and  often  thick, 
yellowish-broMTi  of  different  shades  :  margins  bluntly  angular 
on  aU  sides  except  in  front,  where  there  is  a  contraction  simi- 
lar to  that  in  C.  tuberculatum,  causing  this  side  to  be  very 
gently  curved,  and  not  so  much  roimded  as  in  most  other 
species ;  the  angle  or  ridge  separating  the  posterior  side  is 
very  conspicuous  and  increases  the  gibbosity  of  the  shell: 
beaks  very  small,  not  contiguous,  inclining  a  little  to  the  ante- 
rior side,  and  placed  very  much  nearer  to  it ;  beneath  them  on 
this  side  is  a  deep  and  heart-shaped  or  lanceolate  ribless  de- 
pression, more  like  a  lunule  than  the  similar  mark  in  any  of 
the  preceding  species,  and  having  slightly  projecting  hps : 
ligament  short  and  sunken,  cylindrical,  yeUowish-brown : 
hinge-line  sUghtly  curved :  hinge-plate  thick,  reflected,  occupy- 
ing scarcely  one-fourth  of  the  circumference :  teeth,  in  the 
,   right  valve  two  cardinals,  the  posterior  of  which  is  much  the 

*  Little. 


CARDIUM.  279 

larger,  besides  two  anterior  laterals  of  unequal  size  and  one 
posterior  lateral ;  in  the  left  valve  two  cardinals,  the  anterior 
being  much  larger  than  the  other,  besides  a  single  lateral  on 
each  side ;  all  the  lateral  teeth,  except  the  front  anterior  one 
in  the  right  valve,  are  triangular,  and,  although  short,  project 
considerably :  inside  bright  and  glossy,  occasionally  iridescent, 
and  sometimes  of  a  yellow  hue  and  more  or  less  stained  with 
purplish-  or  chocolate-brown  in  front  and  on  the  posterior 
side,  fluted  near  the  margin  only  :  paUial  scar  indistinct :  mus- 
cular scars  oval,  large,  nearly  equal-sized,  and  deeply  im- 
pressed.    L.  0-55.   B.  0-55. 

Var.  suhquadrata.  Shell  rhomboidal,  in  consequence  of  the 
posterior  side  being  more  expanded  than  usual  and  of  the 
dorsal  margin  being  quite  straight ;  furrows  slightly  striated, 
instead  of  being  punctured. 

Habitat  :  Oozy  ground  in  the  laminarian  zone  on 
most  parts  of  our  coasts,  at  from  3  to  15  fathoms.  The 
variety  is  rare,  and  has  only  occurred  to  me  at  Scal- 
loway in  the  mainland  of  Shetland,  and  at  Sark,  one  of 
the  Channel  Isles.  As  an  upper  tertiary  fossil  this 
species  has  been  noticed  by  Mr.  Grainger  at  Belfast,  by 
Mr.  James  Smith  in  the  Clyde  beds  at  Dalmuir  and 
Bute,  and  by  Mr.  Godwin- Austen  in  the  Sussex  de- 
posits. Finmark  and  Bergen  (Sars) ;  Sweden,  15-20 
fathoms  (Malm) ;  Cherbourg  and  Granville  (De  Ger- 
ville) ;  Vigo  (M'Andrew) ;  Gulf  of  Lyons  (Martin) ; 
Algeria  (Weinkauff);  Corsica  (Requien);  Adriatic 
(Chiereghini) ;  Sicily  (Philippi) ;  ^Egean,  7-30  fathoms 
(Forbes) ;  and  Sebastopol  in  the  Black  Sea  (Midden- 
dorflf).  Many  intermediate  localities  have  also  been 
recorded  by  other  authors. 

Turton  says  that  these  shells  are  "sometimes  imbedded 
in  hard  clay;  and  both  Mrs.  Grifl&ths  and  ourselves  have 
taken  them  from  the  interior  of  the  hardest  stones  in 
Torbay.''  They  may  have  found  their  way  into  such 
places  for  the  sake  of  shelter,  but  (like  Sterne's  star- 


380 


CARDIID^. 


ling)  couldnH  get  out.  Another  habit,  however,  which 
this  little  cockle  possesses,  is  more  remarkable.  In  the 
'  Antologia  di  Scienze  naturali,^  published  at  Naples  in 
1841,  Sr.  Costa  described  and  figured  a  shell  under  the 
name  of  C.  parasiturrif  which  appears  to  be  a  variety 
of  C.  eociguum.  He  observes  that  it  attaches  itself  by 
means  of  a  byssus  to  the  boughs  of  trees  laid  down  in 
the  sea  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  oyster-spawn.  A 
short  account  of  these  nurseries  has  been  given  in  p.  46 
of  the  present  volume.  Some  interesting  particulars  of 
the  embryogeny  of  C.  exiguum  will  be  found  in  the 
treatise  of  Professor  Loven  on  the  development  of  the 
Acephala  Lamellibranchiata,  to  which  I  have  elsewhere 
referred.  The  decided  angularity  of  the  shell  serves  as 
an  unfailing  test  to  recognize  this  species,  although  (like 
its  congeners)  it  is  subject  to  considerable  variation  in 
respect  of  shape  and  colour.  In  the  fry  the  dorsal  mar- 
gin is  straight,  making  the  outline  more  square  than 
triangular. 

Gmelin  constituted  this  species  from  a  figure  in 
Lister's  'Historia  Conchyliorum/  t.  317.  f.  154  ('^  A. 
Pectunculus  exiguus,  subfuscus  '^),  which  unquestionably 
represents  our  shell.  His  own  description  is  slight ;  but 
in  adopting  the  name  originally  given  by  Lister  he  has 
been  followed  by  all  conchologists  except  Donovan  and 
the  authors  of  the  '  British  Mollusca,'  who  have  called  it 
pygrrKBum.  Among  other  synonyms  (for  variatal  forms) 
may  be  mentioned  C.  subangulatum  of  Scacchi,  C.  Siculum 
of  Sowerby,  C.  stellatum  of  Reeve,  and  C  aquilinum  of 
Mittr^.  C.  parvum  of  Philippi  appears  to  be  also  a 
variety,  and  C.  muricatulum  of  Montagu  (from  Walker, 
pi.  iii.  f.  83,  84)  the  fry  of  the  present  species. 


CARDIUM.  281 

'^  '         6.  C.  fascia'tum  ■'^^  Montagu.  \>\-'2>rr        ^f, 

C  fasciatum,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  Suppl.  p.  30 ;  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  25,  pi.  xxxii. 
f.  5,  and  (animal)  pi.  N.  f.  4. 

Body  suborbicular,  flake-white  :  mantle  plain-edged :  tubes 
usually  not  much  produced,  of  the  same  length,  and  united, 
each  encircled  with  ten  simple  white  cirri,  and  fringed  with 
longer  filaments  of  the  same  colour :  gills  pale  brown :  foot 
long,  narrow,  subcylindrical,  or  finger-shaped,  and  (contrary 
to  what  it  is  in  most  other  species  of  Cardium)  hyaline. 

Shell  obliquely  triangular,  convex  but  not  very  gibbous, 
compressed^  towards  the  front,  rather  thin,  but  usually  opaque, 
7iot  glossy:  sculpture,  25  or  26  ribs,  which  are  remarkably 
flattened  in  front  and  compressed  at  each  end  of  the  shell ; 
they  are  smooth  in  front,  but  are  more  or  less  covered  on  the 
anterior  side  with  obliquely  transverse  blunt  plates,  and  on 
the  posterior  side  with  short  conical  tubercles  or  prickles ; 
furrows  extremely  narrow  and  slight,  for  the  most  part  im-  . 
pressed  with  numerous  and  minute  circular  punctures :  colour  \ 
yellowish-white,  with  sometimes  a  tinge  of  red  or  pink  near 
the  beaks,  and  frequently  variegated  by  interrupted  reddish- 
brown  bands,  which  are  more  conspicuous  on  the  posterior 
side  :  epidermis  very  slight,  fibrous,  yeUowish-brown  :  margins 
rounded  on  the  anterior  side,  with  an  oblique  slope  to  the 
front,  which  is  also  (but  more  bluntly)  rounded,  more  or  less 
elongated  and  wedge-shaped  on  the  posterior  side,  with  a 
blunt  angle  running  from  the  beaks ;  on  this  side  there  is  a 
greater  or  less  degree  of  truncature ;  dorsal  margin  short : 
heahs  very  small,  not  contiguous,  inclining  towards  the  ante- 
rior side,  but  not  so  excentrically  placed  as  in  O.  exiguum ; 
beneath  ^the  beaks  is  a  distinct  but  not  deep  lunule-shaped 
depression  :  ligament  rather  long,  cylindrical,  narrow,  greenish- 
brown,  occasionally  continued  on  the  anterior  side  :  hinge-line 
curved :  hinge-plate  thin  and  narrow,  slightly  reflected,  some- 
times stained  with  purplish-brown,  occupying  not  one-fourth 
of  the  circumference :  teeth  as  in  C.  exiguum,  but  they  are  very  | 
much  shghter :  inside  glossy,  frequently  of  an  orange  colour  in  ■ 
the  middle  and  marked  with  reddish-brown  streaks,  fluted 
more  than  in  many  other  species,  by  reason  of  the  shell  being 
thinner  and  the  deposit  from  the  mantle  being  more  slight : 
pallial  scar  scarcely  perceptible:  muscular  scars  indistinct. 
L.  0-5.    B.  0-5. 

*  Marked  with  bands. 


282  CARDIID.E. 

Var.  1.  glohosa.  Shell  more  globular,  the  posterior  side 
being  less  produced. 

Yar.  2.  cHha.  Shell  milk-white,  of  an  intermediate  shape 
between  that  of  the  typical  kind  and  the  first  variety. 

Habitat  :  Gravelly  sand^  in  5-90  fathoms,  from  Shet- 
land to  the  Channel  Isles,  generally  diffused  and  rather 
common.  Var.  1.  Shetland  and  west  coast  of  Scotland. 
Var.  2.  Off  Unst  in  deep  water,  together  with  coloured 
specimens.  In  a  fossil  state  this  species  occurs  in  the 
Clyde  beds  at  Bute  (Smith) ;  Coralline  Crag  (J.  G.  J.) . 
Its  foreign  range  extends  from  Iceland  (Steenstrup  and 
Torell),  Faroe  Isles  (Morch),  Norway  and  Sweden 
(Loven,  Sars,  and  others).  Bay  of  Kiel  (Meyer  and 
Mobius),  Zealand  (Hsellebsek),  Cannes  (Mace),  Spezzia 
in  18  fathoms  (J.  G.  J.),  Gulf  of  Tunis,  Malaga,  and 
Canary  Isles  (M^Andrew),  to  the  Azores  (H.  Drouet). 
In  Finmark  it  acquires  a  comparatively  enormous  size. 
It  is  one  of  the  Uddevalla  fossils. 

This  shell  is  never  sharply  angular  like  C.  exiguum^ 
and  it  is  of  a  much  thinner  substance.  In  the  young 
the  prickles  are  vaulted,  and  cover  the  ribs  in  the  same 
way  as  brick  tiles  are  set  on  the  crest  of  a  roof.  The 
iry  are  almost  flat,  and  have  a  square  contour.  They 
may  be  distinguished  in  this  state  from  C.  exiguum  by 
having  more  ribs.  Mr.  Clark  observed  a  specimen  to 
be  full  of  ova  on  the  4th  of  August. 

Owing  to  the  posterior  side  being  more  produced  in 
some  specimens  than  in  others,  Montagu  seems  to  have 
made  two  species  out  of  this  one,  viz.  C.  elongatum  and 
C.  fasciatum.  The  former  represents  the  more  usual  or 
typical  kind.  I  have  a  shell  which  was  sent  by  Mr. 
Dillwyn  to  Col.  Montagu  for  his  opinion,  and  returned 
with  the  name  "  Car.  fasciatum  ^'  in  the  handwriting  of 
the  latter  on  the  cover  of  the  small  packet  which  still 


CARDIUM.  283 

contains  it.  This  specimen  undoubtedly  belongs  to  the 
present  species ;  and  Mr.  Dillwyn  was,  I  believe,  as  care- 
ful as  I  have  endeavoured  to  be,  in  the  conservation  of 
such  proofs  of  authenticity.  Bruguiere  and  Lamarck 
described  a  tropical  species  as  C.  elongatum  :  otherwise 
that  name  is  more  appropriate  than  fasciatum  in  respect 
of  our  shell.  The  C.  fasciatum  of  Gmelin  is  different, 
having  been  derived  from  a  figure  of  Knorr;  but  his 
species  is  obsolete.  The  late  Mr.  G.  B.  Sowerby  pro- 
posed to  change  the  name  fasciatum  to  ovale,  and  Dr. 
Leach  to  that  of  zonatum.  It  is  the  C.  elongatum  of 
Turton  and  of  most  other  writers  on  British  concho- 
logy,  C.  exiguum  of  Macgillivray,  and  (in  a  younger 
state)  probably  C.  scabrum  of  Philippi.  It  is  also  the 
C.  rubrum  and  C.  arcuatwn  of  Beeve,  who  by  his  refer- 
ences to  Montagu  appears  to  have  considered  the  pre- 
sent species  identical  with  Lascea  rubra  and  Loripes 
divaricatus.  His  descriptions  and  figures  were  taken 
from  shells  in  Mr.  Cuming^s  collection, 

N^  J^v  7.  C.  NODo'suM  *,  Turton.  H  i^'- 

C.  nodosum,  Turt.  Conch.  Dith.  p.  186,  tab.  13.  f .  8 ;  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  22, 
pi.  xxxii.  f.  7. 

Body  subglobose,  of  a  whitish  colour,  and  semitransparent : 
mantle  edged  with  white  pointed  filaments,  which  correspond 
with  the  ribs  of  the  shell :  tubes  very  short,  pale  yellow,  each 
having  10  or  12  flake-white  cirri  at  the  orifice,  and  red  points 
at  the  base,  besides  longer  and  curved  white  filaments  above, 
below,  and  on  the  sides  of  both  tubes  ;  from  the  excurrent  tube 
protrudes  a  retractile  valve :  gills  semioval,  the  upper  not  half 
the  length  or  breadth  of  the  lower  ones :  palps  very  small 
and  triangular,  pectinated  more  strongly  above  than  below, 
like  the  gills :  foot  white,  moderately  long,  subcylindrical,  with 
a  slight  bend  or  elbow. 

Shell  obtusely  triangular,  convex,  gibbous  near  the  beaks, 
*  Covered  with  knots. 


284  CARDIID.E. 

and  gradually  compressed  or  sloping  towards  the  front  margin, 
solid  and  opaque,  rather  glossy  :  sculpture,  24-28  longitudinal 
ribs,  which  are  rounded  at  the  sides  and  somewhat  depressed 
above ;  they  are  for  the  most  part  thickly  covered  either  with 
small  tubercles,  or  else  with  oval  or  arched  plates,  which 
are  often  spinous  or  prickly  on  the  posterior  side ;  furrows 
narrow  and  rather  slight,  usually  impressed  with  numerous 
and  minute  oval  punctures,  and  sometimes  with  obliquely 
transverse  striae  :  colour  milk-white,  with  frequently  a  tinge 
of  pale  yellow  or  orange,  and  occasionally  (but  rarely)  varie- 
gated by  interrupted  bands,  blotches,  or  spots  of  chestnut :  q)i- 
dermis  slight,  fibrous,  pale  yellowish -brown :  margins  rounded 
in  front  and  on  both  sides,  but  somewhat  truncate  and  a  little 
produced  at  the  posterior  end,  with  an  obtuse  and  slight  angle 
from  the  beak  on  that  side ;  dorsal  margin  sloping  at  nearly 
the  same  angle  on  each  side  :  beaJcs  very  small,  not  contiguous, 
inclining  a  trifle  to  the  anterior  side,  but  nearly  central ;  the 
space  below  them  is  ribless  and  almost  smooth,  but  not  much 
depressed  or  well  defined :  ligament  rather  short,  cylindrical, 
narrow,  pale  yellowish-brown,  sometimes  continued  on  the 
anterior  side:  hinge-line  curved:  hinge-plate  of  moderate 
thickness  and  breadth,  reflected,  more  or  less  stained  with 
brown  or  chocolate  colour,  occupying  about  one-fourth  of 
the  circumference :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  one  conical,  and 
one  smaller  oblique  laminar  cardinal,  and  a  strong  triangular 
lateral  on  each  side,  besides  occasionally  a  very  small  and  in- 
distinct second  lateral  on  the  anterior  side ;  in  the  left  valve 
two  similar  cardinals  (but  their  position  is  reversed  with  re- 
spect to  that  of  the  teeth  in  the  other  valve),  and  a  slighter 
lateral  on  each  side:  inside  glossy,  sometimes  more  or  less 
stained  with  chestnut  or  chocolate,  fluted  or  deeply  notched 
on  the  margin  only  :  pallial  scar  entire,  but  mostly  slight  and 
inconspicuous :  muscular  scars  oval,  posterior  one  the  larger. 
L.  0-475.   B.  0-5. 

Var.  1.  ovata.  Shell  more  produced  at  each  end  and  coarsely 
sculptured. 

Yar.  2.  rosea.  Shell  tinged  with  a  rosy  or  pink  hue  both 
outside  and  inside.     C.  roseum,  Lam.  An.  sans  Vert.  vi.  p.  14. 

Habitat  :  Locally  diffused  on  various  parts  of  the 
British  and  Irish  coasts,  at  from  3  to  86  fathoms,  in 
shelly  gravel  and  sand.     Capt.  Beechey  dredged  it  in 


CARDIUM.  285 

145  fathoms  off  the  Mull  of  Galloway.  At  Guernsey 
it  is  gregarious  in  15-20  fathoms.  Var.  1.  Hebrides 
and  Shetland.  Var.  2.  Guernsey,,  18  fathoms.  The 
typical  form  occurs,  according  to  S  carles  Wood,  in  the 
Red  and  Coralline  Crag.  Loven  and  many  others  have 
recorded  it  as  Scandinavian  and  inhabiting  various 
depths  from  3  to  100  fathoms ;  I  have  found  it  at  Etre- 
tat  in  the  North  of  France,  as  well  as  at  Spezzia ;  near 
Cherbourg  (Lamarck),  Gulf  of  Lyons  (Martin),  Cannes 
(Mace),  Sicily  (Philippi),  and  Vigo  (M 'Andrew). 

C.  nodosum  has  probably  been  passed  over  as  the 
young  of  the  common  cockle  (C  edule);  but  that  species 
is  always  more  globular  and  produced  in  front,  and  has 
much  smoother  ribs  and  less  distinct  and  prominent 
tubercles.  The  present  species  differs  from  C.  fasciatum 
in  being  more  solid,  and  usually  of  a  milk-white  colour ; 
the  ribs  are  more  thickly  covered  with  tubercles ;  the 
beaks  are  nearly  central ;  and  the  posterior  side  is  not 
obliquely  produced,  as  in  the  last-mentioned  species. 
Young  shells  have  a  somewhat  square  outline.  The 
most  brightly  coloured  specimens  in  my  collection  were 
found  in  Guernsey,  Arran  Isle  (Galway),  and  Balta 
Sound.  Southern  specimens  are  more  triangular  than 
those  from  the  north. 

In  strict  justice  this  species  ought  to  be  called  roseum, 
being  the  name  given  by  Lamarck  to  the  second  variety, 
three  years  before  Turton  described  his  C.  nodosum; 
but  it  is  now  generally  known  by  the  latter  name,  and 
the  shell  is  rarely  rosecolour.  I  before  observed  that 
Montagues  shell  of  the  same  name  (to  which  Turton 
erroneously  referred  this  species)  is  the  young  of  C. 
tuberculatum.  The  C.  roseum  of  Chemnitz  is  a  Cardissa. 
C.  punctatum  of  Philippi  (but  not  of  Brocchi)  appears  to 
be  a  variety  of  our  species. 


286  CARDIIDiE. 

V'  ^^-  8.  C.  edu'le  *,  Linne.  ^-tef-.  K^i^. 

C.  eduU,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1124 ;  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  15,  pi.  xxxii.  f.  1-4,  and 

(animal)  pi.  N.  f.  5. 

Body  subglobose,  thick,  opaque  white  :  mantle  pale  yellow  ; 
edges  fringed  with  short  white  filaments,  corresponding  with 
the  ribs  of  the  shell :  tubes  short,  conical,  separate  at  their 
bases  and  divergent,  whitish,  pale  yellow,  or  reddish -brown, 
and  sometimes  speckled  with  black;  the  incurrent  tube  is 
larger  than  the  other,  and  has  its  orifice  encircled  with  10 
long  white  cirri,  besides  two  or  three  shorter  ones  between 
each ;  the  excurrent  tube  has  a  plain  orifice,  and  is  provided 
with  a  distinct  retractile  tubular  valve ;  the  orifice  of  each 
tube  is  bordered  by  a  dark  or  red-brown  line,  and  the  sides  of 
both  are  clothed  with  curly  white  filaments,  as  well  as  part  of 
the  mantle,  as  in  other  species  of  Carclmm  :  gills  suboval,  pale 
brown,  finely  pectinated ;  upper  pair  much  the  smaller  :  palps 
longish,  pointed,  flat,  somewhat  triangular,  red-brown,  smooth 
on  the  outer  and  pectinated  on  the  inner  surface :  foot  long, 
and  lancet-shaped  at  the  point,  proportionally  smaller  than  in 
other  species,  varying  in  colour  from  opaque  white  to  pale 
yeUow  or  brown,  often  of  a  deeper  hue  towards  the  extremity. 

Shell  triangularly  rhomboidal,  convex,  deeper  behind, 
somewhat  compressed  towards  the  margins,  and  especially  at 
the  sides,  very  solid  and  opaque,  of  a  dull  hue:  sculpture, 
24-28  flattish  ribs,  more  or  less  crested  with  straight  trans- 
verse plates,  which  are  stronger  and  more  developed  at  the 
sides ;  there  are  also  some  extremely  fine  and  microscopical 
longitudinal  and  transverse  striae,  which  cover  the  whole  sur- 
face, making  it  appear  partially  shagreened ;  furrows  rather 
narrow  and  slight,  without  punctures  :  colour  whitish,  or  yel- 
lowish, sometimes  light  reddish-brown,  with  a  faint  prismatic 
lustre,  marked  transversely  in  the  young  by  zigzag  and  irre- 
gular streaks  of  purplish -brown :  epidermis  thin,  fibrous,  yel- 
lowish-brown, usually  rubbed  off  except  round  the  edges: 
margins  gently  curved  but  occasionally  nearly  straight  in 
front,  rounded  on  the  anterior  side,  obliquely  truncate  and 
wedge-shaped  on  the  posterior  side ;  on  the  upper  part  of  this 
side  the  margin  forms  an  obtuse  angle  with  the  dorsal  line, 
which  slopes  a  little :  hedks  very  small,  contiguous  and  con- 
sequently often  worn  by  the  attrition,  considerably  incurved  ; 

*  Edible. 


CARDIUM.  287 

umbones  central :  lunule  slight  and  indistinct :  ligament  short 
but  strong,  homcolour,  with  sometimes  a  greenish  tint,  con- 
tinued on  the  anterior  side  in  large  specimens:  hinge-line 
gently  curved  :  hinge-plate  thick  and  rather  broad,  reflected 
on  the  posterior  side,  where  it  is  usually  stained  with  chocolate 
colour,  occupying  about  one-third  of  the  circumference  :  teeth, 
in  the  right  valve  one  double  cardinal,  shaped  like  a  reversed 
V,  and  set  obliquely,  and  a  strong  but  short  double  lateral  on 
each  side;  inner  teeth  and  laminae  much  smaller  and  more 
sunk  than  those  next  to  the  hinge-line  ;  in  the  left  valve  are 
similar  cardinal  and  lateral  teeth,  having  their  relative  size  and 
position  reversed,  but  these  laterals  are  not  so  dispropor- 
tionately small  as  those  in  the  right  valve  :  inside  somewhat 
glossy  and  nacreous,  deeply  stained  with  purplish-brown  on 
the  posterior  side,  fluted  towards  the  margin,  which  is  armed 
with  short  spikes,  corresponding  with  the  outside  furrows : 
pallial  scar  slight  and  wavy  :  muscular  scai's  very  strong,  pos- 
terior one  the  longer.     L.  1-6.    B.  1-7. 

Var.  1.  rustica.  Shell  smaller  and  thinner,  with  the  pos- 
terior side  usually  more  produced  and  wedge-shaped :  colour 
purplish-brown  or  light  orange,  often  disposed  in  transverse 
rows.  C.  rusticum,  Chemn.  Conch.  Cab.  vi.  p.  201  (referring  to 
Linne's  species  of  the  same  name),  pi.  19.  f.  197. 

Var.  2.  crenulata.  Shell  oval  and  more  equilateral ;  front 
margin  nearly  straight.  0.  cremdatum.  Lam.  An.  sans  Vert.  vi. 
p.  13. 

Habitat  :  Gregarious  everywhere  in  our  sandy  bays, 
from  low-water  mark  to  a  few  fathoms.  Var.  1.  Estuaries 
of  brackish  water.  Var.  2.  Plymouth  (Reeve) ;  Herm 
(Lukis);  Dogger  Bank  (Rich).  This  weU-known  spe- 
cies occurs  in  all  our  pliocene  tertiaries  from  the  latest 
raised  beach  to  the  Coralline  Crag ;  and  I  have  found 
it  in  upper  miocene  strata  near  Antibes.  It  is  very 
generally  distributed  through  the  North  Atlantic  Ocean, 
from  Iceland  (Mohr)  to  the  ^gean  (Forbes).  The 
variety  rustica  has  also  a  range  of  similar  extent ;  and, 
according  to  Middendorff,  it  inhabits  the  Aral  Sea, 
Caspian,  Black  Sea,  and  Russian  Lapland.  Lamarck 
gives  ^'  La  Manche  "  for  the  other  variety ;  and  I  am 


288  CARDIID^. 

inclined  to  refer  to  it  also  some  fossil  shells  which  the  Rev. 
H.  B.  Tristram  brought  home  from  the  Great  Sahara 
and  sent  to  Sir  Charles  Lyell. 

The  mode  by  which  the  cockle  burrows  in  sand  with 
its  dibble-shaped  foot  (called  by  Paley  "  its  stiff  tongue") 
has  been  already  described ;  but  Mr.  Dennis  informs 
me  of  another  habit,  with  which  I  was  not  before  ac- 
quainted. He  says,  "  I  found  a  large  specimen  of  the 
common  cockle  moored  by  a  byssus  to  a  stake  in  the 
mill-creek.  It  might  be  eighteen  inches  up  the  stake. 
The  run  of  the  water  is  very  strong  at  the  spot,  and 
the  bottom  shingle.^'  This  confirms  an  observation  of 
the  same  kind  made  by  Costa  with  regard  to  a  variety 
of  C.  exiguum^  and  which  I  have  before  noticed.  Phi- 
lippi  expressed  his  disbelief  of  Costa^s  statement;  but 
there  is  nothing  wonderful  in  the  cockle  or  any  other 
animal  acquiring  a  new  habit  under  altered  circum- 
stances, especially  if  such  habit  is  not  inconsistent  with 
its  general  organization.  It  may  arise  from  the  deve- 
lopment of  a  mysterious  faculty,  closely  allied  to  one 
which  in  our  pride  we  call  reason,  and  consider  to  be  our 
own  exclusive  property.  But  boast  not,  O  Man,  of  your 
superiority  to  other  animals  in  this  respect !  Your  and 
their  Creator  may,  if  he  think  fit,  grant  the  same 
mental  privileges  as  you  enjoy  to  the  brute,  and  even 
to  the  moUusk.  See  what  Coleridge  has  to  say  on  the 
subject : 

"  And  what  if  all  of  animated  nature 
Be  but  organic  harps  diversely  framed, 
That  tremble  into  thought,  as  o'er  them  sweeps. 
Plastic  and  vast,  one  intellectual  breeze, 
At  once  the  soul  of  each,  and  God  of  all." 

The  shape  of  the  cockle  is  extremely  variable.  In 
sheltered  or  still  water,  where  the  ground  is  muddy  or 


CARDIUM.  289 

soft,  the  shell  is  thiniier,  and  the  posterior  side  has  a 
tendency  to  become  elongated  and  more  wedge-like 
than  usual.  In  exposed  and  rough  seas,  where  the 
ground  is  harder,  the  shell  is  thick  and  globular.  In 
certain  localities  the  inside  is  of  a  rich  purple  colour. 
The  largest  specimens  I  have  seen  came  from  Unst 
and  S  tor  noway,  and  the  next  in  size  from  Appledore 
in  North  Devon  and  the  Scilly  Isles.  Some  of  these 
examples  measure  2 J  inches  in  breadth.  Distortions 
are  not  unfrequently  met  with.  The  most  remarkable 
are  as  follows : — inequivalve,  the  left  valve  being  much 
smaller  than  the  right,  and  nearly  flat;  divided  into 
two  lobes  by  a  constriction  in  front ;  resembling  a 
Cardissa,  the  anterior  side  being  squeezed  in  and  show- 
ing a  large  lunule;  and  one  shell  piled  on  another, 
and  apparently  growing  out  of  it.  Irregular  pearls  are 
occasionally  formed.  A  specimen  of  C.  edule  in  Mr. 
Norman's  cabinet,  found  by  Mr.  Cocks  at  Falmouth, 
contains  a  massive  secretion  of  this  kind,  which  occu- 
pies nearly  one-half  of  the  inside.  It  proceeds  from 
under  the  beak,  and  looks  like  a  huge  wen.  The  animal 
seems  to  have  suffered  no  further  inconvenience  from 
the  excrescence  than  being  obliged  to  extend  its  shell 
in  front,  so  as  to  make  up  for  the  space  lost  at  the  back. 
I  have  likewise  a  large  button- shaped  livercolour  pearl 
which  was  taken  from  a  common  cockle  in  the  act  of 
being  eaten  at  breakfast.  Young  sheUs  are  frequently 
round,  or  longer  than  broad,  and  are  indistinctly  angular 
on  each  side.  In  a  still  earlier  stage  of  growth  they  are 
very  prettily  variegated,  and  liable  to  be  mistaken  for 
C.  fasciatum ;  but  they  never  have  the  oblique  contour 
or  the  polished  ribs  of  that  species. 

I  hope  I  shall  not  be  accused  of  undignified  trifling, 
or  of  venting  platitudes,  if  I  say  a  little  more  about  the 

o 


290  CARDIIDiE. 

variableness  of  the  cockle-shell.  No  specimeus  are 
alike.  I  have  amused  myself  at  the  seaside  in  looking 
over  a  basketful  of  them,  with  a  view  of  finding  two 
exactly  similar ;  but  I  have  never  succeeded.  They  may 
be  distinguished  one  from  another,  like  men,  sheep,  or 
dogs.  Ruskin  has  the  following  apposite  remark,  in  his 
'  Modern  Painters,'  as  to  what  he  terms  "  the  truths  of 
nature.^'  He  says  that  they  "  are  one  eternal  change — 
one  infinite  variety.  There  is  no  bush  on  the  face  of 
the  globe  like  another  bush  :  there  are  no  two  trees  in 
the  forest  whose  boughs  bend  into  the  same  network, 
nor  two  leaves  on  the  same  tree  which  could  not  be  told 
one  from  the  other,  nor  two  waves  in  the  sea  exactly 
alike."  This  is  an  eloquent  and  suggestive  truth.  Lu- 
cretius had  long  ago  illustrated  the  same  idea  by  in- 
stances drawn  from  the  animal  kingdom,  in  which  he 
includes  "  concharumque  genus.'' 

The  good  qualities  of  this  shell-fish  as  an  article  of 
food  are  notorious.  The  ancients  appear  to  have  been 
in  the  habit  of  roasting  them,  if  we  believe  that  they  are 
the  subject  of  one  of  ^sop's  fables,  in  which  the  son  of 
a  husbandman  thus  apostrophizes  some  he  cooked  in 
this  way,  and  which  were  fizzing  in  the  fire :  "  O  most 
wicked  creatures,  are  you  singing,  while  your  houses 
are  being  burnt  ?"  A  schoolboy  thinks  the  true  moral 
of  this  fable  ought  to  be,  "  add  insult  to  injury,"  instead 
of  "  every  thing  in  its  season."  Lister  mentions  that  in 
his  time  cockles  were  eaten  raw,  as  well  as  cooked ;  and 
Fleming  and  Macgillivray  notice  the  same  custom  as 
prevalent  in  Scotland.  They  are  also  pickled  like  oys- 
ters, and  a  '^  vol-au-vent  aux  bucardes  "  is  by  no  means 
a  despicable  '^  plat."  Mace  says  that  the  Bretons  call 
them  "  Coques,"  a  name  also  applied  to  one  or  more 
species  of  Tapes.     Cockle-gathering  is  a  useful,  though 


CARDIUM.  291 

humble  branch  of  our  national  industry,  and  gives  an 
honest  employment  to  thousands  of  women  and  chil- 
dren. In  Surtees^s  ^  History  of  Durham  ^  it  is  stated  that, 
besides  the  home  consumption,  about  £300  is  annually 
gained  in  Greatham  alone  by  this  occupation.  Near 
the  little  village  of  Penclawdd  in  South  Wales  a  busy 
and  picturesque  scene  may  be  witnessed  towards  the  end 
of  autumn  or  in  the  early  spring.  When  the  tide  is 
out,  nearly  all  the  female  and  juvenile  population  are 
engaged  in  raking  the  sands  and  collecting  these  shell- 
fish. The  cockles  are  put  into  tubs  and  pans  of  fresh 
water  to  get  rid  of  the  "  grit ''  or  sand,  and  the  next 
day  they  are  boiled  in  large  caldrons  placed  in  the  open 
air.  The  produce  is  then  fished  out  with  sieves,  and 
after  Ijeing  well  rinsed  in  clean  water  is  carried  to  Swan- 
sea market  in  baskets  poised  on  the  heads  of  the  cockle- 
women.  Many  a  drawing  in  the  Water-colour  Exhibi- 
tions has  been  enlivened  by  the  addition  of  a  group  thus 
equipped  and  crossing  the  sands  at  low  water.  Im- 
mense heaps  of  shells  are  accumulated  in  the  above 
process  of  preparing  cockles,  and  may  hereafter  give  rise 
to  as  much  speculation  with  regard  to  the  antiquity  of 
the  race  of  cockle-gatherers,  as  the  Danish  and  Scotch 
'^  kjokkenmoddings ''  do  at  the  present  time.  The  shells 
also  are  useful.  In  places  near  the  sea-coast  where 
ordinary  lime  is  not  to  be  had,  or  the  carriage  of  it  is 
expensive,  there  cannot  be  a  better  substitute  than  the 
lime  which  is  made  by  calcining  cockle-shells.  An 
analysis  by  Dr.  Phipson,  a  chemist  of  no  mean  repute, 
has  shown  that  they  contain  more  than  90  per  cent,  of 
pure  carbonate  of  lime.  They  seem  to  have  been  con- 
verted into  rude  ornaments  by  our  ancestors  ;  and  Wil- 
son, in  his  '  Prehistoric  Annals  of  Scotland,'  describes  a 
cist  in  which  the  only  relics  deposited  beside  the  skele- 


292  CARDIIDiE. 

ton  were  a  quantity  of  cockle-shells  of  different  sizes, 
rubbed  down  until  they  were  reduced  nearly  to  rings. 

An  impudent  hoax  was  played  on  the  learned  Wer- 
nerian  Society  in  1825  by  a  pretended  "  discovery  of  live 
cockles  in  peat-moss^  at  a  great  distance  from  the  sea, 
and  much  above  its  present  level."  The  name  of  the 
place  where  this  phenomenon  is  said  to  have  been  ob- 
served was  Cocklesbury  near  Greta  Bridge,  and  some 
highly  ingenious  arguments  were  adduced  to  show  how 
the  cockles  got  into  the  moss,  and  contrived  to  exist  for 
centuries  out  of  their  native  element.  It  need  scarcely 
be  said  that  the  writer  of  the  article  was  imposed  upon 
by  a  scientific  wag.  Other  Scotchmen  have  been  equally 
credulous.  Buchanan  relates  a  strange  notion,  which 
he  had  heard  was  prevalent  in  Barra,  one  of  the  Western 
Isles,  that  the  cockle  originates  from  a  freshwater  bi- 
valve (probably  a  species  of  Pisidium)  called  the  "  seed^' 
by  the  inhabitants,  who  supposed  that  it  grew  larger  in 
the  sea,  after  being  carried  down  by  the  river. 

According  to  S carles  Wood,  C.  edule  in  its  recent  and 
fossil  state  has  sixteen  synonyms. 

b\ .  3r-  9.  C.  mi'nimum  *,  Philippi.  s-f-e^',  i'i  »^3 

J 

C.  minimum,  Phil.  Moll.  Sic.  i.  p.  51,  and  ii.  p.  38,  t.  liv.  f.  18.     C.  Sue-  i 

cieum,  F.  &  H.  ii.  p.  33,  pi.  xxxii.  f.  6. 

Body  of  a  gelatinous  consistency  and  whitish  colour. 

Shell  roundish- oval,  with  an  oblique  outline,  convex 
(especially  behind),  thin  but  nearly  opaque,  rather  glossy : 
sculpture,  28-30  delicate  and  flattened  longitudinal  ribs,  more 
or  less  covered  throughout  with  minute  crowded  arched  scales, 
which  are  sometimes  arranged  in  a  double  row,  giving  a  sca- 
brous appearance  to  the  surface ;  furrows  rather  narrow  and 
slight,  crossed  by  microscopical  striae,  which  are  three  times  as 
numerous  as  the  costal  scales,  and  in  younger  and  less  perfect 

*  Smallest. 


CARDIUM.  293 

specimens  resemble  punctures  :  colour  milk-white,  with  occa- 
sionally a  very  faint  prismatic  hue :  margins  rounded  on  all 
sides  except  behind,  where  there  is  a  gradual  slope  towards 
the  posterior  end,  which  in  the  young  is  indistinctly  angular  : 
heaks  very  small,  glossy,  turning  towards  the  anterior  side ; 
lunule-shaped  depression  rather  long  and  deep :  ligament 
short,  yellowish-brown,  projecting  above  the  dorsal  line : 
hinge-line  curved :  hinge-plate  narrow  and  sharp,  occupying 
between  a  third  and  a  fourth  of  the  circumference  :  teeth,  in 
the  right  valve  one  double  cardinal  (the  plates  or  lobes  of  which 
are  of  unequal  size),  with  a  short  triangular  lateral  on  the 
anterior  side  and  a  small  sunken  laminar  lateral  on  the  pos- 
terior side ;  in  the  left  valve  are  corresponding  cardinals  and 
laterals,  the  latter  on  the  anterior  side  being  double :  inside 
polished  and  slightly  nacreous,  fluted  in  every  part,  owing  to 
the  concavity  of  the  outside  ribs,  the  flutings  having  broad  and 
truncate  terminations :  scars  slight  and  usually  indistinct. 
L.  0-4.   B.  0-4. 

Habitat  :  Fine  sand  in  5-100  fathoms,  west  of  Scot- 
land and  Moray  Firth,  Shetland,  and  all  the  Irish  coasts ; 
Mr.  M*^ Andrew  has  dredged  it  sixty  miles  N.N.W.  of 
the  Land's  End  in  50  fathoms.  It  is  a  local  species. 
According  to  Geikie  it  has  been  found  by  Mr.  Richmond 
in  the  glacial  deposits  at  Bute.  It  inhabits  the  seas  of 
Scandinavia  and  the  western  coasts  of  the  Baltic,  at 
depths  varying  from  10  to  130  fathoms.  Philippi  dis- 
covered a  recent  single  valve  at  Panormi,  and  many  in  a 
fossil  state  at  Palermo  and  Tarenti ;  and  M.  Martin  has 
taken  it  alive  in  the  Gulf  of  Lyons. 

Clark  thought  that  this  might  be  a  variety  of  C.  edule. 
It  is,  however,  a  much  more  delicate  shell ;  its  length 
is  greater  in  proportion  to  its  breadth,  and  its  contour 
is  more  oblique;  the  transverse  scales  are  arched  or 
vaulted,  instead  of  straight ;  the  interstices  of  the  ribs 
are  minutely  striated  or  punctured ;  and  the  inside  is 
fluted  throughout,  and  not  towards  the  edge  only,  and 
the  extremities  of  these  internal  grooves  are  truncate  or 
blunt,  being  in  C,  edule  sharply  pointed. 


294  CARDIID.E. 

It  is  the  C.  Suediense  of  Reeve,  C.  Loveni  of  Thomp- 
son, and  C  Suecicum  of  Loven. 


B.  Shell  longitudinally  oblong ;  ribs  slight  and  smooth,  absent 

a^;  the  sides. 

f^-  ^^-        10.  C.  Norve'gicum  ^,  Spengler.      K^  m^ 

C.  Norvegicum,  Spengl.  Skrivt.  Naturh.  Selsk.  v.  pt.  1.  p.42;  F.  &  H.  ii. 
p.  35,  pi.  xxxi.  f.  1, 2,  and  (animal)  pi.  N.  f.  1. 

Body  nearly  oval,  thick,  yellowish-white :  mantle  flesh- 
colour  or  reddish-white ;  edges  plain  and  white  :  tubes  short, 
united  at  their  base  and  divergent  at  the  point  of  separation, 
pale  yellow,  marked  with  flake -white  spots  and  lines  ;  the  in- 
current  tube  is  rather  the  shorter  of  the  two,  but  wider,  and  it 
has  its  orifice  encircled  by  about  20  yellowish-white  cirri  of 
diiferent  lengths,  each  having  a  dull  red-brown  Hne  round  its 
base ;  the  excurrent  tube  has  a  plain  orifice,  with  the  usual 
retractile  valve,  which  is  marked  on  the  upper  and  lower 
surface  with  a  faint  red-brown  line,  a  few  spots  of  the  same 
colour  surrounding  the  orifice  of  this  tube ;  the  sides  of  both 
tubes  and  the  posterior  side  of  the  animal  are  clothed  with 
thick-set  pale  reddish-brown  and  Hght-yellow  curled  fila- 
ments :  gills  suboval,  pale  brown,  with  the  edges  of  a  deeper 
hue,  unequal-sized  (as  in  the  other  species)  but  hanging  more 
vertically :  palps  very  long,  triangular,  more  deeply  striated 
on  the  outside  than  within  :  foot  long  and  powerful,  cylindri- 
cal, geniculate,  pointed  at  the  extremity,  covered  (except  at 
the  point)  with  a  thin  fleshcolour  film,  resembhng  shagreen 
in  appearance,  under  which  it  is  pure  white.  The  colour  of 
the  different  parts  of  the  body  varies  in  intensity  and  its  rela- 
tive hues,  according  to  the  age  of  the  individual  and  the 
nature  of  the  sea-bottom. 

Shell  longitudinally  oval,  with  a  triangular  outline,  mode- 
rately convex,  sloping  gradually  towards  the  front  and  sides  in 
a  wedge-Hke  form,  slightly  gaping  at  the  posterior  side,  solid 
and  opaque,  silky  but  not  shining :  sculpture,  40-42  extremely 
faint  ribs,  which  are  quite  flat  and  about  as  broad  as  the 
intermediate  spaces ;  there  are  no  ribs  on  the  sides ;  the  whole 
surface  is  crossed  by  remarkably  crowded  wavy  strisD,  not  per- 

*  Norwegian. 


CARDIUM.  295 

ceptible  by  the  naked  eye :  colour  yellowish-white,  beautifully 
mottled  in  the  young  and  near  the  beaks  of  the  adult  with 
blotches  or  longitudinal  streaks  of  reddish-brown  or  fleshcolour : 
epidermis  thin,  consisting  of  a  tissue  of  exceedingly  numerous 
and  delicate  fibres,  woven  in  a  transverse  direction,  frequently 
anastomosing  or  becoming  blended  together,  and  varying  in 
colour  from  yellow  to  brown:  margins  curved  in  front  and 
at  the  sides,  with  a  slight  tendency  to  form  an  angle  at  the 
posterior  extremity ;  the  rounded  contour  is  only  interrupted 
behind  by  the  prominence  of  the  umbonal  area :  heahs  small, 
almost  touching  each  other,  slightly  recurved  towards  the 
anterior  side :  lunule  indistinct,  but  having  projecting  lips : 
ligament  long,  spindle-shaped,  homcolour,  and  continued  under 
the  beaks  on  the  anterior  side :  hinge-line  obtuse-angled : 
hinge-plate  broad,  reflected  outwards,  not  occupying  one- 
fourth  of  the  circumference :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  two  car- 
dinals, a  strong  triangular  lateral  on  the  anterior  side  and  a 
smaller  pointed  lateral  on  the  posterior  side ;  in  the  left  valve 
are  also  two  cardinals,  two  laterals  (the  lower  one  being  very 
much  larger  than  the  other)  on  the  anterior  side  and  one 
short  triangular  lateral  on  the  posterior  side ;  the  cardinals  are 
relatively  of  the  same  size  in  each  valve :  inside  porcellanous, 
closely  and  microscopically  striated  like  the  epidermis,  some- 
times of  a  chocolate  colour,  or  variegated  with  reddish-brown ; 
margin  fluted  in  the  middle  and  towards  the  sides,  but  only 
notched  near  the  hinge-line :  pallial  scar  distinct :  muscular 
scars  oval  and  deep.     L.  2-4.   B.  2-3. 

Var.  1.  gibha.  Shell  smaller,  having  a  more  oblique  con- 
tour, and  gibbous. 

Var.  2.  rotunda.     Shell  flatter  and  rounder. 

Var.  3.  pallida.     Shell  of  a  uniform  strawcolour. 

Habitat  :  Generally,  but  locally,  diflPused  throughout 
the  British  seas,  on  sandy  and  nullipore  bottoms,  in  5- 
80  fathoms.  Var.  1.  Exmouth  (Clark);  Swansea  and 
Bantry  Bay  (J.  G.  J.);  Milford  Haven  (Jordan).  Var.  2. 
Birterbuy  Bay,  Connemara  (Barlee).  Var.  3.  Exmouth 
(Clark);  Sark  (J.  G.  J.).  This  species  is  a  member  of 
our  more  recent  pliocene  beds,  as  well  as  of  the  Coral- 
line Crag.    Mr.  Rose  has  found  a  specimen  in  a  stratum 


296  CARDIIDiE. 

at  Breydon,  near  Great  Yarmouth,  containing  what  he 
considers  "  redeposited  '^  Crag  shells.  Its  foreign  habi- 
tation comprises  the  Faroe  Isles,  Finmark,  and  all  the 
intervening  coasts  to  the  ^gean,  Madeira,  and  the  Ca- 
naries. 

Specimens  which  I  dredged  in  Bantry  Bay  mea- 
sure about  3  inches  in  length,  and  nearly  as  much  in 
))readth.  Single  valves  found  by  Sars  in  Christiansund 
are  of  the  same  dimensions ;  and  some  living  specimens 
taken  by  Martin  in  the  Gulf  of  Lyons  are  scarcely  in- 
ferior in  size.  It  is  the  "large  high-beaked  cockle" 
of  Wallis,  and  the  "  smooth  cockle  "  of  Pennant. 

This  shell  was  for  a  long  time  considered  by  British 
authors  to  be  the  C.  Icevigatum  of  Linne ;  but  his  very 
short  description  in  the  Catalogue  of  the  museum  of 
Queen  Louisa  Ulrica  (upon  which  that  in  the  twelfth 
edition  of  the  'Systema  Naturae '  was  founded)  states  the 
colour  as  reddish  spotted  with  white,  a  character  inap- 
plicable to  the  present  species.  No  locality  is  given ; 
and  there  are  several  allied  species  in  the  same  section, 
any  one  of  which  might  have  been  intended  by  Linne. 
Our  shell  was  more  probably  his  C.  serratum^  as  well  as 
Lamarck^s  species  of  that  name.  It  would  have  been 
strange  if  Linne  did  not  know  this  common  shell.  How- 
ever, the  name  proposed  by  Spengler  is  now  generally 
accepted.  It  is  the  Pectunculus  maximus  &c.  of  Lister, 
C.  crassum  of  Gmelin,  C.  oblongum  of  Brown  (but  not 
of  Chemnitz)  as  well  as  of  Reeve,  and  also  the  C.  Pen- 
nantii  and  C.  vitellinum  of  the  last-named  writer.  The 
C.  medium  of  Turton  (but  not  of  Linn^)  is  the  fry  of 
C.  Norvegicum,  judging  from  his  typical  specimen.  The 
genus  Lavicardium  of  Swainson  represents  this  section 
of  Cardium,  the  synonymy  of  which  is  sadly  confused. 

C.  muricatum  and  C.  medium  of  Linne,   C.  citrinum 


CYPRINID^.  297 

of  W.  Wood  (C.  serratum,  Turton),  and  C.  Groenlandi- 
cum  of  Chemnitz  (C  edentulum,  Montagu,  and  Mactra 
radiata,  Donovan)  are  not  British,  although  they  have 
been  vrrongly  introduced  into  our  fauna.  The  first 
three  are  tropical,  and  the  last  arctic.  Dr.  Fleming 
was  mistaken  in  regarding  the  C.  nodosum  of  Turton  as 
the  young  of  C.  muricatum. 


Family  XII.  CYPRI'NID^,  Geinitz. 

BoBY  globose  or  suborbicular  :  mantle  open  in  front :  tubes 
sessile  or  short :  gills  nearly  equal  in  size  :  foot  tongue-shaped, 
and  adapted  for  burrowing  in  sand  or  mud. 

Shell  equivalve,  globose  or  rounded,  with  a  triangular  out- 
line, more  or  less  equilateral,  sohd,  concentrically  striated  or 
furrowed  :  beaks  twisted  spirally  or  turned  to  one  side :  lu/a- 
ment  mostly  external :  hinge  short  but  strong,  furnished  with 
two  or  three  cardinal  teeth,  besides  laterals,  in  each  valve  : 
pallial  scar  entire :  muscular  scars  oval  and  usually  very  dis- 
tinct. 

This  family  holds  a  middle  rank  between  the  Car- 
diidce  and  Veneridce,  but  is  more  nearly  allied  to  the 
latter.  It  differs  from  Cardiida  principally  in  the  shell 
not  having  the  longitudinal  ribs  which  characterize  that 
family,  and  from  Veneridce  in  the  tubes  of  the  animal 
being  sessile  or  short,  and  in  the  pallial  scar  being  con- 
sequently entire  at  the  posterior  side.  I  am  not  quite 
satisfied,  however,  that  it  is  a  "  good  "  family,  except  as 
regards  the  single  genus  Isocardia. 

All  the  Cijprinidce  are  inhabitants  of  sandy  and  muddy 
tracts  of  the  sea-bed.  They  may,  on  the  whole,  be  re- 
garded as  northern  forms. 


o5 


298  CYPRINIDiE. 

Genus  I.  ISOCAR'DIA  ^  Lamarck.     PL  VI.  f.  1. 

Body  globose,  small  in  proportion  to  the  shell :  mantle  thin  ', 
edge  double,  but  plain :  tubes  sessile ;  orifices  papilliferous : 
foot  broad,  compressed,  and  triangular. 

Shell  heart-shaped  when  viewed  sideways,  smooth  or  con- 
centrically striated  :  epidermis  longitudinally  ciliated :  hedks 
separate,  and  involute  or  spirally  twisted  :  lunule  incomplete  : 
corselet  none :  ligament  wholly  external,  forked  outwards  on 
the  anterior  side,  owing  to  the  divergence  of  the  beaks  :  teeth, 
in  each  valve  two  cardinals,  placed  obliquely,  the  outer  one 
being  laminar  and  curved,  besides  a  single  lateral  on  the  pos- 
terior side. 

The  only  species  which  we  possess  of  this  eccentric 
genus  was  placed  by  Linne  in  Chama,  and  by  Bruguiere 
in  Cardita ;  Lamarck  properly  separated  it  from  both, 
and  it  constitutes  the  type  of  his  Isocardia.  It  may 
be  known  from  Cardita  by  its  convolute  and  twisted 
beaks,  and  from  Chama  by  being  both  equivalve  and  free. 
Lamarck  placed  it  at  the  end  of  the  "Cardiacees,"  on 
account  of  its  general  resemblance  to  the  Cockles.  The 
globular  and  cordate  form  of  the  shell  is  very  elegant. 
Carpenter  says  that  the  external  layer  has  scarcely  a 
vestige  of  the  tubular  structure  which  is  so  conspicuous 
in  Cardium.  The  epidermis  of  the  European  Isocardia 
is  much  thicker  than  that  of  tropical  species  of  the  same 
genus.  No  species  appears  to  have  been  found  on  the 
northern  coasts  of  America.     Poll  called  the  animal 

GIOSSUS.  \  S6C^i%c^      ku^  OL*K<J^ 

jyt.^jt.  Isocardia  COR t,(Linne.)      W^^  tcS' 

Chama  Cor,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1137.     /.  cor,  F.  &H.  i.  p.  472,  pi.  xxxiv. 
f.  2 ,  and  (animal)  pi.  N.  f.  6. 

Body  soft,  yellowish-white:  mantle  completely  lining  the 
shell ;  margin  of  an  orange  colour :  tubes  rather  wide  at  their 

*  From  its  resemblance  to  a  heart  with  equal  sides.  t  Heart. 


IS,OCARDIA.  299 

orifices :  gills  free,  concealed  between  the  mantle  and  the  rest 
of  the  body  :  foot  very  muscular,  orangecolour. 

Shell  almost  spherical,  solid  when  adult,  of  a  dull  hue : 
sculpture,  faint  concentric  striae,  with  occasional  deeper  lines 
of  growth :  colour  yellomsh- white,  variegated  in  the  young  by 
zigzag  streaks  of  reddish-brown :  epidemiis  chestnutcolour, 
rather  thick,  covered  with  extremely  numerous  rows  of  very 
short  fine  bristles,  which  are  of  a  darker  colour,  and  radiate 
from  the  beak  to  the  margins,  except  on  the  upper  part  of  the 
anterior  side  where  the  cilia  are  wanting  :  margins  curved  in 
front,  sloping  upwards  on  the  anterior  side  to  a  blunt  angle 
foimed  by  its  junction  with  the  dorsal  margin,  obhquely 
truncate  at  the  posterior  side,  which  is  indistinctly  sinuous ; 
dorsal  margin  projecting :  healcs  excentric,  gracefully  recurved 
and  making  an  incomplete  whorl :  lunule  forming  a  broad  ex- 
cavation below  the  beaks,  and  enlarging  rapidly  during  the 
progress  of  growth :  ligament  strong  and  raised,  dark  reddish- 
brown,  following  the  bend  of  the  posterior  dorsal  margin  : 
hinge-line  curved :  hinge-plate  thick  and  broad,  reflected  out- 
wards, occupying  rather  more  than  one-third  of  the  circum- 
ference :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  two  cardinals,  the  outer  of 
which  is  laminar  and  nearly  parallel  to  the  hinge-line,  and  the 
inner  is  shorter,  very  much  thicker,  and  cloven  obliquely; 
between  the  latter  tooth  and  the  inside  of  the  shell  is  a  deep 
socket  for  the  reception  of  a  similar  tooth  in  the  opposite 
valve ;  lateral  tooth  short  and  triangular ;  the  left  valve  has 
two  cardinals  corresponding  with  those  in  the  other  valve, 
except  that  the  outer  one  is  cloven  obliquely,  and  the  socket 
is  placed  on  the  inside  of  the  thicker  tooth  ;  the  lateral  tooth 
in  this  valve  is  longer  than  that  in  the  right  valve,  but  not  so 
high:  inside  chalky,  with  sometimes  a  faint  tinge  of  flesh- 
colour,  irregularly  furrowed  lengthwise,  apparently  in  con- 
sequence of  an  unequal  secretion  by  the  mantle  :  paUial  scar 
broad  and  shining :  muscvtlar  scars  rather  large,  that  on  the 
anterior  side  being  remarkably  deep.     L.  4.   B.  3-8. 

Habitat:  Muddy  ground  in  4-40  fathoms  on  the 
coasts  of  Devon  and  Cornwall,  east  and  south  of  Ireland, 
and  west  of  Scotland.  Laskey  is  said  to  have  taken  it 
off  St.  AbVs  Head.  It  is  not  generally  distributed, 
although  tolerably  plentiful  in  certain  places.  Searles 
Wood  has  recorded  it  as  a  fossil  of  the  Red  and  Coral- 


300  CYPRINIDyE. 

line  Crag,  and  it  is  not  uncommon  in  a  layer  of  brick- 
earth  near  Christiania  containing  shells  of  arctic  species. 
Lilljeborg  has  dredged  it  as  far  north  as  Molde  fiord  near 
Christiansund ;  and,  according  to  Maravigna  and  Phi- 
lippi,  it  occurs  as  far  south  as  Sicily.  Many  instances 
may  be  enumerated  of  its  inhabiting  the  Scandinavian 
as  well  as  Mediterranean  seas,  at  depths  varying  from 
15  to  80  fathoms. 

By  far  the  best  account  which  has  been  given  of  the 
animal  is  that  by  the  E-ev.  James  Bulwer,  in  the  second 
volume  of  the  ^  Zoological  Journal.'  He  procured  a 
considerable  number  of  live  specimens,  taken  by  trawl- 
ing in  very  deep  water  on  the  east  coast  of  Ireland. 
Although  this  account  has  been  twice  republished,  it  is 
so  interesting  and  evidently  so  accurate,  that  I  cannot 
refrain  from  inserting  here  a  portion  of  it.  He  says, 
"  On  being  placed  in  a  vessel  of  sea- water  the  valves  of 
the  shell  gradually  opened,  to  the  extent  represented  in 
the  drawing  [which  accompanies  the  description]:  the 
feelers  or  ciliated  fringe  of  the  upper  "^  orifice  of  the 
mantle  moved  slowly,  as  if  in  search  of  animalculse. 
Having  remained  in  this  situation  about  ten  minutes, 
water  was  ejected  with  considerable  force  from  the 
lower  [upper  or  excurrent]  orifice,  which  had  till  now 
remained  motionless.  The  expulsion  of  the  water  ap- 
peared to  be  effected  by  a  sudden  contraction  of  the 
muscles,  because  this  was  never  done  without  the  valves 
nearly  closing  at  the  same  instant.  After  a  few  seconds 
the  valves  gradually  returned  to  their  open  position,  and 
remained  quiescent  as  before,  till  the  water  was  again 
ejected  with  a  jerk :   this  alternating  process  was  re- 

*  [The  Isocardia  is  delineated  in  a  horizontal  position,  and  this  orifice 
"being  next  to  the  foot  and  fui'thest  from  the  beaks  is  the  lower  or  ineur- 
rent  orifice.] 


ISOCARDIA.  301 

peated  at  unequal  intervals  during  the  whole  time  my 
specimens  were  under  examination,  but  at  shorter  inter- 
vals on  receiving  fresh  supplies  of  sea- water,  when,  I 
suppose,  food  (its  quality  I  could  not  ascertain)  was 
more  abundant.  The  animal  appears  to  be  insensible 
both  to  sound  and  lights  as  the  presence  or  absence  of 
either  did  not  at  aU  interrupt  its  movements;  but  its 
sense  of  feeling  appeared  to  be  very  delicate :  minute 
substances  being  dropped  into  the  orifice  of  the  mantle 
instantly  excited  the  animal,  and  a  column  of  water 
strongly  directed  expelled  them  from  the  shell.  With 
so  much  strength  was  the  water  in  some  instances 
ejected,  that  it  rose  above  the  surface  of  three  inches  of 
superincumbent  fluid.  Animal  small  in  proportion  to 
its  shell,  occupying  when  dead  barely  a  third  of  the 
space  enclosed  in  the  valves.  Its  mantle  is  slightly 
attached  to  the  shell  and  to  the  epidermis  at  the  margin, 
and  appears  to  be  kept  distended,  and  in  contact  with 
the  interior  of  the  valves,  by  the  included  water.  The 
valves  fit  so  closely  that  the  animal  can  remain  two 
days  or  more  without  permitting  a  single  drop  of  fluid 
to  escape.  Locomotion  is  very  confined ;  it  is  capable, 
with  the  assistance  of  its  foot,  which  it  uses  in  the  same 
manner  (but  in  a  much  more  limited  degree)  as  the 
Cardiacea,  of  fixing  itself  firmly  in  the  sand,  generally 
choosing  to  have  the  umbones  covered  by  it,  and  the 
orifices  of  the  tubes  of  the  mantle  nearly  perpendicular. 
Resting  in  this  position  on  the  margin  of  a  sand-bank, 
of  which  the  surrounding  soil  is  mud,  at  too  great  a 
depth  to  be  disturbed  by  storms,  the  Isocardia  of  our 
Irish  Sea  patiently  collects  its  food  from  the  surround- 
ing element,  assisted  in  its  choice  by  the  current  it  is 
capable  of  creating  by  the  alternate  opening  and  closing 
of  its  valves.     Some  of  the  specimens  that  had  been 


302  CYPRINIDiE. 

taken  four  or  more  days  before  they  were  brought  to 
me  exhibited  on  dissection  the  following  curious  ap- 
pearance : — On  removing  the  mantle  from  the  surface 
of  the  shell,  a  considerable  quantity  of  shelly  matter  of 
the  consistence  of  thick  cream,  or  like  moistened  plaster 
of  Paris,  was  discovered;  on  a  nearer  inspection,  the 
interior  layers  of  its  shelly  covering  were  found  to  be 
deeply  corroded  in  parallel  furrows,  in  some  spots  so 
deeply  that  the  brown  or  outer  layers  of  the  shell  were 
laid  bare.    This  shelly  matter  had  undergone  no  change 
but  that  of  trituration.     To  what  cause  is  this  appear- 
ance to  be  attributed  ?     Are  the  animals  of  this  species 
when  in  a  state  of  starvation,  as  these  probably  were, 
capable  of  absorbing  a  portion  of  their  shell  (the  gluten), 
and  converting  it  into  nourishment  ?    Or  do  the  animals, 
when  languid   and  unhealthy,  secrete  a  medium  that 
destroys  the   cohesion  of  the  particles  of  which  their 
habitations  are  formed?     In  none  of  the  living  speci- 
mens that  I   had    an  opportunity  of  examining  did  I 
detect  any  parasite ;  while  in  nine  out  of  ten  specimens 
of  the  Cyprina  Islandica  from  the  same  neighbourhood, 
I  found  a  small  Hirudo  lurking  under  the  mantle  of 
each ;  and  in  very  many  specimens  of  a  Modiola  from 
the  shallow  water  of  the  same  coast,  a  small  Crab  {Pisa) 
shared  the  habitation  with  the  animal.'^     Mr.  Bulwer 
also  remarked   that  the   /.  cor  of  the  Mediterranean 
appeared  to  differ  considerably  from  that  of  the  Irish 
Sea  in  respect  of  the  animal,  judging  from  the  descrip- 
tion and  anatomical  drawings  of  Poli ;  but  the  differ- 
ences he  has  noticed  are  probably  varietal.     Mediter- 
ranean specimens  are  smaller.     Linne  indulged  in  some 
rather  fanciful  similitudes  with  regard  to  the  shell,  de- 
scribing it  in  the  tenth  edition  of  the  'Systema  Naturae  ' 
as  Cardium  humanum,  and  in  the  twelfth  edition  com- 


CYPRINA.  303 

paring  the  beaks  to  a  ram^s  horns.  Knorr,  in  his 
'Delicise  Naturae  selectae/  says  it  is  called  in  France 
"  coeur  de  boeuf/'  and  in  Holland  "  zots-kappen  ^'  or 
fooPs-cap. 

It  is  the  Bucardia  communis  of  Schumacher  and  Iso- 
cardia  Hibernica  of  Reeve. 

Genus  II.  CYPRI'NA  ^  Lamarck.     PL  VI.  f.  2. 

Body  suborbicular  and  fleshy :  mantle  rather  thick,  slightly 
retractile;  edge  finely  serrated:  tubes  extremely  short,  but 
separate ;  orifices  cirrous :  foot  large  and  extensile. 

Shell  heart-shaped,  convex,  concentrically  striated:  epi- 
dermis  thick  and  fibrous :  beaks  incurved :  lunule  and  corselet 
wanting :  ligament  almost  wholly  external :  teeth,  in  each  valve 
three  cardinals,  the  outer  one  laminar,  besides  a  single  lateral 
on  the  posterior  side. 

We  now  approach  the  boundaries  of  the  Veneridce. 
Clark  was  of  opinion  that  Isocardia  might  very  well 
merge  in  the  present  genus,  because  the  animals  of  both 
were  similar ;  but  the  points  of  resemblance  are  common 
to  the  family,  and  there  are  other  characters  in  which 
these  genera  may  be  distinguished  from  each  other. 
The  difference  will  appear  from  a  comparison  of  the 
generic  descriptions  given  above.  Lamarck  supposed 
that  Cyprina  was  allied  to  Cyrenay  and  partook  of  a 
fluviatile  nature,  by  reason  of  its  substantial  epidermis 
and  strong  lateral  teeth;  and  he  stated  that  Cyprina 
Islandica  inhabits  the  mouths  of  rivers.  This  is  not  the 
case  :  it  is  exclusively  marine.  The  only  recent  species 
known  to  us  is  widely  scattered  over  the  seas  of  the 
northern  hemisphere  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic :  its 
fossil  remains  have  been  found  in  every  part  of  the  vast 
territories  comprised  within  the  36th  and  80th  degrees  of 

*  From  KvirptSf  one  of  the  names  of  Venus. 


301 


CYPRINID^. 


latitude,  which  were  submerged  during  a  comparatively 
recent  geological  period ;  and  they  attest  the  extent  of 
its  diffusion  in  the  glacial  epoch.  Other  species  occur 
in  tertiary  strata  of  an  older  formation  ;  and  the  history 
of  the  genus,  according  to  Mr.  S  carles  Wood,  may  per- 
haps date  back  from  the  Greensand. 

This  genus  was  called  Arctica  by  Schumacher,  and 
Cardia,  Nymphaj  and  Asmidia  by  other  authors. 

{*'•  ^^  •  Cyprina  Islan'dica  ■^,(Linne.)     N/f  t<5^ 

Venus  Islandica,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1131.    C.  Idandica,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  441, 
pi.  xxix,  and  (animal)  pi.  M.  f.  4. 

Body  yellowish-white :  mantle  powdered  for  some  depth 
with  minute  red-brown  sandy  points  ;  margin  thickened,  and 
marked  with  a  slender  brown  line :  tubes  nearly  sessile,  tinged 
with  red-brown ;  each  orifice  is  encircled  at  the  base  of  the 
cirri  which  fringe  it  with  a  narrow  bright  red  line,  varying  in 
intensity  of  colour;  cirri  simple,  about  20  surrounding  the 
incurrent,  and  about  half  that  number  the  excurrent  tube ; 
from  the  latter  tube  frequently  protrudes  a  globular,  trans- 
parent, membranous  valve  :  gills  pale  brown,  unequal,  coarsely 
pectinated,  the  outer  leaflets  more  triangular  and  smaller  than 
the  inner:  palps  two  on  each  side,  pectinated,  of  moderate 
length,  triangular  and  pointed :  foot  thick  at  the  stalk  or  ful- 
crum, rather  long  and  sharply  pointed. 

Shell  obhquely  triangular,  gibbous  towards  the  beaks, 
thick,  rather  glossy :  sculpture,  numerous  fine  laminar  and 
shghtly  imdulating  concentric  striae,  which  become  coarser  and 
more  irregular  at  the  sides:  colour  yellowish-white  faintly 
tinged  with  pink :  epidermis  chestnut  passing  into  dark  brown, 
of  a  lighter  cast  or  sometimes  yellowish  with  a  prismatic  hue 
in  the  young ;  it  is  marked,  like  the  surface  of  the  shell,  with 
laminar  striae:  margins  curved  in  front  and  at  the  anterior 
side,  obhquely  truncate  at  the  lower  posterior  end,  and  on 
that  side  bluntly  angular,  vsdth  an  indistinct  fold  or  flexure, 
which  is  more  observable  in  immature  specimens :  heahs  con- 
siderably recurved :  ligament  strong  and  raised,  homcolour  or 
dark  brown,  partly  enclosed  in  a  groove  on  the  dorsal  edge : 
hinge-line  obtusely  angidar :    hinge-plate   thick,   broad,   and 

*  Icelandic. 


CYPRINA.  305 

flexuous,  occupjdng  rather  more  than  one-third  of  the  circum- 
ference :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  three  cardinals,  the  middle  one 
strong  and  short  (from  which  the  other  two  diverge),  the  ante- 
rior triangular,  and  posterior  ridge- like ;  lateral  tooth  indistinct ; 
the  left  valve  has  likewise  three  cardinals,  two  of  which 
on  the  anterior  side  are  symmetrical  and  very  short,  and  the 
third  is  laminar  and  diverges  from  the  centre ;  lateral  tooth 
strong  and  distinct ;  the  hinge  is  also  famished  with  several 
irregular  tooth-like  processes  on  the  anterior  side:  inside  chalky- 
white  and  nearly  smooth:  pallial  scar  broad  and  shining: 
muscular  scars  large  and  distinct,  but  not  remarkably  deep. 
L.  4.  B.  4-25. 

Var.  crassior.  Shell  thicker,  more  round,  and  somewhat 
compressed :  epidermis  of  a  darker  hue  and  occasionally  pitch- 
black. 

Habitat:  Common  in  sand  mixed  with  mud,  on 
every  part  of  the  British  coasts,  from  low- water  mark  to 
100  fathoms.  The  variety  occurs  in  Swansea,  Cardigan, 
and  Bideford  bays.  This  species  is  a  member  of  all  our 
newer  tertiaries,  and  peculiarly  characteristic  of  glacial 
deposits.  Every  sea  of  northern  Europe  and  North 
America  still  contains  it  in  a  living  state,  its  southern 
limit  appearing  to  be  the  Boulonnais  and  Cherbourg.  A 
more  globose  variety  (C  cequalis,  J.  Sowerby)  is  found 
in  pliocene  strata  at  Nice  and  in  Sicily.  This  form  is 
the  C.  islandicoides  of  Lamarck. 

Hugh  Miller  says,  in  his  pleasant  '  Sketch-book  of 
Popular  Geology,'  that  C.  Islandica,  "  although  one  of 
the  most  common  shells  of  the  boulder-clay,  is  by  no 
means  one  of  the  most  common  shells  at  the  present 
time  of  our  Scottish  coasts."  This  must  be  a  mistake ; 
for  in  the  Moray  Firth,  the  scene  of  the  gifted  geologist's 
labours,  recent  shells  of  this  species  are  very  much  more 
abundant  than  the  fossil  remains  of  specimens  entombed 
in  the  boulder-clay  or  '^  till.''  But  in  a  postglacial  or 
raised  beach  at  Goldspie  in  Sutherlandshire,  close  to  the 
brink  of  high-water  mark,  I  noticed  that  valves  were 


306  CYPRINIDiE. 

heaped  up  in  extraordinary  profusion,  far  exceeding  in 
number  those  now  thrown  up  on  the  adjacent  shore. 
Neither  in  the  boulder-clay  nor  in  the  strata  immediately 
overlying  it  are  entire  valves  often  to  be  seen — gene- 
rally fragments  only,  and  that  part  which  contains  the 
hinge,  being  stronger  than  the  rest  of  the  shell.  I 
believe  this  may  be  explained  by  an  anecdote  which  I 
was  lately  told  by  Mr.  Bean.  Many  years  ago  he  found 
about  a  score  of  fine  live  specimens  on  the  sands  at 
Filey  after  a  storm,  and  triumphantly  carried  them 
home  in  his  pocket-handkerchief.  On  his  return  to 
Scarborough  he  put  them  into  a  large  pan,  and  poured 
boiling  water  on  the  heap.  To  his  astonishment  and 
dismay,  a  succession  of  loud  reports  ensued,  as  if  a 
volley  had  been  fired,  and  all  the  shells  were  either 
broken  or  cracked.  The  action  of  severe  frost  at  a 
period  when  the  climate  and  other  conditions  resembled 
those  of  the  Polar  region,  enclosing 

"  The  ice-lock'd  secrets  of  that  hoary  deep'' 
Where  fetter'd  streams  and  frozen  continents 
Lie  dark  and  wild,  beat  with  perpetual  storm 
Of  whirlwind  and  dire  hail," 

might  have  had  the  same  effect  on  shells  of  C.  Islandica 
formerly  exposed  on  an  Arctic  beach,  as  boiling  water  has 
on  existing  shells  of  the  same  species.  The  fracture  may 
have  been  caused  by  an  imperfect  cohesion  of  the  material 
— the  proportion  of  animal  tissue,  compared  with  that  of 
carbonate  of  lime,  being  less  in  these  than  in  many  other 
shells.  In  Miiller's  time  the  animal  was  eaten  by  the 
natives  of  Iceland,  and  called  by  them  "  Ku-skiael "  and 
"  Krok-fishur.''  In  the  Shetlands  it  goes  by  the  uni- 
versal name  of  "  clam.''  This  large  and  unwieldy  mol- 
lusk  contrives  to  burrow,  like  a  cockle,  by  means  of  its 
foot,  which  is  permeated  by  a  series  of  pores  com- 
municating with  a  central  tube.     This  tube  opens  out- 


CYPRINA.  307 

side ;  and  through  it  water  is  introduced  into  the  vas- 
cular portion  of  the  foot,  when  the  latter  becomes  suffi- 
ciently distended  to  make  a  passage  in  the  sand  for  the 
whole  animal  and  shell.  According  to  Dr.  Johnston  it 
is  carnivorous  :  he  states  that  he  once  found  in  its 
stomach  "the  undigested  remains  of  a  large  green 
Nereis,  enveloped  in  a  pulp  which  was  certainly  too 
consistent  to  have  been  the  sediment  from  water,  how- 
ever loaded  with  animalcula."  This,  however,  is  so 
contrary  to  the  known  habits  of  the  Acephala,  that  the 
admission  and  detention  of  the  Annelid  may  be  ac- 
counted for  in  some  other  way.  Possibly,  having 
entered  into  the  body  of  the  Cyprina,  it  could  not  get 
out,  and  thus  suffered  a  lingering  death.  The  contrac- 
tion of  the  larger  tube,  or  the  valve  of  the  smaller  one 
might  have  prevented  its  escape  in  that  direction ;  and 
the  stomach  has  no  other  vent.  At  any  rate,  the  fact 
of  the  Nereis  being  "undigested"  would  lead  to  an 
inference  that  such  was  not  the  ordinary  food  of  the 
Cyprina.  The  same  excellent  naturalist  also  remarked 
that  this  mollusk  and  the  horse-mussel  often  swallow 
the  bait  of  the  fisherman.  It  is  true  that  they  are  fre- 
quently caught  by  the  hooks ;  but  their  palps  are  not 
prehensile ;  and  I  should  be  rather  disposed  to  attribute 
their  capture  to  the  fishing-lines  being  dragged  by  the 
tide  or  the  motion  of  the  sea,  and  to  the  hooks  coming 
into  accidental  contact  with  the  gaping  shell-fish.  C. 
Islandica  is  apt  to  be  infested  by  species  of  Pinnotheres 
and  Planaria. 

Lister  first  described  this  shell.  Linn^,  and  after  him 
Pennant,  seem  to  have  confounded  it  with  Vemis  merce- 
naria.  It  is  the  Pectunculus  crassus  of  Da  Costa,  and 
Cyprina  vulgaris  of  Brown.  The  latter  name  was  adopted 
by  Mr.  G.  B.  Sowerby,  in  his  '  Genera  of  Recent  and 


308  CYPRINlDiE. 

Fossil   Shells/  from  a  supposition  that  the  Icelandic 
shell  was  not  the  same  as  ours. 


Genus  III.  ASTAR'TE  ^  J.  Sowerby.     PI.  VI.  f.  3. 

Body  suborbicular,  compressed  :  mantle  rather  thick ;  edge 
plain :  foot  rather  small  but  strong,  and  conical. 

Shell  more  or  less  triangular,  compressed,  concentrically 
furrowed  (especially  in  the  young)  or  striated  :  epidermis  yel- 
lowish or  chestnut-brown,  sometimes  rayed,  and  usually  thick 
and  fibrous :  heaks  prominent,  shghtly  recurved :  lunule  dis- 
tinct, heart-shaped,  or  lanceolate :  corselet  elongated :  ligament 
mostly  external :  teeth,  in  each  valve  three  cardinals,  the  outer 
one  of  which  on  the  posterior  side  in  the  right  valve,  and  that  on 
the  anterior  side  in  the  left  valve,  are  small  and  indistinct ; 
laterals  ridge -like  and  sUght,  one  on  either  side  in  each  valve. 

Brocchi  in  1814  pointed  out  the  peculiar  character- 
istics of  this  genus,  and  provisionally  associated  the  only 
species  then  known  with  Capsa.  The  author  of  '  The 
Mineral  Conchology  of  Great  Britain/  Schumacher,  and 
Lamarck  gave  it  in  1816,  1817,  and  1818  the  several 
names  of  Astarte,  Tridonta,  and  Crassina.  This  shows 
the  order  of  their  relative  priority ;  and  although  Sow- 
erby comprised  in  his  genus  species  which  do  not  be- 
long to  it,  viz.  Venus  Paphia,  V.  fasciata,  and  V,  sub- 
cordata,  he  distinctly  stated  that  A.  sulcata  was  the 
type.  Lamarck,  placed  A.  sulcata  and  A.  castanea  in 
Venus.  The  late  Mr.  G.  B.  Sowerby  first  noticed  the 
relation  of  Astarte  to  Cyprina.  Scacchi  and  Philippi 
considered  the  animal  allied  to  Cardita.  C.  F.  Romer 
published  in  1842  an  elaborate  treatise  on  the  genus; 
and  De  la  Jonkaire  had  previously  given  a  monograph 
of  the  fossil  species. 

*  The  Phoenician  goddess  of  the  Moon,  or  (according  to  Cicero)  a 
eynonym  of  Venus. 


ASTARTE.  309 

The  shell  of  Astarte  is  a  symbol  of  change;  and 
although  the  genus  may  be  distinguished  from  others, 
this  cannot  be  said  of  the  species  inter  se.  I  do  not 
know  a  more  puzzling  study.  What  is  true  of  the  pic- 
torial art  is  equally  appKcable  to  the  science  of  classi- 
fication in  natural  history.  Ruskin  treats  the  matter 
thus  :  "  Nearly  all  the  gradations  of  nature  are  so 
subtle,  and  between  degrees  of  tint  so  slightly  separated, 
that  no  human  hand  can  in  any  wise  equal,  or  do  any- 
thing more  than  to  suggest  the  idea  of  them.''  So  it  is 
with  the  forms  of  organic  nature.  A  net  of  chain  work 
conveys  a  very  inadequate  idea  of  the  intricate  way  in 
which  all  these  forms  are  intermingled  and  blend  one 
with  another.  No  method  of  systematic  arrangement 
that  is  possible  for  the  wit  of  man  to  devise  will  serve  to 
decipher  this  complicated  mystery.  To  read  for  the  first 
time  a  cuneiform  inscription  is  mere  child's  play  com- 
pared with  the  solution  of  this  enigma.  All  that  we 
can  do  is  to  observe  carefully,  and  with  fit  reverence, 
the  works  of  our  Creator,  and  to  record  faithfully  those 
observations  for  the  instruction  or  gratification  of  the 
present  and  future  generations.  One  cause  of  difficulty 
in  discriminating  the  species  of  Astarte  has  happily  been 
removed.  This  consisted  in  the  inner  margin  of  the 
shell  being  notched  in  some  kinds,  and  plain  in  others 
which  could  not  else  be  distinguished.  Recluz  in  1844 
eliminated  this  supposed  mark  of  specific  difference  by 
uniting  the  A.  triangularis  and  A.  minutissima  of  Mon- 
tagu ;  Turton  had  more  than  twenty  years  previously 
noticed  that  A.  sulcata  and  A.  Scotica  presented  only 
the  same  criterion  of  separation ;  and  Forbes  and  Han- 
ley  confirmed  the  justice  of  that  remark  by  showing 
that  these  last  two  so-called  species  were  identical.  It 
has  been  for  some  time  the  prevalent  opinion  that  the 


310  CYPRINIDiE. 

crenulation  of  the  inside  edge  was  a  sign  of  maturity, 
although  some  conchologists  suggested  that  it  might 
denote  a  sexual  difference ;  but  the  former  is  opposed  to 
my  own  observation  (especially  as  regards  A.  triangu- 
laris), and  no  investigation  appears  to  have  been  made 
to  warrant  the  latter.  Dr.  Malm  has  offered  another 
explanation,  by  showing  that  when  the  margins  in  the 
course  of  growth  meet  on  a  rib  the  inside  is  notched, 
but  if  they  meet  on  a  furrow  it  is  plain ;  and  he  observes 
that  the  same  takes  place  in  species  of  Murex,  which 
have  the  inside  of  the  outer  lip  grooved  in  perfect  ex- 
amples. To  that  extent,  therefore,  the  character  is 
correlative  with  development :  but  it  is  exhibited  by 
A.  triangularis,  which  never  has  any  ribs ;  I  have  adult 
specimens  of  A.  sulcata  with  the  margin  quite  plain  and 
smooth  in  front,  but  distinctly  notched  on  each  side ; 
and  A,  compress  a  has  always  a  plain  edge,  although  the 
shell  is  ribbed.  Some  of  the  cardinal  teeth-  are  often 
rudimentary  or  so  indistinct  that,  without  a  close  scru- 
tiny, there  appear  to  be  only  two  teeth  in  the  right,  and 
one  in  the  left  valve,  which  locks  into  a  hollow  space 
between  the  opposite  pair. 

Astarte  may  be  said  to  be  "  at  home  "  in  the  far  north. 
Only  two  species  inhabit  the  Mediterranean,  and  those 
sparingly,  while  thrice  that  number  abound  within  the 
Arctic  circle.  They  frequent  sand,  more  or  less  mixed 
with  mud,  at  various  depths ;  but  none  are  littoral.  Many 
species  of  remarkable  productiveness  swarmed  in  tertiary 
seas.  Fossil  shells  of  that  group  of  Veny;S  which  is 
represented  by  V.fasciata  may  easily  be  mistaken  for 
species  of  Astarte,  some  of  the  characters  which  distin- 
guish the  latter  genus  being  lost  by  the  removal  of  the 
colour  and  epidermis. 


ASTARTE.  311 

A.  More  or  less  ribbed.  .  p 

Nfioi.        1.  AsTARTE  sulca'ta*,v Da  Costa.)  ' 

Pectuncultis  costatus,  Da  Costa,  Brit.  Conch,  p.  192.  A.  sulcata,  F.  &  H. 
i.  p.  452,  pi.  XXX.  f.  5,  6  (as  A.  Banmoniensis),  pi.  cxxxiii.  f.  4  (as  A. 
sulcata,  var.),  and  (animal)  pi,  M.  f.  5. 

Body  more  or  less  tinged  with  fleshcolour :  mantle  plain- 
edged,  and  girt  with  a  narrow  belt  of  orange :  tubes  scarcely 
separated  from  each  other ;  orifices  bordered  with  orange,  like 
the  mantle :  gills  of  a  pale  yellowish  hue  :  palps  rather  large, 
of  a  lanceolate-triangular  shape,  strongly  striated  externally, 
and  of  a  pale  tawny  colour  :  foot  not  large  in  proportion  to  the 
shell,  of  a  pale  flesh  or  fawncolour.  [This  description  has 
been  taken  from  the  '  British  Mollusca.'  I  suspect  that  the 
animal  had  been  killed  with  hot  water  before  it  was  examined. 
Being  so  common,  I  omitted  to  make  any  note  of  it ;  but  my 
recollection  of  the  colour  and  proportions  does  not  agree  with 
the  above.] 

Shell  obtusely  triangular,  with  an  obhque  outline,  some- 
what compressed,  thick,  of  a  dull  hue  :  sculpture,  24-40  strong 
and  angular  ribs,  which  are  much  more  crowded  towards  the 
beaks  and  gradually  vanish  or  are  whoUy  wanting  on  the 
posterior  side ;  the  surface  is  also  covered  with  intermediate 
concentric  but  irregular  strise :  colour  milk-white  beneath  the 
epidermis,  which  is  chestnut  or  of  various  shades  of  brown, 
and  marked  with  exquisitely  minute  and  innumerable  hair- 
like, slightly  undulating,  and  punctured  transverse  striae: 
nmrgins  curved  in  front  and  on  the  anterior  side,  and  slightly 
truncate  on  the  posterior  side :  heaJcs  excentric,  considerably 
recurved  towards  the  anterior  side :  lunule  and  corselet  deep, 
well  defined,  and  smooth :  ligament  short,  yellowish  or  horn- 
colour,  enclosed  within  the  dorsal  line,  and  partly  contained  in 
a  groove  excavated  out  of  the  hinge -plate :  hinge-line  obtusely 
triangular:  hinge-plate  thick  and  broad,  especially  in  the 
middle,  occupying  about  one-third  of  the  circumference :  teeth, 
in  the  right  valve  three  cardinals,  the  outermost  and  posterior  of 
which  is  very  indistinct  and  laminar,  and  the  other  two  are 
much  larger,  obliquely  triangular,  and  diverge  outwards,  leav- 
ing a  deep  and  triangular  cavity  between  them  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  middle  tooth  of  the  left  valve ;  there  is  also  an 
obscure  lateral  on  each  side ;  the  left  valve  has  likewise  three 

*  Furrowed. 


312  CYPRINIDiE. 

cardinals,  of  which  the  middle  one  is  by  far  the  largest,  trian- 
gular, and  blunt ;  the  other  two  are  laminar  and  diverge  in 
opposite  directions,  the  anterior  tooth  being  the  slightest ; 
lateral  teeth  as  in  the  right  valve :  inside  chalky- white,  with  a 
thin  superficial  layer  which  is  microscopically  tubercular  and 
glistening ;  margin  thickened  in  front  and  at  the  sides,  and 
finely  crenulated  or  notched :  pallial  scar  narrow,  slightly  im- 
pressed: macular  scars  irregularly  elliptical  or  conchoidal, 
very  distinct.     L.  1-1.    B.  1*2. 

Var.  1.  jpaudcostata.  Shell  smaller,  having  fewer  and 
thicker  ribs ;  inside  margin  either  smooth  or  notched. 

Var.  2.  Scotica.  Shell  usually  rather  compressed ;  inside 
margin  thin  and  smooth.  Vemis  Scotica,  Maton  and  Eackett, 
in  Linn.  Trans,  viii.  p.  81,  t.  2.  f.  3. 

Var.  3.  ellifptica.  Shell  commonly  still  more  compressed, 
broader  than  long,  in  consequence  of  the  posterior  side  being 
more  produced  than  in  the  typical  form  ;  upper  or  dorsal  slope 
nearly  straight ;  ribs  more  or  less  evanescent  in  front  and  at 
the  sides;  inner  margin  smooth.  Crassina  elliptica,  Brown, 
lU.  Rec.  Conch,  p.  96,  pi.  xxxviii.  f.  3.  A.  elliptica,  F.  <k  H. 
i.  p.  459,  pi.  XXX.  f.  8. 

Var.  4.  truncata.  Shell  more  than  ordinarily  triangular; 
front  margin  nearly  straight  or  truncate. 

Var.  5.  minor.     Shell  smaller  and  more  convex. 

Var.  6.  trigona.  Shell  nearly  as  small  as  the  last  and  de- 
cidedly triangular. 

Var.  7.  incrassata.  Shell  obliquely  triangular;  ribs  more 
or  less  evanescent  in  front  and  at  the  sides.  Venus  incrassata, 
Brocchi,  Conch.  Foss.  Subap.  ii.  p.  557,  tav.  xiv.  f.  7. 

Var.  8.  multicostata.  Shell  somewhat  triangular ;  ribs  nu- 
merous. 

Habitat  :  Sand  and  mud,  in  7-85  fathoms,  on  all  our 
coasts  from  Falmouth  (Couch)  to  the  Shetland  Isles. 
Captain  Beechey  dredged  it  in  145  fathoms  off  the  Mull 
of  Galloway.  It  is  most  plentiful  in  the  west  of  Scot- 
land. Mr.  Jordan  has  lately  taken  numbers  of  it  in 
Milford  Haven ;  but  otherwise  it  does  not  seem  to  be 
common  in  the  south.    A.  sulcata  occurs  in  many  of  the 


ASTARTE.  313 

upper  tertiary  strata  up  to  the  Red  Crag,  the  variety 
elliptica  being  the  more  usual  form  in  glacial  deposits. 
This  form  has  not  been  found  south  of  Great  Britain ; 
but  the  variety  incrassata  has  a  wide  range  in  that 
direction,  throughout  the  Mediterranean  and  Helles- 
pont to  the  Canaries.  Northward  this  species  reaches 
Iceland,  Upper  Norway,  and  the  White  Sea,  as  weU  as 
North  America  (and  the  variety  elliptica  as  far  as  Spitz- 
bergen),  at  depths  varying  from  3  to  160  fathoms.  All 
the  other  varieties  which  I  have  specified  come  from  the 
Hebrides  and  Shetland. 

The  animal  is  very  inactive ;  and  when  buried  in  mud 
the  shell  is  often  incrusted  with  a  mineral  coat  like 
tar.  Specimens  living  in  tenacious  and  fetid  soil  have 
the  beaks  and  umbonal  area  more  or  less  eroded.  They 
are  now  and  then  distorted;  and  I  found  a  large  and 
malformed  pearl  in  one.  The  ribs  are  less  numerous 
and  developed  in  southern  examples  of  the  typical  form 
than  in  those  from  more  northern  parts.  The  inside  is 
sometimes  of  a  lovely  salmoncolour.  In  specimens 
from  the  Northumberland  coast  and  Skye  the  front 
margin  is  plain  and  the  sides  are  crenulated.  The 
larger  kinds  of  Asterias  are  said  by  M.  Gay  to  prey  upon 
A.  incrassata. 

I  have  failed  to  separate  intermediate  forms  from 
either  the  typical  species  or  the  variety  elliptica.  They 
may  belong  to  one  or  the  other.  Particular  specimens, 
and  indeed  the  bulk  of  them,  may  be  readily  distin- 
guished ;  but  although  it  may  not  be  agreeable  to  the 
mere  collector,  whose  object  is  to  get  as  many  species 
as  he  can,  I  must  regard  the  Crassina  elliptica  of  Brown 
as  only  a  variety  and  northern  form  of  this  most  incon- 
stant species.  I  have  never  in  the  course  of  my  dredg- 
ing- experience  found  them  in  company  on  the  same 


314  CYPRINIDiE. 

ground :  doubtful  specimens  occur  where  they  might  be 
looked  for — viz.  on  the  confines  of  two  localities,  each 
inhabited  by  its  own  form.  The  above  remarks  equally 
apply  to  the  A.  incrassata  of  Brocchi,  except  in  its  being 
a  southern  form.  Philippi  at  first  considered  it  the  same 
as  our  species,  but  he  afterwards  changed  his  opinion 
on  the  authority  of  M.  Koch.  Deshayes,  in  his  edition 
of  Lamarck,  represents  A»  incrassata  and  the  Tellina 
fasca  of  Poli  as  two  distinct  species ;  but  Philippi  demurs 
to  this,  on  the  ground  that  the  extent  of  sulcation  and 
the  comparative  convexity  of  the  shell  are  very  uncer- 
tain characters.  Such  a  conflict  of  opinion  is  easily 
settled  by  pronouncing  the  three  species  to  be  distinct ; 
but  I  believe  the  sounder  judgment  will  be  that  all  are 
identical.  It  is  impossible  to  ascertain,  or  even  to 
conjecture  with  any  reasonable  probability,  how  much 
change  prolific  and  hardy  species,  like  the  present,  may 
have  undergone  during  the  lapse  of  countless  genera- 
tions ; 

"  For  formes  are  variable,  and  decay 
By  course  of  kind  and  by  occasion." 

The  A.  elliptica  of  the  north,  A.  sulcata  of  more  tem- 
perate seas,  and  A.  incrassata  of  the  south  are  evidently 
so  closely  allied  to  one  another  that  it  is  not  unphilo- 
sophical  to  suppose  that  they  originated  from  the  same 
common  stock.  The  slight  difierences  which  they  pre- 
sent among  themselves  may  have  been  caused  by  local 
or  accidental  conditions.  I  need  not  apologize  for  par- 
ticularizing so  many  varieties,  as  all  naturalists  are 
agreed  as  to  the  utility  of  this  mode  of  discrimination. 
The  time  has  gone  by  when  varieties  were  not  regarded. 
At  present  the  course  of  scientific  inquiry  tends  the 
other  way ;  and  varieties  must  be  named,  or  have  some 
equivalent  symbol  of  distinction. 


ASTARTE.  315 

This  species  is  the  Venus  Danmonia  (properly  Dam- 
nonia)  of  Montagu,  V.  Petagnce  of  Costa,  and  Crassina 
Britannica  of  Leach.  The  North- American  form  has 
been  called  by  Hanley  A.  latisulca,  and  by  Gould  A. 
undata.  The  variety  elliptica  is  the  Venus  compressa 
of  Linne's  'Mantissa  Plantarum/  Crassina  ovata  and 
C.  depress  a  of  Brown,  C.  sulcata  of  Nilsson,  A,  Gai- 
rensis  of  James  Smith,  and  A.  semisulcata  of  myself, 
Loven,  MoUer,  and  Philippi,  but  not  of  Leach. 

N^Ao^  2.  A.  coMPREs'sA  ^, (Montagu.)  K   31. 

Venm  compressa,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  Suppl.  p.  43,  t.  26.  f.  1.    A.  compressa, 
F.&H.  i.  p.  464,  pi.  XXX.  f.  1-3. 

Body  greyishr white :  mantle  plain-edged :  tubes  scarcely 
perceptible  outside  the  shell :  foot  white. 

Shell  acutely  triangular,  nearly  equilateral,  rather  convex, 
thick,  somewhat  glossy  :  sculpture,  sometimes  only  slight,  irre- 
gular, and  scarcely  elevated  ridges  in  the  hne  of  growth,  hut 
more  commonly  also  close  concentric  ribs  on  the  umbonal  area ; 
the  surface  is  covered,  as  in  the  last  species,  with  finer  inter- 
stitial striae :  colour  milk-white  beneath  the  epidermis,  which 
is  of  various  hues  from  yellow  to  chestnut-brown,  and  is  seen 
under  the  microscope  to  be  reticulated  lengthwise  by  innume- 
rable rows  of  punctures :  margins  curved  in  front,  obtusely 
angular  or  truncate  on  the  anterior  side,  with  a  sharply  rounded 
point,  and  sloping  or  gently  curved  on  the  posterior  side  to  a 
blunter  point :  heaJcs  almost  central,  considerably  recurved  to- 
wards the  anterior  side :  lunule  and  corselet  deep  and  nearly 
smooth :  ligament  cylindrical,  of  moderate  length,  yellowish- 
brown,  not  projecting  beyond  the  dorsal  line,  partly  contained 
in  a  groove  on  the  hinge-plate  :  hinge-line  nearly  rectangular : 
hinge-plate  thick  and  broad,  occupying  about  two-fifths  of  the 
circumference :  teeth  as  in  A.  sulcata,  but  the  cardinals  are 
proportionally  stronger,  and  the  anterior  laterals  (especially 
that  of  the  left  valve)  are  more  developed  :  inside  porcellanous, 
slightly  nacreous,  and  minutely  tubercled ;  margin  sharp  and 
smooth,  bordered  within  by  a  slight  but  distinct  ridge,  formini; 

*  Squeezed  together. 

p2 


316  CYPRINIDiE. 

a  bevelled  edge:  pallial  and  miiscular  scars  as  in  the  last 
species,  but  the  latter  are  more  deep.     L.  0-5.   B.  0-5. 

Yar.  1.  glohosa.  Shell  much  larger,  and  usually  more  con- 
vex, inclining  to  a  circular  shape,  with  fine  and  regular  ribs, 
which  in  the  adult  generally  disappear  towards  the  front  and 
sides.  L.  0-8.  B.  0-9.  A.  glohosa,  MoUer,  Ind.  MoU.  Groenl. 
p.  20. 

Var.  2.  striata.  Shell  more  closely  ribbed.  A.  striata 
(Nicania  striata,  Leach),  MoU.  1.  c. 

Var.  3.  nana.  Shell  much  smaller,  either  smooth  or  partly 
ribbed.     L.  0-225.   B.  0-225. 

Habitat  :  Sand,  often  mixed  with  mud,  in  20-50 
fathoms,  off  Scarborough  (Bean),  and  Mull  (Bedford)  : 
the  typical  form  appears  to  be  very  local.  Subfossil  in 
25  fathoms  off  Larne,  co.  Antrim.  Var.  1.  Rather 
common  off  Skye,  the  coasts  of  Argyle  and  Ross,  and 
east  of  Shetland,  in  30-80  fathoms.  It  resembles  in 
shape  Corbicula  (or  Cyrena)  fluminalis.  Var.  2.  Plen- 
tiful on  the  coasts  of  Yorkshire,  Northumberland,  and  " 
Durham,  Firth  of  Forth,  west  of  Scotland,  and  outer 
Hebrides,  in  sand  and  mud,  at  from  3  to  50  fathoms. 
This  variety  occurs  in  all  our  newer  tertiaries,  as  far 
back  as  the  Red  Crag  ;  and  it  is  peculiar  to  the  glacial 
deposits.  Var.  3.  Fifteen  miles  N.YV.  of  Mull  (Bed- 
ford) .  It  seems  to  present  a  link  connecting  the  pre- 
sent with  the  next  species.  A.  compressa,  and  parti- 
cularly the  variety  striata,  are  extensively  distributed 
throughout  the  North  Atlantic  from  Spitzbergen  and 
the  White  Sea  to  the  Cattegat,  as  well  as  on  the  north- 
eastern coasts  of  America,  at  depths  varying  from  10  to 
140  fathoms.  It  is  found  in  the  Uddevalla  and  other 
similar  deposits  in  Scandinavia ;  Risso  has  recorded  it, 
under  the  name  of  Cyprina  Montagui,  as  fossil  in  the 
"  terrains  diluviens  '^  at  Nice ;  and  Drexler  found  it  in 
"  pliostene  ^'  strata  in  Hudson^s  Bay. 


ASTARTE.  317 

It  is  not  less  variable  than  A.  sulcata ;  and  if  a  spe- 
cimen of  the  smooth,  fiat  and  triangular  form  were 
placed  side  by  side  with  the  fine-ribbed,  convex  and 
rounded  variety  globosd,  it  would  be  difficult  to  imagine 
that  they  were  the  same  species.  A.  compressa,  in  all 
its  phases,  may  be  known  from  any  of  the  smooth-edged 
varieties  of  A.  sulcata  by  its  inferior  size,  the  shape 
being  always  more  triangular  than  square,  the  beaks 
being  more  central,  and  by  the  ribs  (where  they  exist) 
being  much  finer  and  more  numerous  in  proportion  to 
the  size  of  the  shell.  I  received  from  Mr.  Dawson  of 
Cruden  a  specimen  found  by  him  in  the  Moray  Firth, 
which  had  the  hinge  reversed,  the  right  valve  exhibiting 
the  teeth  that  properly  belonged  to  the  left  valve,  and 
vice  versa.  The  muscular  impressions  were  as  usual; 
but  that  would  be  the  case,  whether  the  right  valve 
had  changed  place  with  the  left  or  they  had  retained 
their  normal  relation  to  each  other.  I  am  not  aware  of 
a  similar  instance  of  such  a  partial  transposition.  The 
instances  of  Lucina  Childreni  and  Chama  Lazarus,  men- 
tioned by  Gray  in  the  '  Zoological  Journal '  and  ^  Philo- 
sophical Transactions,'  are  different,  inasmuch  as  those 
shells  are  inequivalve.  Bivalve  moUusca  can  never  be 
completely  reversed  like  univalves,  because  the  internal 
organs  of  the  former  are  symmetrical,  and  those  of  the 
latter  are  confined  to  one  side  or  position. 

I  have  before  observed  that  this  is  not  the  Venus 
compressa  of  Linne.  Among  the  many  synonyms  of 
our  species  may  be  mentioned  V.  Montacuti,  Turton, 
Nicania  Banksii,  Leach,  Crassina  conveociuscula  and 
C.  obliqua,  Brown,  A.  multicostata  and  A.  Uddevallensis, 
J.  Smith,  A.  pulchella,  Jonas,  and  A.propinqua,  Lands- 
borough. 


318  CYPRINIDiE. 

B.  Smooth  or  slightly  striated. 
3T  3.  A.  TRIANGULARIS *JMontagu!)        N-»^ 

Mactra  triangularis,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  p.  99,  t.  3.  f.  5.     A.  triangularis, 
F.  &H.  i.  p.  467,  pl.xxx.  f.4. 

Shell  forming  almost  an  isosceles  triangle,  and  more  or  less 
equilateral,  with  a  somewhat  oblique  outline,  compressed  and 
sloping  gradually  from  the  umbonal  part  to  the  margins,  like 
a  sharp  wedge,  thick  for  its  size,  rather  glossy :  sculpture, 
irregular  lines  of  growth,  or  a  few  very  slight  and  indistinct 
concentric  ridges  :  colour  white  beneath  the  epidermis,  which 
is  of  various  hues  from  pale  yellow  or  orange  to  purplish- 
brown  or  chocolate,  rarely  milk-white,  often  marked  with 
streaks  of  a  darker  tint,  which  radiate  from  the  direction  of 
the  beaks  towards  the  front,  where  and  on  the  posterior  side 
they  are  chiefly  conspicuous ;  the  epidermis  appears  under  a 
high  power  to  be  microscopically  punctured  all  over,  but  not 
in  rows :  margins  rounded  in  front,  with  an  oblique  curve  to 
the  posterior  angle,  more  or  less  straight  on  the  anterior  side, 
and  inclined  to  straight  or  but  slightly  curved  on  the  posterior 
side :  heaks  extremely  prominent  but  blunt,  almost  central, 
recurved  a  little  towards  the  anterior  side :  lunule  heart- 
shaped  and  deep  :  corselet  slight  and  short :  ligament  very  short 
and  protuberant,  of  a  yellow  or  brown  tinge,  according  to  the 
colour  of  the  epidermis,  partly  sheathed  in  a  cardinal  groove  : 
hinge-line  acute-angled :  hinge-plate  extremely  thick  and 
broad,  occupying  scarcely  one-third  of  the  circumference : 
teeth  as  in  the  other  species,  but  the  chief  cardinals  are  much 
stronger  in  proportion,  and  the  third  or  smallest  in  each  valve 
is  barely  perceptible,  the  laterals  being  fine  and  ridge-like : 
inside  polished  and  nacreous,  sometimes  faintly  striated  length- 
wise; margin  either  thickened  and  closely  denticulated,  or 
else  bevelled  and  quite  smooth ;  pallial  and  muscular  scars 
distinct,  especially  the  latter.     L.  0-125.   B.  0-125. 

Habitat  :  Local,  but  gregarious,  on  all  our  coasts 
from  the  northern  extremity  of  Shetland  to  the  Channel 
Isles,  in  sand,  at  depths  of  from  3  to  60  fathoms ;  it  is 
remarkably  abundant  at  Lewis  in  the  outer  Hebrides 
and  at  Guernsey.  It  occurs,  but  not  commonly,  in  all 
our  upper  tertiaries  and  associated  with  high-northern 

*  Triangulfw. 


ASTARTE.  319 

species  of  shells.  The  recent  diffusion  of  this  species 
appears  to  have  been  southward :  I  cannot  find  it  enu- 
merated in  any  list  of  Arctic  or  even  Scandinavian 
mollusca ;  but  it  has  been  recorded  by  Mr.  M'Andrew 
and  myself  as  Mediterranean,  and  by  the  former  as 
dredged  at  the  Canaries.  It  is  probably  a  pliocene  fossil 
of  Apulia  under  von  Miinster^s  name  of  A.  Icevigata, 
and  an  inhabitant  of  the  ^gean  (in  70-112  fathoms)  as 
the  A.pusilla  of  Forbes. 

The  animal  of  this  diminutive  and  pretty  species  has 
escaped  notice.  The  shells  are  often  drilled  by  the 
smaller  Muricidce,  When  fresh  they  are  semitrans- 
parent,  so  that  the  marginal  indentation  is  visible  out- 
side. The  young  are  transversely  oval,  and  in  shape 
not  unlike  Pisidium  picsillum.  The  hinge  is  now  and 
then  reversed,  as  in  ^.  compressa.  Probably  such  mon- 
sters are  not  exceedingly  rare,  but  may  not  have  been 
searched  for. 

Turton  proposed  to  make  another  genus  (Goodallia) 
out  of  the  present  species  and  its  plain-edged  variety 
(Mactra  minutissima,  Montagu),  from  an  erroneous 
notion  that  the  ligament  was  internal.  Two  or  three 
more  generic  and  specific  names  have  been  bestowed  on 
the  same  species  by  different  writers,  all  of  which  may 
be  treated  as  obsolete. 

A.  crebricostata  of  Forbes  inhabits  the  Arctic  seas  :  it 
has  never  been  taken  alive,  or  even  in  a  suspiciously 
fresh  state,  on  our  coasts.  Valves  have  been  dredged 
by  Mr.  M^Andrew  off  the  west  coast  of  Shetland,  and 
also  by  that  gentleman,  Mr.  Barlee,  and  myself  at  dif- 
ferent times  in  the  Hebrides.  The  species  nearest  to  it 
is  A.  sulcata y  from  which  it  differs  in  its  more  oblique 
outline  and  compressed  form,  finer  and  more  constantly 
numerous   ribs,    and  its  peculiar  epidermis,  which   is 


320  CYPRINID^. 

coarsely  fibrous.  The  margin  is  usually,  but  not  always 
notched ;  and  as  this  is  the  only  particular  in  which  the 
Crassina  depressa  of  Brown  appears  to  differ  from 
Forbes's  species,  they  are  probably  the  same.  The 
name  given  by  Brown  is  much  prior  to  the  other.  I 
believe  that  in  its  young  state  it  is  the  A.  crebrilirata  of 
Searles  Wood  from  the  Red  Crag. 

A.  borealisj  Chemnitz,  which  rejoices  in  the  various 
synonyms  of  corrugata,  arctica,  lactea,  semisulcata 
(Leach),  islandica,  cyprinoides,  veneriformis,  and  com- 
pressa  (Macgillivray),  besides  several  other  designations 
added  by  palaeontologists,  is  also  a  native  of  high- 
northern  latitudes,  but  not  of  our  own  seas.  Imperfect 
specimens  have  been  dredged  in  the  Hebrides,  Moray 
Firth,  and  on  both  sides  of  Shetland.  It  is  a  common 
newer  pliocene  fossil,  and  found  in  every  glacial  deposit. 
The  most  southern  known  limit  of  its  habitation  is  Kiel 
Bay  in  the  Baltic.  The  shape  of  this  shell  is  angular 
and  nearly  flat ;  the  surface  is  smooth,  or  faintly  striated 
in  the  line  of  growth,  except  towards  the  beaks,  where 
there  are  several  fine  concentric  ribs  ;  and  the  epidermis 
is  coarsely  fibrous  as  in  ^.  crebricostata  or  depressa. 
It  attains  a  larger  size  than  that  shell.  The  occur- 
rence of  the  last  two  species  in  our  seas,  in  a  semifossil 
state,  may  be  accounted  for  in  the  same  way  as  that  of 
Pecten  Islandicus,  page  58. 

A.  castanea  of  Say,  a  North- American  shell,  has  been 
called  British  without  any  sufficient  reason.  It  is  the 
Venus  sulcata  of  Montagu,  as  well  as  of  Maton  and 
Rackett.  Mr.  J.  Sowerby  gave  a  specimen  as  "  English" 
to  the  former ;  and  Mr.  Swainson  informed  the  latter 
that  he  received  one  from  the  Duchess  of  Portland,  also 
as  "English,"  and  moreover  that  the  shell  had  since 
been  found  in  the  north  of  Scotland,  where  it  was  known 


CIRCE.  321 

by  the  trivial  name  of  the  "  brown  circular-furrowed 
northern  Cockle."  Fleming  justly  remarked  that  this 
descriptive  epithet  "  seems  somewhat  different  from  the 
usual  provincial  appellations."  Lamarck  has  given  an- 
other equally  extraordinary  habitat  for  this  species,  viz. 
"  Cotes  de  France,  a  Cherbourg." 

Genus  IV.  CIRCE  %  Schumacher.     PI.  VI.  f.  4.        ^ 

Body  suborbicular,  compressed :  mantle  rather  thick ;  edges 
denticulated :  tubes  very  short ;  the  larger  or  incurrent  one 
bag- shaped,  and  the  other  sessile  and  scarcely  visible  outside 
the  shell ;  orifices  fringed ;  foot  proportionally  large. 

Shell  rounded  or  triangular,  compressed,  concentrically 
but  slightly  furrowed  :  epidermis  thin :  beaks  prominent,  not 
much  recurved:  lunvle  distinct,  lanceolate:  corselet  narrow: 
llcjament  partly  external  and  partly  concealed  within  the  corse- 
let :  teeth,  in  each  valve  three  chverging  cardinals,  the  outer 
one  on  the  posterior  side  in  the  left  valve  cloven  lengthwise, 
so  as  to  resemble  two ;  laterals,  one  on  the  anterior  side  in  the 
right  valve,  and  two  on  the  same  side  in  the  left  valve :  scars 
inconspicuous. 

The  genus  Circe  was  constituted  by  Schumacher  in 
his  'Essai  d'un  nouveau  systeme  des  habitations  des 
vers  testaces^ ;  and  the  diagnosis  and  further  descrip- 
tion which  he  gave  are  so  explicit,  that  I  have  no  doubt 
it  would  include  the  British  shell  described  by  Mon- 
tagu as  Venus  minima j  and  its  variety  ( V.  triangularis  of 
the  same  author),  and  placed  by  subsequent  writers  in 
the  genera  Cytherea  and  Cyprina.  The  deceased  Pro- 
fessor C.  B.  Adams  (whose  memory  is  deservedly  che- 
rished by  his  brother  naturalists  in  the  United  States 
as  an  assiduous  conchologist)  proposed  another  genus, 
having  similar  characters,  with  the  name  of  Gouldia,  in 
honour  of  his  equally  distinguished  fellow-countryman ; 

*  A  Sea-Nymph  and  noted  sorceress. 


322  CYPRINIDiE. 

and  the  latter  name  has  been  adopted  by  Messrs.  H. 
and  A.  Adams,  in  their  *  Genera  of  Recent  Shells/  under 
the  impression  that  it  is  different  from  Schumacher^s 
genus.  It  resembles  Venus  in  many  respects;  but  in 
that  genus  the  tubes  are  long,  and  the  pallial  scar  on 
the  posterior  side  of  the  shell  exhibits  therefore  a  deep 
fold  or  sinus.  The  typical  species  quoted  by  Schu- 
macher is  the  Venus  script  a  of  Linne.  It  is  somewhat 
remarkable  that  our  British  shell  {Circe  minima) ,  wjiich 
Ulysses  of  Salis  Marschlins  mentions  in  his  ^  Travels '  as 
being  found  on  the  Neapolitan  coast,  was  called  by  him 
V.  script  a.  The  name  Circe  has  been  used  by  Mertens 
for  a  genus  of  Acalephae  ;  but  the  gap  is  so  wide  between 
the  Coelenterata  and  the  Mollusca,  that  there  is  little  or 
no  risk  of  confusion  in  consequence  of  the  same  name 
being  applied  to  forms  of  animal  life  so  diametrically 
opposite,  although  it  is  unquestionably  better  in  pro- 
posing new  genera  to  avoid  the  possibility  of  such  a 
mistake. 

The  habits  of  Circe  are  generally  cleaner  than  those 
of  Astarte,  the  present  genus  apparently  preferring  nul- 
lipore  and  shelly  sand  to  a  muddy  ground. 

t'^-  V  ■  Circe  mi'nima  ^i  Montagu.)       N  ^-  '  ^^ 

Venus  minima,  Mont.  Test.  Brit,  p,  121,  t.3.  f.  3.     C.  minima,  F.&H.  i. 
p.  446,  pi.  xxvi.  f.  4,  5,  6,  8,  and  (animal)  pi.  M.  f.  3. 

Body  greyish- white,  gelatinous:  mantle  sHghtly  speckled 
with  brown  :  tubes  of  unequal  size  ;  marginal  cirri  numerous, 
short  and  cylindrical,  covered  with  specks  of  a  brown-red  or 
purplish  colour:  foot  white,  extensile,  and  pointed. 

Shell  nearly  circular  or  obtusely  triangidar,  usually  de- 
pressed except  towards  the  beaks,  rather  solid,  opaque,  and 
glossy:    sculpture,  numerous  flat,  broad,  laminar   concentric 

*  Smallest. 


CIRCE.  323 

ridges,  of  a  somewhat  irregular  width,  the  interstices  or 
furrows  being  very  narrow  and  slightly  impressed ;  the  surface 
is  also  covered  with  minute  and  irregular  intermediate  striae : 
colour  from  milk-white  to  rich  purple,  through  all  the  shades 
of  yellow,  brown,  and  red,  often  variegated  or  relieved  by 
diagonal  streaks  or  rays  of  some  one  of  those  tints,  and  inter- 
spersed with  spots,  or  lineated  in  a  zigzag  pattern ;  a  common 
arrangement  of  these  varied  hues  consists  of  two  streaks  of  a 
darker  or  lighter  reddish -brown  radiating  from  the  beaks  at 
an  acute  angle,  one  towards  each  side,  and  resembling  an  in- 
verted Y  ;  the  colouring  is  so  diversified,  that  it  is  almost  im- 
possible to  describe  it :  epidermis  semitransparent,  Kke  a  coat 
of  varnish :  margins  semicircular  in  front  and  at  both  sides, 
for  at  least  half  of  the  circumference,  straight  on  the  upper 
part  of  the  anterior  side  below  the  beaks,  and  sloping  either 
abruptly  or  with  a  gentle  curve  on  the  dorsal  side  to  the  pos- 
terior angle  :  heahs  regularly  but  not  much  recurved :  lunule 
not  deep,  defined  by  an  impressed  line :  corselet  slight :  liga- 
ment short,  horncolour;  half  of  it  is  visible  outside,  and  the 
base  rests  on  a  groove  excavated  within  the  dorsal  margin : 
hinrje-line  rounded :  hhige-plate  thick,  and  somewhat  flexuous : 
teeth,  as  in  the  description  of  the  genus ;  the  two  cardinals  in 
the  right  valve  on  the  anterior  side  are  shorter  and  thicker 
than  the  other  on  the  posterior  side,  which  is  laminar  and 
nearly  parallel  to  the  dorsal  line ;  in  the  left  valve  the  middle 
cardinal  is  the  shortest  and  thickest,  that  on  the  anterior  side 
is  much  smaller  than  the  rest,  and  the  tooth  on  the  posterior 
side  (which  is  double)  corresponds  with  the  laminar  tooth  in 
the  right  valve ;  laterals  short  and  strong,  the  inside  tooth  in 
the  left  valve  being  considerably  smaller  than  the  other: 
inside  polished  and  slightly  nacreous,  sometimes  tinged  with 
fle^hcolour ;  margin  bevelled  and  smooth,  but  occasionally  in 
the  left  valve  it  is  indistinctly  crenulated :  scars  not  very 
distinct.     L.  0-55.    B.  0-6. 

Yar.  triangularis.  Shell  acutely  triangular,  in  consequence 
of  the  beaks  being  more  prominent  and  the  sides  more  truncate. 
Venus  triangularis,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  p.  577,  tab.  17.  f.  3. 

Habitat  :  All  our  coasts,  on  a  sandy  or  nullipore 
bottom,  in  5-85  fathoms.  The  variety  has  been  found 
by  Montagu  and  myself  in  Falmouth  Harbour.  This 
species  occurs  in  the  Red   and  Coralline  Crag.     Sars 


324  VENERID^. 

lias  dredged  it  in  Manger  fiord  on  the  coast  of  Finmark ; 
but  it  appears  on  the  whole  to  be  a  southern  form, 
ranging  from  Vigo  along  the  Lusitanian  shores  east- 
ward to  the  Mediterranean  and  iEgean,  and  westward 
to  Madeira  and  the  Canaries,  at  depths  between  4  and 
95  fathoms. 

It  bears  the  following  names,  besides  those  given  by- 
Montagu :  Venus  pumila,  Lamarck,  V.  Cyrilli,  Scacchi, 
Cytherea  apicalis,  Philippi,  Cytherea  minuta,  BrowA, 
and  probably  Venus  [Cytherea)  occitanica,  Recluz. 

***  Mantle  open  in  front,  and  forming  at  the  posterior  side 
two  more  or  less  elongated  tubes. 

Family  XIII.  VENE'RID^,  Leach. 

Body  nearly  orbicular,  oval,  oblong,  or  globose :  tubes  pro- 
duced, cylindrical :  yills  unequal :  foot  tongue-shaped  and 
large,  adapted  for  burrowing  in  gravel,  sand,  or  mud. 

Shell  equivalve,  triangular,  rhomboidal,  or  globular ;  va- 
riously sculptured,  or  almost  smooth :  beaks  incurved,  and 
turned  towards  the  anterior  side  :  liyament  external,  placed  on 
the  larger  side  of  the  shell :  liimje  strong,  furnished  with  three 
or  four  cardinal  teeth  in  each  valve  (one  genus  having  two  only 
in  the  left  valve),  some  of  which  are  cloven  or  double,  and  an 
obscure  and  ridge-hke  lateral  tooth  on  the  posterior  side : 
pallial  scar  deeply  sinuous :  muscular  scars  oval  and  distinct. 

The  deep  sinuation  of  the  pallial  scar  will  always 
serve  to  distinguish  the  Veneridce  from  any  of  the  im- 
mediately preceding  families.  It  denotes  also  a  cor- 
responding difference  in  the  structure  of  the  animal,  the 
siphonal  tubes  being  extensile  and  issuing  from  a  sheatli 
or  fold  of  the  mantle  in  this  family,  instead  of  sessile 
or  short  as  in  the  other  families.  The  form  of  tlic 
shell  in  the  typical  genus  Venus  is  similar  to  those  of 
Cyprina  and  Circe ;  but  the  lateral  teeth  are  less  distinct. 


VENERIDiE.  325 

and  it  even  requires  some  degree  of  concliological  faith 
to  believe  in  their  existence.    The  present  family  abounds 
in  species  mostly  frequenting  southern  latitudes.    Nearly 
all  of  them   live   in   soft  ground,  buried  a   couple   of 
inches  in  gravel,  sand,  or  mud,  or  among  nullipores. 
A  variety  of  Tapes  pullastraj  however,  inhabits  the  de- 
serted holes  of  Pholades  and  SaxicavcSy  as  well  as  the 
crevices  of  submarine  rocks,  wisely  accommodating  itself 
to  the  circumstances  in  which  it  happens  to  be  placed. 
Their  bathymetrical  range  is  very  extensive,  one  kind 
[Venus  gallina)  inhabiting  the  shore  and  the  greatest 
depth  ever  reached  by  the  dredge.     From  the  investi- 
gations of  Dr.  Carpenter  into  the  microscopical  texture 
of  their  shells,  we  learn  that  they  are  porcellanous  and 
hard,  containing  scarcely  any  animal  matter.      Some 
kinds  are  supposed  to  occur  in  secondary  formations ; 
but  owing  to  the  main  feature  by  which  they  are  known 
from  other  bivalves  of  the  same  shape  being  internal, 
and  therefore  difficult  to  ascertain  in  petrifactions,  their 
geological  history  is  necessarily  involved  in  some  ob- 
scurity.    Their  own  systematic  relations  and  divisions 
into  genera  are  also  unsatisfactory.     With  the  excep- 
tion of  LucinopsiSj  it  is  difficult  to  define  any  of  these 
genera   by  precise    characters.      Deshayes   appears   to 
be  right  in  rejecting  the  claims  of  Cytherea,  and  Clark 
lias  given  equally  valid  reasons  for  contesting  the  sepa- 
ration of  Ar'temis  from  Venus.      I  am   not  convinced 
that  Tapes  has  a  better  right  to  be  considered  distinct, 
unless  restricted  to  two  out  of  the  four  British  species 
which  have   been  assigned  to  that  genus;    but  I  will 
retain  it  provisionally,  in  deference  to  other  concholo- 
gists.     The  number  of  genera  into  which  it  has  been 
proposed  during  the  past  century  to  distribute  the  spe- 
cies of  Venus  alone,  is  almost  incredible. 


326  VENERID^. 

Genus  I.  VENUS  *,  Linne.     PL  VI.  f.  5. 

Body  suborbicular  or  oval :  niantle  having  its  edges  fringed 
or  cirrous :  tubes  more  or  less  united. 

Shell  triangular,  solid,  fluted  or  ribbed  concentrically, 
sometimes  cancellated,  or  else  nearly  smooth:  lunule  heart- 
shaped  or  lanceolate :  teeth,  three  or  four  strong  and  divergent 
cardinals,  besides  the  typical  lateral  in  each  valve. 

The  name  of  this  genus  conjures  up  an  idea  of  beauty, 
which  is  fully  realized  by  contemplating  the  graceful 
form  of  the  shells  comprised  in  it.  Whatever  the  case 
may  be  with  regard  to  Diatoms  and  other  low  types  of 
vegetable  life,  there  is  no  angularity  in  the  outline  of 
animal  organisms.  Everyone  of  these  objects  is  "teres 
atque  rotundus/'  and  oflFers  a  striking  contrast  to  the 
stiff  and  often  inelegant  works  of  man.  I  do  not  share 
Herrick^s  avowal, 

"  I  must  confess  mine  eye  and  heart 
Dote  less  on  Nature  than  on  art." 

To  enhance  the  charm  of  a  rounded  contour  in  the 
shells  of  MoUusca,  each  part  is  repeated  in  the  Bra- 
chiopoda  and  Conchifera  by  valves  resembling  the  cover 
of  a  clasped  book,  in  many  of  the  Pteropoda  and  most 
of  the  Gasteropoda  by  a  succession  of  similarly  shaped 
whorls  arranged  spirally  on  a  common  axis,  and  in  the 
Cephalopoda  by  a  series  of  cells  or  imbricated  plates. 
The  same  principle  of  repetition  is  followed  in  the 
organization  of  the  body  of  each  mollusk  :  it  has  a 
double  mantle,  two  wing-like  expansions,  one  or  two 
pairs  of  tentacles,  or  a  circle  of  feet  armed  with  rows  of 
suckers.  An  harmonious  symmetry  pervades  the  whole. 
Although  I  do  not  think  there  are  sufficient  grounds, 
as  regards  the  British  Mollusca,  for  any  dismember- 

*  The  Goddess  of  Love. 


VENUS.  327 

ment  of  the  genus  beyond  the  separation  of  Tapes  and 
Lucinopsis,  I  will  indicate  the  divisions  in  the  same  way 
as  I  have  grouped  other  genera.  Those  belonging  to 
the  genus  Dosinia  of  Scopoli  (Arthemis  of  Poli),  Cy- 
therea  of  Lamarck,  and  Timoclea  of  Leach  are  the 
most  remarkable;  but  the  gradation  from  one  to  the 
other,  as  well  as  from  each  to  the  typical  form,  is  too 
slight  to  warrant  such  a  multiplication  of  names  for 
a  few  objects  which,  it  must  be  confessed,  are  closely 
related.  In  the  species  first  alluded  to,  the  siphonal 
tubes  are  united  for  their  entire  length,  which  is  not 
the  case  in  most  other  species.  But  nearly  the  same 
diversity  has  been  observed  between  individuals  of  the 
same  species  [V.  gallina),  and  it  exists  also  between 
Tapes  pullastra  and  T.  decussatus,  which  clearly  are 
congeneric.  The  shell  of  V.  exoleta  (the  type  of  Dosinia 
or  Artemis)  differs  little  in  shape  from  that  of  Circe  or 
of  some  varieties  of  V.  fascial  a.  The  type  of  Cytherea 
(F.  Chione)  has  an  extra  tooth  and  a  nearly  smooth 
surface ;  but  in  all  other  particulars  it  is  a  true  Venus ; 
and  I  agree  with  Mr.  Clark  that  we  have  something 
more  to  do  than  to  '^  ring  the  changes  on  trivial  points.^^ 

L         Callista  was  the  name  given  by  Poli  to  the  animal  of 

*         Venus,  Tapes  J  and  Mactra. 

A.  Mantle-tubes  united  throughout.     Shell  nearly  orbicular, 
concentrically  imbricated;  inside  margin  plain. 

osmvcc  <^^<^^<^^^      1.  Venus  exoleta^,  Linne.  H'.tt^       j,l.3^, 

V.  exoleta,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1134.    Artemis  exoleta,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  428, 
pi.  xxiii.  f.  3,  4. 

Body  suborbicular,  pale  yellowish-white :  mantle  having  its 
edges  fringed  with  close-set  white  cilia,  which  are  most  distinct 

*  Worn  away. 


328  VENERID^E. 

anteriorly,  but  as  they  approach  the  posterior  end  become  less 
pronounced  and  are  resolved  into  dentations  :  tubes  short, 
scarcely  protruding  beyond  the  shell,  united,  of  much  the 
same  size,  rufous  around  the  orifices;  the  upper  orifice  is 
almost  plain  or  has  a  few  scalloped  points ;  the  lower  orifice 
has  eight  short  dull-rufous  cirri :  gills  pale  brown :  palps 
short  and  triangular,  strongly  striated  transversely  within, 
and  less  so  on  the  outward  surface  :  foot  very  large,  occupying 
nearly  the  ventral  range,  and  always  presenting  itself  as  axe- 
shaped ;  the  heel  is  rather  slender  and  bluntly  pointed,  but  the 
rest  of  the  foot  can  sufficiently  protract  itself  to  represent  a 
thick,  short,  strong,  broad  linguiform  organ ;  its  pure  white 
colour  is  relieved  by  beautiful  vertical  lines  of  brilliant  snow- 
white.  (Clark.) 

Shell  almost  circular,  compressed,  solid,  opaque,  rather 
glossy :  sculpture,  numerous  flattened  concentric  laminae  which 
are  imbricated  or  fold  backwards,  and  become  closer  and  irre- 
gular at  the  sides  ;  the  surface  is  also  covered  with  still  more 
numerous  microscopical  longitudinal  striae  which  exhibit  the 
inner  texture  of  the  shell :  colour  yellowish- white,  usually 
variegated  with  rays  or  zigzag  streaks  of  reddish-brown, 
purplish-red,  or  pink  of  various  shades,  which  are  occasionally 
broken  and  sometimes  present  the  appearance  of  white  rays 
on  a  dark  ground :  epidermis  thin,  yellowish,  only  observable 
in  young  specimens,  as  it  is  rubbed  off  in  the  adult  by  the 
continual  friction  of  sand  :  margins  rounded  on  all  sides  except 
below  the  beak,  where  the  lunule  is  excavated ;  the  posterior 
side  has  a  blunt  angle  in  the  middle,  and  the  anterior  side 
appears  high-shouldered  and  also  forms  an  obtuse  angle  where 
the  lunule  ends:  beaks  separated,  considerably  and  some- 
what obliquely  recurved :  limule  heart-shaped,  defined  by  a 
deeply  impressed  line,  coarsely  striated  in  an  oblique  direction, 
usually  of  a  purplish  hue ;  lips  prominent  or  pouting :  corselet 
narrow,  but  deep:  ligament  rather  long,  horncolour,  sunk 
within  the  corselet :  hinge-line  rounded  or  obtusely  angled : 
hinge-plate  thick,  broad,  and  flexuous :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve 
four  cardinals,  that  on  the  anterior  side  being  small  and  tuber- 
cular, and  the  other  three  laminar  and  divergent  (the  middle 
one  cloven  or  double)  ;  in  the  left  valve  are  three  divergent 
laminar  cardinals,  the  posterior  one  being  double;  lateral 
tooth  in  each  valve  long,  and  more  like  part  of  the  hinge-plate : 
inside  polished  and  slightly  freckled,  sometimes  stained  with 
purple  on  the  posterior  side ;  margin  bevelled :  pallial  scar 


VENUS.  329 

remarkably  deep :  mtuscular  scars  oval  and  distinctly  marked. 
L.  2  (nearly).     B.  2. 

Habitat  :  Sandy  bays,  and  occasionally  in  deeper 
water,  from  one  extremity  to  the  other  of  the  British 
seas.  Bright- coloured  specimens  are  common  in  the 
"  Coral-sand "  dredged  in  Bantry  Bay  for  manure. 
Grainger  has  noticed  it  as  occurring  in  the  postglacial 
bed  at  Belfast,  and  Smith  in  the  Clyde  beds ;  it  is  also 
a  Coralline  Crag  fossil.  Its  most  northern  limit  appears 
to  be  Finmark,  and  the  most  southern  Sicily,  although 
it  is  possible  that  Adanson  described  and  figured  it 
from  the  Isle  of  Goree,  under  the  name  of  ^^  Le  Co- 
tan.^'  M^Andrew  obtained  specimens  at  low-water 
in  Vigo  Bay  and  at  Gibraltar ;  and  Scandinavian  au- 
thors give  depths  varying  from  3  to  50  fathoms.  Phi- 
lippi  records  it  as  found  in  the  South-Italian  tertiary 
strata. 

This  species  was  discovered  by  Lister  at  Guernsey, 
which  locality  (as  well  as  Norway)  Linne  quotes  in  the 
*  Systema  Naturse.^  Clark  says  "  the  animal  is  shy  and 
apathetic ;  the  locomotion  consists  in  screwing  the  shell 
on  its  axis,  and  turning  it  from  one  side  to  the  other.^' 
M 'Andrew  has  seen  it  sold  in  Vigo  market  for  eating. 
The  shell  is  now  and  then  distorted.  I  have  specimens 
obliquely  twisted  in  the  direction  of  the  anterior  side, 
so  as  to  be  rather  longer  than  broad,  and  another  which 
is  inequivalve.  In  one  specimen,  which  had  been  in  the 
earlier  stages  of  growth  tinted  with  pink  rays,  the  sub- 
sequent layers  are  of  a  uniform  yellowish-white,  owing 
probably  to  a  defect  of  the  special  colouring-gland.  The 
cross  or  longitudinal  striae  are  easily  effaced,  and  seldom 
perceptible  even  in  living  shells.  The  largest  specimens 
are  found  in  Shetland. 

It  is  the  Pectunculus  capillacetis  of  Da  Costa,  V.  lenti- 


330  VENERIDiE. 

for  mis  of  J.  Sowerby,  and  (according  to  Morch)  the  Cy- 
therea  albida  of  Bolten.  ■>.     •    ^     ,       • 

^ -^^  .  2.  V.  LiNCTA^,  Pulteney.     H".  i(?'» 

V.  lincta,  Pult.  in  Hutch.  Dors.  p.  34.    Artemis  lincta,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  431. 
pi.  xxviii.  f.  5,  6. 

Body  siiborbicular,  greyish-white  :  mantle  having  its  edges 
thickened  and  closely  fringed  with  short  tentacular  cirri :  tvhes 
pale  yellow,  capable  of  an  extraordinary  degree  of  extension, 
viz.  to  nearly  three  times  the  length  of  the  shell ;  they  are 
united  except  at  the  openings,  where  they  are  speckled  with 
flake-white  and  faintly  streaked  lengthwise  with  brown ; 
orifices  (as  in  V.  ovata)  encircled  by  a  ring  of  purplish-brown 
and  fringed  with  cirri :  foot  large,  broad,  and  wedge-shaped. 

Shell  roundish,  with  a  triangular  outline,  convex,  solid, 
opaque,  of  a  silky  lustre :  sculpture,  very  numerous,  and  flat- 
tened but  fine,  concentric  laminae,  imbricated  as  in  V.  eocoletay 
and  becoming  coarser  and  more  erect  at  the  sides ;  the  surface 
is  also  covered  with  the  microscopical  hues  observable  in  that 
species :  colour  milk-white,  tinged  with  pale  yellow  or  light 
brown  towards  the  beaks,  which  are  often  of  a  pink  hue :  epi- 
dermis very  sHght,  yellowish-white,  disappearing  in  the  adult : 
margins  representing  in  front  and  at  the  sides  an  arc  of  three- 
fifths  of  a  circle  ;  that  of  the  anterior  side  on  the  upper  part 
is  somewhat  excavated  by  the  lunule  and  bluntly  angulated ; 
the  posterior  margin  is  less  rounded,  and  impressed  by  an  in- 
distinct fold  or  flexure,  which  extends  from  the  beak  along 
that  side ;  the  dorsal  margin  is  long  and  slopes  obliquely,  or 
is  more  or  less  curved  to  the  point  of  the  posterior  angle : 
hedks  rather  prominent  and  obliquely  recurved  :  lunule  as  in 
V.  eocoleta,  but  colourless :  corselet  rather  broad  and  shallow : 
ligament,  long,  horncolour,  deeply  sunk  within  the  corselet : 
hinge-line  rounded  or  obtusely  angled:  hinge-plate  thick, 
broad,  and  flexuous :  teeth  the  same  as  those  of  V.  eocoleta, 
except  that  in  the  right  valve  the  smallest  tooth  on  the  an- 
terior side  is  more  laminar  and  oblique,  and  the  left  valve  has 
two  similar  teeth  in  the  same  position  to  receive  the  opposite 
one :  inside  dull  chalky- white,  all  but  the  scars,  which  are 
polished  and  prismatic  ;  margin  thickened  and  bevelled :  scars 
large  and  well  defined.     L.  1-3.    B.  1-3. 

*  Licked  with  the  tongue,  or  polished. 


VENUS.  331 

Yar.  compta.  Shell  smaller,  more  elongated,  with  coarser 
ribs  and  stronger  teeth.  Artemis  compta,  Lov.  Moll.  Scand.  p.  39. 

Habitat  :  Sand,  sometimes  mixed  with  mud,  on  every 
part  of  the  British  coasts,  from  low-water  mark  to 
90  fathoms,  occasionally  associated  with  the  last  species. 
Var.  compta.  Single  valves  only,  from  Skye  (Barlee) ; 
Shetland  (J.  G.  J.).  V.  lincta  is  fossil  in  all  our  upper 
tertiaries,  from  the  so-called  "alluviaF^  stratum  in  Belfast 
Harbour  and  the  boulder-clay  of  Wick  to  the  Red  and 
Coralline  Crag,  as  well  as  in  the  redeposited  Crag-bed 
of  Aberdeenshire.  Iceland  is  its  most  northern  known 
boundary,  and  the  ^gean  and  both  sides  of  the  Medi- 
terranean the  most  southern.  Philippi  noticed  its  occur- 
rence in  the  South-Italian  tertiaries. 

Lister,  in  his  'Historia  Conchyliorum,'  well  distin- 
guished this  species  from  V.  exoleta,  as  ^^rostro  pro- 
ductiore,  capillaceis  fasciis  donatus.^'  It  is  smaller,  more 
convex  and  glossy,  the  laminar  ribs  are  much  more 
numerous,  the  posterior  side  is  somewhat  flexuous,  it  is 
destitute  of  the  coloured  markings  peculiar  to  the  other 
species,  and  the  umbones  are  more  prominent.  The 
small  anterior  teeth  have  more  the  appearance  of  short 
laterals,  and  may  be  analogous  to  those  of  Circe.  My 
largest  specimen  does  not  much  exceed  an  inch  and  a 
half  in  length.  Monstrosities  sometimes  occur :  a  speci- 
men now  before  me  is  nearly  globular,  with  consequently 
a  much  more  abbreviated  lunule ;  and  Mr.  Norman  pos- 
sesses one  which  is  remarkably  inequivalve. 

The  description  of  V.  lupinus  in  the  tenth  edition  of  the 
'  Systema  Naturae'  (although  not  of  the  variety  "maculis 
griseis")  may  possibly  have  been  intended  for  V.  lincta-, 
but  no  locality  is  assigned  to  it.  Poli  adopted  the 
former  name  for  the  present  species ;  Lamarck  called  it 
Cytherea  lunaris ;  Turton  V.  sinuata ;  and  Risso  Arcto'e 


332  VENERID^. 

nitidissima.  It  is  not  the  V.  lupinus  of  Brocchi,  nor 
the  V.  sinuata  of  Gmelin,  the  latter  being  a  reputed  in- 
habitant of  the  Nicobar  Isles.  Turton  strangely  figured 
V.  exoleta  for  his  V.  sinuata,  in  the  '  Dithyra ' :  his  typical 
specimen  of  the  last-named  species  is  certainly  V.  exoleta. 
He  evidently  confounded  the  two. 

B,  Mantle-tiibes  nearly  united  throughout.  Shell  triangular, 
slightly  impressed  with  concentric  lines ;  inside  margin 
plain.  ^,  ,-^.^ 

bt.3fr-  3.  V.  Chi'one  *,  Linne.    AVerctn''^  ^^'^^^^ 

1^  (Lin.) 

V.  Ckione,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1131.     Cytherea  Chime,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  396, 
pi.  xxvii.,  and  (animal)  pi.  L.  f.  8. 

Body  orange-fleshcolour :  mantle  fringed  with  a  few  tenta- 
cular cirri  at  the  upper  part  of  the  anterior  side,  and  scalloped 
or  furbelowed  in  other  parts  :  tuhes  rather  long,  united  nearly 
to  their  orifices,  each  of  which  is  surrounded  by  a  circle  of 
cirri ;  the  tubes  are  of  a  deep  orange-colour  with  fleshy  stripes, 
and  the  tips  of  the  cirri  are  black  :  foot  very  large,  thick,  and 
of  a  dark  pinkish-fleshcolour.    (Poli.) 

Shell  triangidarly  oval,  convex  but  not  tumid,  very  solid 
and  opaque,  highly  polished  :  sculpture,  numerous  and  irregu- 
lar but  slight  concentric  lines  or  striae,  besides  about  a  dozen 
marks  of  growth  :  colour  reddish -brown,  with  often  a  pink 
tinge,  beautifully  variegated  by  rays  of  a  deeper  hue  and  of 
different  widths,  which  diverge  from  the  beak  in  the  direction 
of  the  anterior  side,  and  extend  to  the  outer  margins ;  these 
rays  are  interrupted  in  the  young  and  become  zigzag  or  ex- 
hibit lines  of  intensely  coloured  spots  (bordering  the  marks  of 
periodical  growth)  of  various  tints  from  fawn  colour  to  bright 
orange  or  sea-green ;  a  younger  state  has  three  longitudinal 
broad  white  rays,  one  in  the  middle,  and  the  others  on  either 
side  of  the  beaks  :  epidermis  thick,  resembling  a  coat  of  var- 
nish, covered  with  close-set  longitudinal  striae,  which  are 
arranged  in  series  corresponding  with  the  concentric  lines  of 
the  shell ;  its  surface  is  wrinkled  very  minutely,  hke  that  of 
morocco-leather :  margins  rounded  on  the  anterior  side,  whence 
they  slope  obliquely  to  the  front,  which  is  also  rounded ;  poste- 

♦  A  mythological  name  in  Ovid. 


VENUS.  333 

rior  side  elongated,  and  somewhat  wedge-shaped  but  likewise 
rounded ;  no  decided  angularity  is  shown  in  any  part  of  the 
contour :  heaks  nearly  contiguous,  recurved ;  the  umbonal  part 
of  the  shell  is  rather  protuberant :  lunide  lance-shaped,  de- 
fined by  a  distinct  furrow,  of  a  deeper  colour  in  immature 
specimens  ;  lips  slightly  prominent :  corselet  deep,  with  shelv- 
ing sides :  ligament  rather  long,  thick  and  strong,  homcolour, 
projecting  beyond  the  corselet:  hinge-line  rounded:  hinge- 
plate  thick,  broad,  and  flexuous  :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  three 
cardinals,  that  on  the  anterior  side  being  blunt,  and  placed 
obliquely,  or  nearly  at  a  right  angle  to  the  other  two,  which 
diverge,  like  an  inverted  V;  in  the  left  valve  are  three  cardinals, 
of  which  the  posterior  is  long,  laminar,  and  nearly  parallel 
with  the  hinge-line,  and  the  other  two  are  short,  close  toge- 
ther, and  triangular ;  this  valve  has  also  on  the  anterior  side  a 
pair  of  small  teeth  placed  nearly  at  a  right  angle  to  the  middle 
pair,  and,  with  the  side  tooth  in  the  right  valve,  probably  re- 
presenting anterior  lateral  teeth ;  the  posterior  lateral  in  each 
valve  is  long  and  ridge-like  :  inside  chalky- white,  except  the 
scars,  which  are  glossy,  large  and  conspicuous,  the  pallial  scar 
exhibiting  a  prismatic  lustre;  margin  thickened.  L.  2-75.  B.3. 

Habitat  :  Southern  and  western  coasts  of  England, 
in  sand,  at  depths  of  from  12  to  25  fathoms.  It  is 
common  on  the  Cornish  trawling-grounds.  Mr.  Lyons 
told  me  that  he  had  found  it  at  Milford  Haven;  Mr. 
M^Andrew  has  taken  it  in  Carnarvon  Bay;  and  Mr. 
Walpole  obtained  a  single  valve  by  dredging  off  Dalkey 
in  Dublin  Bay.  It  has  not  been  noticed  on  any  part  of 
our  northern  coasts ;  and  although  Sir  Cuthbert  Sharp 
included  it  in  a  list  of  shells  from  the  neighbourhood  of 
Hartlepool,  published  in  his  history  of  that  place,  Mr. 
Alder  has  given  satisfactory  reasons  for  believing  that 
it  was  mistaken  for  Cyprina  Islandica.  It  is  not  rare 
in  the  Coralline  Crag.  Not  one  of  the  Scandinavian 
naturalists  has  mentioned  it;  but  its  range  south  of 
Great  Britain  extends  from  La  Manche  (De  Gerville) 
to  the  Lusitanian  coast  (M'Andrew)  and  every  part  of 
the  Mediterranean,  and  also  to  the  iEgean  (Forbes)  and 


334  VENERIDiE. 

the  Azores  (Drouet).  Brocchi  and  Philippi  have  de- 
scribed it  as  fossil  from  the  middle  and  newer  tertiaries 
of  Italy.     It  is  essentially  a  southern  species. 

All  we  know  of  the  animal  is  derived  from  Poli,  who 
called  it  Callista  coccinea  and  devoted  three  and  a  half 
folio  pages  to  its  description  and  anatomy.  It  must  be  a 
gorgeous  spectacle.  He  gives  various  recipes  for  cook- 
ing it_,  showing  that  his  gastronomic  was  as  strong  as 
his  conchological  taste.  The  shell  attains  greater  dimen- 
sions than  those  which  I  have  given,  being  occasionally 
three  inches  long  and  three  and  a  half  inches  broad,  or 
even  more. 

In  the  tenth  edition  of  the  ^  Systema  Naturae '  Linne 
appears  to  have  confounded  V.  Chione  with  an  allied 
species  from  tropical  seas,  the  habitat  given  by  him 
being  ^'in  O.Asiatico;  forte  etiam  in  Europseo."  It 
is  the  Pectunculus  glaber  of  Da  Costa,  who  quotes  Dr. 
Leigh  (the  author  of  the  '  History  of  Lancashire ')  as 
his  authority  for  stating  that  it  was  got  on  the  coasts  of 
Cheshire;  Agassiz  called  it  Cytherea  laevis,  and  Leach 
Chione  coccinea.  The  young  was  described  by  Lamarck 
under  the  name  of  Cytherea  nitidula ;  but  his  fossil  of 
the  same  name  from  Grignon  is  a  different  species. 

C.  Mantle-tubes  partly  disunited  and  diverging.  Shell  tri- 
angular, ornamented  with  concentric  laminar  ribs,  and 
sometimes  cancellated  by  longitudinal  striae;  inside  margin 
notched,  except  at  the  posterior  side.  .    .  ^ 

]pl.  ^^ •  4.  V.  FASCIA  T A  *,(Da  Costa.)  C''-^ ^'^^V 

Pectunculus  fasciatus,  Da  Costa,  Brit.  Conch,  p.  188,  tab.  xiii.  f.  3.  V. 
fasciata,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  415,  pi.  xxiii.  f.  3,  pi.  xxvi.  f.  7,  and  (animal)  pi.  L. 
f.7. 

Body  suborbicular,  compressed,  rather  thick :  mantle  mus- 
cular at  the  edges,  which  are  fringed  with  fine  white  filaments 

*  Banded. 


VENUS.  335 

and  bordered  by  a  reddish  line :  tvhes  short,  only  separate  at 
their  extremities,  sulphur-yellow  with  pale-red  flaky  markings 
towards  the  orifices,  covered  with  minute  sand-like  red  points ; 
orifices  margined  with  a  fine  red  line  and  fringed  with  white 
cirri,  of  which  the  incurrent  (or  branchial)  tube  has  about 
20,  and  the  other  15 ;  the  excurrent  (or  anal)  tube  is  the 
smaller,  slightly  curves  upwards,  and  is  furnished  with  a 
flexible  hyaline  valve :  gills  nearly  oval,  pale  brown,  the  upper 
being  much  the  smaller  and  strongly  striated  on  both  sur- 
faces :  palps  small,  pointed,  and  triangular,  externally  smooth, 
but  striated  across  the  inner  surface :  foot  thick,  moderately 
strong,  lanceolate,  and  pure  white ;  when  at  rest  it  is  axe- 
shaped,  and  appears  amalgamated  with  the  rest  of  the  body. 

Shell  triangularly  rounded,  with  a  somewhat  oblique  out- 
line, more  or  less  compressed,  very  soHd  and  opaque,  slightly 
but  not  decidedly  glossy :  sculpture,  concentric  laminar  ridges, 
which  are  numerous,  sharp,  close-set,  and  alternately  large 
and  small  in  the  earlier  stages  of  growth,  but  afterwards 
become  fewer,  broader,  and  equal ;  the  whole  sui'face  is  crossed 
by  minute,  extremely  crowded  and  fine  hair-like  longitudinal 
striae,  as  in  V.  exoleta  and  V.  Ihicta :  colour  extraordinarily 
diversified,  red,  pink,  yellow,  or  brown,  of  every  shade,  varie- 
gated by  rays,  streaks,  blotches,  or  zigzag  markings  disposed  in 
the  most  lovely  fashion,  sometimes  white:  epidermis  very  slight, 
only  apparent  at  the  edges :  margins  obtusely  angled  on  each 
side,  semicircular  in  front,  with  a  curved  dorsal  slope  and  an 
excavation  belowthe  beaks  for  the  lunule :  heaJcs  small,  consider- 
ably recurved  and  diverging,  as  in  the  above-named  species : 
lunule  lanceolate,  reddish-brown,  defined  by  a  slight  but  dis- 
tinct groove,  finely  and  closely  striated  lengthwise ;  Kps  sharp 
and  somewhat  prominent:  corselet  long  and  deep,  excavated 
like  a  furrow  with  shelving  sides :  ligament  narrow,  golden- 
yellow  or  horncolour,  for  the  most  part  concealed  within  the 
corselet :  hinge-line  obtusely  angular  :  hinge-plate  as  lu  all  the 
preceding  species :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  three  divergent 
cardinals,  the  posterior  of  which  is  much  slighter  and  longer 
than  the  Test,  double  or  grooved  lengthwise,  and  parallel 
with  the  hinge-line ;  the  left  valve  has  also  three  similar  car- 
dinals, with  the  addition  of  a  slighter  but  longer  laminar 
tooth  just  inside  the  ligamental  groove  on  the  dorsal  slope ; 
laterals  indistinct  or  merged  in  the  hinge-plate  :  inside  of  a  dull 
hue  in  the  middle,  with  a  deep  tinge  of  purple  towards  the 
beaks,  and  often  having  a  white  callosity  below  the  cardinal 


336  VENERID^. 

teeth  ;  margin  very  finely  toothed  or  crenulated  in  everj^  part 
except  on  the  dorsal  or  ligamental  side :  pallial  scar  broad  and 
polished,  with  a  narrow  and  not  deep  sinus :  muscular  scars 
distinct,  semioval  and  polished,  marked  by  a  few  symmetrical 
lines,  which  denote  the  successive  shiftings  of  the  muscles. 
L.  0-8.     B.  0-9. 

Var.  1.  radiata.  Shell  beautifully  marked  with  many  red- 
dish-brown rays,  which  sometimes  are  alternately  large  and 
small,  or  double. 

Var.  2.  raricostata.  Shell  smaller  and  having  propor- 
tionally fewer  ribs. 

Habitat  :  In  every  part  of  the  British  seas,  among 
nullipores  and  in  gravelly  and  sandy  ground,  from  the 
shore  to  the  deepest  water.  The  first  variety  occurs  at 
Exmouth  and  Falmouth,  in  Bantry  Bay,  off  Arran  Isle 
(co.  Galway),  and  in  Shetland.  The  other  variety  is 
from  the  west  of  Scotland.  This  common  but  pretty 
species  is  a  member  of  our  newer  tertiaries,  having  been 
recorded  by  Smith  from  a  postglacial  deposit  at  Ayr, 
and  by  S carles  Wood  from  the  Mammalian  and  Bed 
Crag.  Havosund,  near  the  North  Cape,  appears  to  be 
in  the  highest,  and  the  ^gean  in  the  lowest  latitude 
where  it  has  been  noticed.  It  is  extensively  diffused  over 
the  intermediate  area.  M^Andrew  found  it  living  be- 
tween tide-marks  at  Gibraltar.  According  to  Brocchi 
and  Philippi,  it  is  a  fossil  of  the  Italian  tertiaries. 

The  animal  is  inactive,  and  does  not  seem  to  be  fond 
of  exhibiting  itself  to  curious  malacologists.  In  the 
^  Cornish  Fauna '  by  Mr.  Jonathan  Couch  it  is  stated 
that  this  species,  as  well  as  V.  gallina,  frequently  creep 
into  crab-pots  in  search  of  the  bait.  I  should  scarcely 
have  imagined  that  any  bivalve  possessed  such  an  extra- 
ordinary habit.  Some  specimens  are  more  convex  than 
others,  and  the  shell  is  now  and  then  distorted.  The 
crenulations  which  border  the  inside  margin  resemble 


VENUS.  337 

minute  attached  seed  pearls.  This  shell,  which  I  have 
had  figured  as  a  representative  of  the  genus,  when  "  fresh 
from  the  sea/'  but  not,  like  its  mythological  prototype, 
"  conscious  of  her  beauty,'^  is  indeed  a  lovely  thing, 

"  Composed  with  Nature's  finest  care 
And  in  her  fondest  love." 

The  elegance  of  its  shape,  the  imbricated  arrangement 
of  its  sculpture,  and  the  variety  and  brilliance  of  its 
painting  are  unsurpassed  in  any  other  British  bivalve. 
Like  many  a  wild  flower,  however,  it  is  too  common  to 
be  thought  much  of. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  this  was  the  V.  Paphia 
of  Linne,  who  says  of  it,  in  the  twelfth  edition  of  the 
'  Systema  Naturae,'  '^  Habitat  in  O.  Lusitanico" ;  but 
that  name  is  now  applied  to  a  West- Indian  shell.  The 
misnomer  originated  with  Gmelin ;  Pulteney  and  Mon- 
tagu in  vain  protested  against  it.  Brocchi  called  it  V. 
dysera,  having  mistaken  it  for  a  tropical  species  so  named 
by  Linne.  The  present  species  is  the  V,  Brongniarti  of 
Payraudeau ;  Bisso  described  it  as  V.  biradiata,  and  by 
other  names ;  and  apparently  the  V.  Duminyi,  V.  Bus- 
schaerdi,  and  V.  PhilippicB  of  Requien  are  also  varieties 
of  our  shell.  \;^  -*-  v   (      ^       •  i  ^ 

N*i75.      5.  V.  Casina"^,  Linne.         |v(-  3r. 

r.  Casina,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1130 ;  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  405,  pi.  xxiv.  f.  1,  5,  6. 

Body  thick  and  white  (Forbes  and  Hanley). 

Shell  shaped  Hke  V.  fasciata,  but  not  so  triangular ;  it  is 
broader  in  front,  nearly  equally  solid,  and  glossy :  sculpture, 
concentric  imbricated  ribs,  which  in  some  specimens  are  broad 
and  flattened,  and  in  others  sharp  and  foliaceous — now  and 
then  slightly  fimbriated,  with  very  fine  impressed  parallel  lines 
in  the  interstices  of  the  ribs — in  other  respects  resembhng 
that  of  the  last-mentioned  species  ;  the  whole  surface  is  also 

*  A  kind  of  Nymph ;  or  poBsibly  as  a  fossil  from  Monte  Casino. 

Q 


338  VENERIDiE. 

crossed  by  similar  but  stronger  longitudinal  striae,  giving  a 
partially  cancellated  appearance  to  young  shells,  especially 
on  the  posterior  side :  colour  yellowish-white,  occasionally 
adorned  by  three  or  more  rays  of  reddish-brown,  which  are 
frequently  broken  or  form  irregular  lines  of  spots  or  zigzag 
markings :  epidermis  fibrous,  brown,  thick  at  the  edges  but 
elsewhere  rubbed  off  or  not  present :  margins  rounded  on 
the  anterior  side,  with  a  slight  shoulder  or  sharp  angular 
turn  behind,  and  sloping  obliquely  to  the  front,  which  is 
curved  but  does  not  represent  so  great  an  arc  as  in  V.fasciata, 
decidedly  truncate  on  the  posterior  side,  and  obtusely  roimded 
on  the  dorsal  slope,  with  a  slight  indentation  below  the  beaks 
for  the  lunule ;  the  posterior  margin  is  indistinctly  biangu- 
lated :  heals  recurved,  but  not  so  separate,  nor  the  umbones 
so  prominent  as  in  the  last  species :  lunule  the  same,  as  well  as 
the  corselet,  but  the  latter  is  wide  and  generally  not  so  deep : 
ligament  of  a  similar  colour,  but  more  exposed:  hinge-line  and 
hinge-plate  also  presenting  approximative  characters;  teeth 
undistinguishable,  except  in  the  greater  size,  from  those  of  V. 
fasciata :  inside  chalky- white  within  the  line  of  the  paUial  scar, 
and  porcellanous  near  the  margin,  which  is  finely  notched  in 
front  and  on  the  anterior  side  (in  young  specimens  also  up  to 
the  beaks  on  that  side)  but  smooth  on  the  posterior  side : 
pallial  scar  broad,  with  a  narrow  and  not  deep  sinus  :  muscular 
scars  large  and  distinct.     L.  1*6.    B.  1*75. 

Habitat  :  Local,  but  widely  distributed  north,  east, 
south,  and  west,  from  5  to  90  fathoms,  on  a  sandy 
bottom.  Capt.  Beechey  dredged  it  in  145  fathoms  off 
the  Mull  of  Galloway.  It  occurs  in  all  our  upper  ter- 
tiaries  from  the  Clyde  beds  to  the  Coralline  Crag,  and 
Philippi  has  included  it  among  the  fossils  of  the  Sicilian 
strata.  North  of  Great  Britain  it  has  been  found  on 
many  parts  of  the  Norwegian  coast  in  15-40  fathoms, 
and  southwards  on  the  coasts  of  France,  Spain,  Portu- 
gal, Italy,  and  Algeria,  as  well  as  of  Madeira  and  the 
Canary  Isles. 

Scarcely  anything  is  known  of  the  animal.  The  shell 
is  remarkably  pretty,  but  usually  almost  devoid  of  colour : 
specimens  from  Bantry  Bay  have  the  most  vivid  tints. 


VENUS.  339 

They  differ  considerably  in  the  comparative  convexity, 
and  in  the  ribs  being  more  or  less  laminar  or  numerous. 
I  do  not  regard  the  V.  reflexa  of  Montagu  as  a  dis- 
tinct variety ;  for  every  possible  gradation  may  be  seen_, 
connecting  it  with  the  typical  form.  The  dorsal  margin 
in  this  species  and  V.  fasciata  not  unfrequently  assumes 
a  serrated  appearance,  arising  from  the  extremities  of  the 
ribs  projecting  on  that  side.  V.  Casina  may  be  known 
from  the  last-mentioned  species  by  being  much  larger 
and  broader,  the  ribs  more  laminar,  delicate,  and  flounce- 
like, the  longitudinal  striae  proportionally  stronger,  the 
umbones  usually  not  so  prominent,  and  the  colour  more 
sober  and  less  diversified. 

The  present  species  is  the  Pectunculus  membranaceus 
of  Da  Costa,  V.  erycina  of  Pennant  (but  not  of  Linne), 
and  V.  lactea  of  Donovan ;  in  its  younger  state  it  appears 
to  be  the  V.  cancellata  of  Donovan,  V.  discina  of  La- 
marck, V.  Rustericii  of  Payraudeau,  and  V.  casinula  of 
Deshayes.  "^c^yUA^  vcr^v.c.^^  ,  L  r.^  . 

N«»-]7        6.  V.  vERRUco'sA*,  Linne.  K   J<f^- 

V.  verrucosa,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1130;  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  401,  pi.  xxiv.  f.  3. 

Body  very  thick,  pale  yellowish-white :  mantle  freely  open 
from  the  tubes  to  the  anterior  adductor  muscles ;  its  edges  are 
serrated  or  fringed,  presenting  more  or  less  of  a  furbelowed 
aspect:  tubes  short,  but  well  separated,  and  of  a  yeUowish- 
white  colour,  with  tawny  specks  or  dark-grey  spots,  lines,  and 
small  blotches ;  the  orifice  of  the  branchial  tube  is  surrounded 
by  a  double  series  of  cirri,  the  largest  of  which  (about  twenty 
in  number)  are  simple ;  there  are  only  about  ten  simple  and 
shorter  filaments  around  the  orifice  of  the  smaller  and  upper 
tube,  which  is  furnished  with  a  prominent  conical  valve  :  gills 
nearly  circular,  free,  of  a  brown  colour,  coarsely  pectinated ; 
the  upper  pair  is,  as  usual,  smaller  than  the  under:  palps 
rather  smaU  and  narrow :  foot  white,  moderately  long,  tongue- 
shaped  and  pointed,  when  at  rest  axe-shaped ;  it  exhibits  no 
trace  of  a  byssal  groove. 

*  Warty. 

q2 


340  VENERIDiE. 

Shell  nearly  globose,  with  a  squarish  outline  in  young  and 
half- grown  specimens  (which  are  not  so  convex  as  the  adult), 
very  thick  and  opaque,  of  a  dull  aspect:  sculpture,  strong, 
laminar,  and  pretty  equally  distant  concentric  ridges,  which 
are  imbricated  or  fold  backwards,  and  become  more  or  less 
warty  or  tubercular,  especially  towards  the  front  margin  and 
sides,  besides  much  smaller  intermediate  laminae ;  these  pro- 
cesses as  well  as  the  furrows  are  crossed  by  numerous  but 
slight  and  sunken  riblets,  which  radiate  from  the  beaks,  and 
by  intersecting  the  ridges  give  the  shell  in  its  younger  state 
a  cancellated  appearance,  and  in  its  full-grown  state  the  warty 
or  tubercular  appearance  above  described ;  the  entire  surface 
is  also  covered  with  the  microscopical  striae  noticed  in  other 
species  :  colour  yellowish-brown,  with  occasionally  three  or 
four  reddish-brown  or  purplish  rays,  which  are  sometimes 
broken  or  zigzag :  epidermis  fibrous,  brown,  only  to  be  seen 
on  the  edges  of  the  valves :  rnargins  similar  to  those  in  the 
last  species :  heahs  small,  not  prominent,  recurved,  and  slightly 
separated:  lunule  rather  heart-shaped  than  lanceolate,  reddish- 
brown,  defined  by  a  distinct  groove,  closely  imbricated  length- 
wise ;  Ups  prominent  and  ilexuous  :  corselet  rather  wide,  finely 
imbricated  obliquely  by  a  section  of  the  inner  lines  of  growth  : 
ligament  narrow,  homcolour,  exposed :  hinge-line  obtusely 
angular :  Jiinge-plate  thick,  broad,  and  flexuous  :  teeth,  in  the 
right  valve  three  divergent  cardinals,  of  which  that  in  the 
middle  is  the  strongest  and  double,  the  anterior  is  pointed,  and 
the  posterior  is  shghter  and  longer  than  the  others,  and  nearly 
parallel  with  the  hinge -line ;  the  left  valve  has  also  three 
similar  cardinals,  the  anterior  being  the  smallest,  the  middle 
one  very  thick  and  slightly  cloven,  and  the  posterior  resembles 
the  corresponding  tooth  in  the  opposite  valve,  but  is  stronger ; 
laterals  obscure :  inside  chalky- white,  with  a  pui"ple  stain  on 
the  posterior  side  ;  margin  notched  in  front  and  on  the  anterior 
side :  scars  as  in  the  last  two  species.     L.  1'8.   B.  2. 

Habitat:  Sandy  gravel,  in  7-20  fathoms,  on  the 
south  and  west  coasts  of  England,  in  the  Channel 
Isles,  Milford  Haven,  Fishguard,  and  Pwllheli  in  North 
Wales ;  Oban  (J.  G.  J.) ;  Tyree  (Bedford).  Laskey  says 
that  a  specimen  was  dredged  "at  Dunbar,  of  an  un- 
common size,*'  and  it  has  been  found  by  Macgillivray 
at  Aberdeen,  and  by  others  on  several  parts  of  the  coast 


VENUS.  341 

in  the  north  of  England ;  but  in  these  cases  the  shells 
may  have  been  introduced  among  ballast.  That  mode 
of  importing  extraneous  shells  into  our  sea-ports  has 
happily  ceased^  owing  to  the  great  care  taken  of  late 
years  to  prevent  the  discharge  of  ballast  in  or  near  any 
tidal  harbour.  More  mischief  was  caused  to  navigation 
than  to  conchology  by  previous  neglect  of  the  above 
precaution.  V.  verrucosa  is  common  in  the  south  and 
west  of  Ireland.  Sussex  tertiaries  (Godwin- Austen) ; 
Wexford  beds  (Sir  Henry  James)  ;  Coralline  Crag  (S. 
Wood).  It  does  not  appear  to  inhabit  the  north  of 
Europe.  South  of  Great  Britain  it  has  been  found  every- 
where^ from  Brittany  to  the  ^gean  and  the  Canaries,  in 
2-60  fathoms.  Dr.  Menke  considers  a  species  from 
St.  Vincent  to  be  identical  with  ours. 

The  animal  is  occasionally  eaten  in  some  of  the 
Channel  Isles,  and  habitually  in  county  Clare.  Wein- 
kauff  mentions  that  it  is  sold  in  the  market  at  Algiers. 
V.  Casina  is  its  nearest  British  analogue ;  but  the  pre- 
sent species  may  be  always  recognized  by  its  more 
globose  form,  its  coarse  and  rugged  look,  the  ridges 
])eing  nodular  or  warty,  and  regularly  equidistant  (in- 
stead of  numerous  in  the  umbonal  part  and  few  on  the 
main  portion  of  the  shell),  and  by  the  longitudinal  strise 
being  much  stronger  and  more  like  fine  ribs. 

Linne  compared  the  shell  with  his  V.  Paphia,  of  which 
he  unaccountably  supposed  this  might  be  a  smooth 
variety.  In  the  '  Gazophylacion '  of  Petiver  it  is  called 
the  "  Cornwalle  hearte-cockle  with  rugged  girdles.^^  It 
is  the  "  Clonisse  "  of  D' Avila,  and  Pectunculus  strigatus 
of  Da  Costa ;  and  in  its  younger  state  it  is  probably  the 
V.  subcordata  of  Montagu,  V.  cancellata  of  Turton^s 
'  Conchological  Dictionary,^  and  V.  Lemanii  of  Pay- 
raudeau. 


342  VENERIDiE. 

D.  Mantle-tubes  disunited  only  at  their  openings.  Shell  oval, 
ornamented  with  longitudinal  ribs  and  cross  striae,  giving 
partly  a  tubercular  and  partly  an  imbricated  appearance  ; 
inside  margin  notched  all  round. . 

|>^-  3<^  -  7.  V.  ova'ta*.  Pennant.     N«t7A 

V.  ovata,  Penn.  Brit.  Zool.  iv.  p.  97,  pi.  56.  f.  56;  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  419,  pi.  xxiv. 
f.  2,  pi.  xxvi.  f.  1,  and  (animal)  pi.  L.  f.  6. 

Body  suboval,  bluish-white  interspersed  with  minute  flakes 
of  milk-white  or  yellow :  mantle  with  thickened  edges,  which 
are  wavy  and  fringed  by  numerous  white  filaments  of  different 
lengths  :  tubes  very  short,  of  the  same  length,  yellow,  united 
except  at  the  openings,  where  they  diverge  a  little  and  are 
encircled  with  a  row  of  reddish-brown  spots  ;  lips  of  orifices 
slightly  reflected,  and  surrounded  by  purplish  or  pale-yellow 
tentacular  cirri,  each  orifice  having  about  20  of  these  cirri, 
which  are  alternately  long  and  short,  and  each  cirrus  having 
a  coloured  spot  at  its  base ;  the  excurrent  tube  is  furnished 
with  the  usual  anal  valve :  gills  suboval,  very  oblique,  pale 
yellow  or  brown,  more  striated  on  the  inner  than  on  the  outer 
surface :  palps  short,  small,  triangular,  and  striated  like  the 
gills :  foot  very  long,  thick,  flexible  and  extensile,  protruded 
with  equal  facility  on  the  anterior  or  posterior  side. 

Shell  triangularly  oval,  rather  solid  and  opaque,  of  a  dull 
aspect:  sculpture,  40-50  fine  but  rather  broad  ribs,  which 
radiate  from  the  beak  and  more  or  less  dichotomize  or  branch 
off  in  different  parts ;  these  ribs  are  crossed  by  about  half  as 
many  more  raised  and  thread-like  concentric  striae,  and,  in 
consequence  of  their  intersection,  a  series  of  oblong  tubercles 
or  imbricated  scales  crests  each  rib ;  the  cross  striae  are  often 
wanting  on  the  front  angle  of  the  posterior  side ;  the  whole 
surface  is  also  covered  with  minute  and  intermediate  trans- 
verse striae,  which  are  stronger  and  more  perceptible  in  the 
furrows :  colour  yellowish,  with  occasionally  a  tinge  of  pink  or 
orange  variegated  by  irregular  blotches,  broken  rays,  or  van- 
dyke  markings  of  red  dish -brown:  epidermis  fibrous  and  slight : 
tiiargins  rounded  on  the  anterior  side,  with  a  blunter  curve  in 
front,  wedge-shaped  and  somewhat  produced  at  the  posterior 
end,  on  which  side  an  obscure  angle  appears  to  run  from  the 
beak,  and  gently  sloping  on  the  dorsal  side :  heahs  small  and 
blunt,  rather  prominent  but  not  much  recurved  or  separated : 

*  Egg-shaped. 


VENUS.  343 

lunule  lance-shaped,  well  defined,  sculptured  like  the  rest  of 
the  surface,  usually  of  a  darker  hue  ;  lips  prominent :  corselet 
wanting :  ligament  narrow,  horncolour,  wholly  exposed :  hinge- 
line  gently  curved :  hinge-plate  broad  and  even :  teeth,  in  the 
right  valve  three  divergent  cardinals,  the  middle  one  being  the 
shortest  and  double,  and  the  others  triangular  and  laminar, 
the  anterior  is  the  highest  and  longest,  and  the  posterior  nearly 
parallel  with  the  hinge-line ;  in  the  left  valve  are  also  three 
cardinals,  the  middle  one  triangular  and  shghtly  cloven,  the 
anterior  the  smallest,  and  the  posterior  cloven  and  irregular ; 
laterals  indistinct :  inside  dull  chalky-white,  with  often  a  lilac 
stain  on  the  umbonal  part  or  posterior  side ;  margin  finely 
notched  on  all  sides :  pallial  scar  polished  and  iridescent,  an- 
gularly sinuous  on  the  posterior  side :  muscular  scars  large, 
roundish-oval.     L.  0-55.   B.  0-7. 

Var.  1.  lutea.     Shell  plain  yellowish  or  white. 

Yar.  2.  trigona.     Shell  triangular  and  having  only  about 
twenty  ribs. 

Habitat  :  Rather  common  on  a  sandy  bottom  and 
among  nullipores,  in  the  laminarian,  coralline,  and  deep- 
sea  zones.  Dr.  Leach  says  that  he  found  it  in  Dingle 
Bay,  Ireland,  "very  abundantly  under  the  sand  at  the 
lowest  tide '' ;  and  Capt.  Beechey  has  dredged  it  ojff  the 
Mull  of  Galloway  in  145  fathoms.  The  first  variety  is 
from  Guernsey,  Exmouth,  west  coast  of  Scotland,  and 
Shetland,  in  15-100  fathoms ;  and  the  second  has  been 
taken  by  me  at  Guernsey.  V.  ovata  occurs  in  all  our 
upper  tertiaries,  and  the  variety  trigona  in  the  Coralline 
Crag.  It  has  been  observed  on  every  coast  between 
Finraark  and  the  Morea,  at  depths  varying  from  6  to  135 
fathoms.  Subapennine  beds  (Brocchi) ;  South-Italian 
tertiaries  (Philippi) ;  upper  miocene  strata  near  Antibes 
(J.  G.  J.). 

M.  Gay  finds  these  shells  in  the  stomachs  of  Trigla 
gurnardus  at  Toulon.  The  colour  of  some  specimens 
from  the  deepest  water  within  the  line  of  soundings  on 
our  northern  coasts  is  quite  as  bright,  but  not  so  varie- 


344  VENERIB^. 

gatedj  as  that  of  southern  examples  from  shallow  water. 
Other  specimens  from  each  of  these  localities  and  habitats 
are  either  sulphur-yellow  or  chalky-white.  The  young 
are  squarish,  and  resemble  a  Cardium  in  shape  and  sculp- 
ture ;  the  fry  are  round,  perfectly  smooth,  and  glossy. 
Sometimes  the  shell  is  twisted,  and  the  longitudinal  ribs 
are  not  formed  in  every  part,  especially  towards  the 
front. 

If  it  were  not  for  the  links  connecting  this  with  allied 
exotic  species,  I  should  have  been  tempted  to  separate 
V.  ovata  generically,  and  to  adopt  Leaches  reputed 
name  Timoclea  for  it.  The  very  short  tubes,  oval  shell. 
Cockle-like  sculpture,  and  complete  striation  of  the  in- 
side margin  are  not  unimportant  characters.  It  is  pro- 
bably the  V.  lusitanica  of  Gmelin,  and  certainly  the 
Cardium  striatum  of  Walker,  V.  crenulata  of  Solander, 
V.  radiata  of  Brocchi  (but  not  of  Chemnitz  nor  of 
G.  B.  Sowerby),  V.  pectinula  of  Lamarck,  V.  spadicea  of 
Renier,  and  Pasipha'e  Pennantia  of  Leach. 


E.  Mantle-tubes  for  the  most  part  united.  Shell  triangular, 
ornamented  with  concentric  ribs ;  inside  margin  notched 
on  all  sides  except  the  posterior  one. 

(A.  5^  .  8.  V.  GALLiNA^  Linn^.  CWoc^<i\c<.<^  t'^'^V" 

V.  gallina,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1130.     V.  striatula,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  408, 
pi.  xxiii.  f.4,  pi.  xxiv.  f.  4,  and  pi.  xxvi.  f,  9-11. 

Body  white :  mantle  having  its  edges  fringed  with  short 
line  white  filaments  arranged  in  tufts,  so  that  it  appears  to  be 
sinuous:  tubes  rather  slender,  and  when  extended  they  are  about 
half  the  length  of  the  shell  (according  to  Clark ;  but  Forbes 
and  Hanley  say,  "  very  nearly  equalling  the  breadth  of  the 
shell");  they  are  of  the  same  length  and  almost  united  through- 
out, pale  sulphur-yellow  or  bistre,  sprinkled  with  minute  red- 
brown  points,  and  in  some  examples  slightly  tinged  with  rose 

*  Hen. 


YENUS.  345 

at  their  extremities ;  both  have  at  their  orifices  fine  red-brown 
cirri,  which  in  the  branchial  tube  are  alternately  longer  and 
shorter :  gills  suboval,  pale  brown  :  palps  triangular,  striated 
more  distinctly  on  the  inner  than  on  the  outer  surface  :  foot 
pure  white,  rather  thick,  slightly  bent  at  the  heel. 

Shell  triangular,  rather  convex,  solid  and  opaque,  more 
glossy  in  young  than  in  old  examples :  sculpture,  regularly 
imbricated  concentric  ribs,  which  vary  much  in  number  and 
fineness,  the  course  of  imbrication  being  backward ;  they  are 
now  and  then  forked  or  become  divided  towards  the  posterior 
end,  and  are  crowded  at  each  side  and  in  front ;  the  whole 
surface  is  also  covered  with  extremely  numerous  and  delicate 
longitudinal  striae  which  are  only  perceptible  with  the  aid  of 
a  strong  magnifier :  colour  pale  yellowish- white,  usually  va- 
riegated by  three  reddish-brown  longitudinal  raj^s  of  dif- 
ferent widths,  composed  of  numerous  and  short  broken  streaks 
or  spots  of  the  same  tint,  which  sometimes  cover  the  whole 
of  the  shell  and  give  it  a  beautifally  stippled  (or  now  and 
then  a  vandyked)  appearance;  occasionally  it  is  not  varie- 
gated, nor  are  there  any  coloured  markings  on  the  funda- 
mental hue :  epidermis  extremely  slight,  only  present  on  the 
corselet  and  in  young  specimens :  margins  obliquely  rounded 
in  front,  curved  upwards  on  the  anterior  side,  and  forming  an 
obtuse  angle  at  that  extremity  in  consequence  of  the  excava- 
tion of  the  lunule,  produced  and  wedge-shaped  on  the  poste- 
rior side,  which  is  somewhat  flexuous  and  confined  by  an 
acute  angle  formed  by  a  junction  with  a  long  and  nearly 
straight  slope  on  the  dorsal  side :  beaks  small,  recurved  and 
separated ;  umbonal  area  prominent :  hinule  varying  in  shape 
from  cordate  to  lanceolate,  rather  deep  and  defined  by  a  dis- 
tinct groove,  longitudinally  striated,  sometimes  tinged  with 
reddish-brown ;  lips  flexuous,  much  projecting :  corselet  broad 
and  somewhat  deep,  with  shelving  sides,  obliquely  striated : 
ligament  narrow,  yellowish -brown,  wholly  exposed :  hinge-line 
obtusely  angular  :  hinge-plate  thick,  broad,  and  flexuous :  teeth^ 
in  the  right  valve  three  divergent  cardinals,  the  middle  one 
being  somewhat  conical  and  by  far  the  thickest,  the  anterior 
is  the  smallest  but  a  little  higher  than  the  others,  and  the 
posterior  is  very  long,  slight,  laminar,  and  sometimes  double ; 
the  left  valve  has  also  three  cardinals  nearly  corresponding  in 
size  and  position  with  those  in  the  opposite  valve ;  laterals 
sometimes  distinct,  being  apparently  formed  by  the  extension 
of  a  ridge,  which  runs  on  the  dorsal  slope  outside  the  posterior 


346  VENERIDiE. 

cardinal  tooth:  inside  dull  chalky-white  in  the  middle  and 
towards  the  beaks,  with  occasionally  a  slight  stain  of  purple 
inside  the  lips  of  the  lunule ;  margin  crenulated  on  the  ven- 
tral and  anterior  sides,  and  more  minutely  on  the  inside  edges 
of  the  lunule :  pallial  scar  broad  and  polished,  with  a  narrow 
and  tongue-shaped  indentation  varying  in  depth,  on  the  pos- 
terior side:  muscular  scars  distinct,  triangularly  oval.  L.  1-15. 
B.  1-3. 

Var.  1.  laminosa.  Shell  more  compressed,  and  produced  on 
the  posterior  side ;  ribs  fewer  and  regular ;  longitudinal  striae 
more  distinct.     F.  laminosa,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  Suppl.  p.  38. 

Var.  2.  triangularis.  Shell  smaller,  and  larger  in  propor- 
tion to  its  breadth. 

Var.  3.  gibha.  Shell  more  ventricose  or  tumid  and  rather 
glossy ;  ribs  numerous,  irregular,  and  at  intervals  confluent  or 
bifurcating  on  the  posterior  side. 

Habitat  :  Abundant  everywhere  on  sandy  ground 
from  low- water  mark  to  85  fathoms.  Var.  1.  Nearly 
equally  common ;  found  in  Balta  Sound  between  3  and 
5  fathoms  and  off  that  coast  in  the  deepest  water.  Var.  2. 
Exmouth  (Clark);  Tenby  and  Fishguard  (J.  G.  J.). 
Var.  3.  West  coast  of  Scotland,  and  Shetland.  This  last 
variety  agrees  with  the  Mediterranean  form.  Grainger 
has  noticed  the  present  species  in  the  Belfast  deposit, 
and  Smith  in  the  Scotch  "  glacial "  beds.  Steenstrup 
has  taken  it  in  Iceland ;  it  has  been  recorded  by  all  the 
writers  on  Scandinavian  conchology  (under  the  name  of 
V.  striatula),  at  depths  varying  from  3  to  70  fathoms, 
and  by  writers  on  the  conchology  of  other  parts  of  the 
European  seas,  from  Normandy  to  both  shores  of  the 
Mediterranean  and  the  Black  Sea  (under  the  name  ol 
V.  gallina),  at  rather  less  depths.  Brocchi  and  Philippi 
have  enumerated  it  as  fossil  in  the  Italian  tertiaries. 

This  is  not  the  least  of  the  numerous  discoveries  for 
which  we  are  indebted  to  Lister.  Macgillivray  has 
justly  remarked  that  it  is  a  very  "  instructive  "  species. 


VENUS.  347 

because  of  its  tendency  to  vary.  Although  the  general 
shape  and  colouring  are  the  same,  an  endless  diversity 
occurs.  In  young  and  half- grown  specimens  of  the 
variety  laminosa  the  edges  of  the  ribs  at  the  sides  are 
sharp  and  prickly,  as  in  V.  Casina.  In  adult  examples 
of  the  variety  gibba  the  crenulations  on  the  inside  mar- 
gin are  apt  to  become  more  or  less  obliterated.  I  have 
one  from  Oban  which  is  twisted  and  inequivalve. 

Availing  myself  of  the  candid  admission  made  by  the 
authors  of  the  '  British  MoUusca/  that  "  it  is  perhaps  a 
matter  of  controversy  whether  the  Venus  gallina  of  Lin- 
naeus is  specifically  distinct  from  the  one  so  designated 
by  the  British  writers/^  I  have  reunited  with  that  spe- 
cies the  Pectunculus  striatulus  of  Da  Costa.  The  only 
difference  that  I  can  detect  between  the  shells  from  the 
Mediterranean  and  our  own  coasts  is,  that  the  former 
have  usually  (but  not  invariably)  a  purplish-brown  stain 
inside  at  the  posterior  extremity ;  this  I  cannot  regard 
as  a  sufficient  mark  of  distinction.  The  only  other 
points  of  comparison  indicated  by  Forbes  and  Hanley 
are  common  to  both  forms,  as  will  appear  from  a  critical 
examination  of  the  characters  given  in  my  description 
of  the  species  and  several  varieties.  Linne  named  the 
northern  form  in  his  '  Fauna  Suecica '  V.  gallina ;  and 
although,  in  the  tenth  edition  of  his  '  Systema  Naturae,^ 
he  mentions  the  Mediterranean  only,  in  the  more  com- 
plete and  universally  recognized  edition  (the  twelfth)  he 
first  cites  the  '  Fauna  Suecica '  and  then  says,  "  Habitat 
in  M.Mediterraneo,  Norvegico,  Asiatico.^^  His  diagnosis 
would  include  both  the  northern  and  southern  forms. 
Miiller,  in  his  '  Zoologise  Danicse  Prodromus,^  describes 
the  Scandinavian  shell  as  V.  gallina.  I  am  aware  that, 
according  to  Deshayes,  the  siphonal  tubes  in  specimens 
which  he  examined  on  the  Algerine  coast  are   mucli 


348  VENERIDiE. 

shorter  than  they  have  been  stated  to  be  in  ours,  and 
diverge  considerably;  bnt  there  is  a  discrepancy  between 
the  accounts  published  by  Forbes  and  Hanley  on  the 
one  hand,  and  by  Clark  on  the  other,  as  to  the  length 
of  the  tubes,  and  a  variation  with  respect  to  the  extent 
of  their  divergence  is  shown  in  the  figures  of  Poli  and 
Deshayes.  The  cirri  which  fringe  the  orifices  of  the 
tubes  appear  to  be  as  numerous  and  conspicuous  in  the 
one  form  as  in  the  other.  Many  unnecessary  names 
have  been  bestowed  on  this  common  species  and  its 
variety  laminosa.  I  have  noted  ten,  besides  those  above 
mentioned.  The  V.  pallida  of  Turton  is  not  even  a 
variety  :  the  outer  layers  have  been  dissolved  by  muriatic 
or  some  other  acid;  and  the  types  are  "  doctored"  shells, 
such  as  unscrupulous  dealers  sell  to  ignorant  collectors. 
All  specimens  have  longitudinal  striae.  My  description 
of  the  teeth  in  ordinary  examples  will  explain  the  seem- 
ing peculiarity  in  the  dentition  of  Montagu's  V.  laminosa, 
as  noticed  by  Forbes  and  Hanley. 

V.  dysera  of  Born  and  Chemnitz  (but  not  of  Linne), 
one  of  the  many  "  ben  trovato  "  discoveries  of  Laskey, 
is  West-Indian.  It  is  the  V.  cingenda  of  Dillwyn. 
V.  granulata  of  Gmelin,  V,  Paphia  of  Linne  (according 
to  modern  authors),  and  V.  circinata  of  Born  ( V.  Gui- 
neensis,  Montagu)  may  be  classed  in  the  same  category 
of  spurious  species.  V.  subrhomboidea  of  Montagu  is 
apparently  the  adult  of  Petricola  lithophaga,  Retz, — his 
Mya  decussata  (P.  Ruperella,  Lamarck)  being  certainly 
the  younger  state  of  that  shell :  this  species  has  not  been 
authenticated  as  British,  although  it  is  rather  common 
in  the  Mediterranean  and  the  west  of  France  ;  Mr.  J.D. 
JIumphreys's  collection  of  Irish  shells  contains  a  spe- 
.cimfenfound  by  him  in  Cork  Harbour,  but  I  have  reason 
to  suspect  that  it  came  from  a  piece  of  ballast  stone. 


TAPES.  349 

Genus  II.  TA'PES  ^  MiiLlfeldt.     PI.  VI.  f.  6. 

Body  oval  or  oblong :  mantle  having  its  edges  plain :  tubes 
more  or  less  united:  foot  usually  furnished  with  a  byssal 
groove. 

Shell  triangular  or  rhomboidal,  rather  soHd,  grooved  con- 
centrically but  not  deeply :  lunule  lanceolate  or  indistinct : 
teeth,  three  cardinals,  which  are  erect  and  slender,  and  an 
obscure  lateral  (as  in  the  other  genera)  in  each  valve  ;  inside 
margin  plain. 

I  must  confess  that  this  is  an  unsatisfactory  genus. 
The  passage  from  Venus  striatula  to  T.  aureus  and 
thence  to  T.  virgineus  makes  one  distrust  the  character 
derived  from  shape ;  and  neither  of  the  two  last-men- 
tioned species  is  known  to  be  byssiferous.  The  only 
evident  marks  of  distinction  that  I  can  find  are  the 
mode  of  sculpture  and  the  slender  and  nearly  parallel 
teeth  :  the  general  configuration  and  aspect  of  the  shells 
may  also  assist  us  in  recognizing  the  species.  It  was 
named  Pullastra  by  the  late  Mr.  George  Sowerby. 
Morch  and  Chenu  have  treated  Tapes  and  Pullastra  as 
different  genera,  but  without  assigning  any  reason.  It 
is  comprised  in  the  genus  Venerupis  of  Lamarck.  Td7rr]<; 
being  masculine,  that  g^der  must  of  course  be  applied 
to  the  species. 

N".  \'/$         1.  Tapes  Au'REUst,(Gmelin.)  ^^■'^'\- 

Venm  aurea,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  (ed.  Gmel.)  p.  3288.     T.  aurea,  F.  &  H,  i. 
p.  392,  pi.  XXV.  f.  5. 

Shell  triangular,  convex,  moderately  solid  and  opaque, 
more  or  less  glossy:  sculpture,  flattened  and  slightly  imbri- 
cated concentric  ribs,  or  bands  divided  by  shallow  and  obHque 
grooves,  which  are  occasionally  forked  towards  the  posterior 
end,  besides  a  few  irregular  longitudinal  liiies  or  scratches, 

*  From  the  ornamentation  of  the  shell  resembling  that  of  tapestry, 
t  Golden, 


350  VENERIDiE. 

and  the  same  numerous  microscopical  striae  which  have  heen 
already  noticed  in  several  species  of  Venus :  colour  yellowish- 
white  with  a  golden  tint,  mostly  variegated  by  several  broken 
rays,  or  marbled  with  zigzag  streaks  or  blotches  of  reddish- 
brown  or  light  purple,  sometimes  of  a  uniform  pale  yellow  or 
milk-white:  epidermis  horny,  usually  retained  only  on  the 
lunule  and  corselet :  margins  obliquely  rounded  in  front,  and 
more  sharply  curved  on  the  anterior  side,  produced  or  wedge- 
shaped  at  the  posterior  end,  which  is  also  curved  with  a  gradual 
and  rounded  slope  on  the  dorsal  or  ligamental  side:  heaJcs 
small,  slightly  recurved,  and  close  together ;  umbonal  area  ra- 
ther prominent :  lunule  lanceolate,  not  deep  but  distinctly  exca- 
vated and  defined  by  a  separating  line  or  groove ;  it  is  usually 
stained  with  purple  or  of  a  darker  hue  than  the  prevailing 
colour ;  the  lips  do  not  project :  corselet  narrow  and  indistinct, 
sculptured  in  the  same  way  but  not  so  strongly  as  the  rest  of 
the  shell :  ligament  rather  narrow,  yellowish-brown,  wholly  ex- 
posed, contained  in  a  groove  between  the  dorsal  margin  and 
the  hinge-line,  which  is  obtusely  angular :  hinge-plate  short, 
thick,  and  flexuous :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  three  cardinals, 
of  which  those  in  the  middle  and  on  the  anterior  side  are 
erect,  double,  and  but  slightly  divergent,  and  the  posterior 
is  smaller  and  triangular ;  the  left  valve  has  the  same  number 
of  cardinals,  but  the  smallest  is  on  the  anterior  side,  and  the 
other  two  are  erect,  double,  and  nearly  straight ;  laterals  on 
the  anterior  side  sunken  but  distinct:  inside  rather  glossy, 
tinged  with  orange  and  often  having  a  purple  stain  at  the 
hinge:  pallial  scar  broad  and  iridescent,  deeply  sinuous  on 
the  posterior  side :  muscular  scars  triangular,  large,  and  deep. 
L.  1-3.   B.  1-5. 

Var.  1.  quadrata.  Shell  compressed,  and  having  a  squarish 
outline  owing  to  the  dorsal  margin  being  straighter. 

Yar.  2.  ovata.  Shell  more  compressed  and  produced  at 
each  end. 

Habitat  :  Southern  and  south-western  coasts  of 
England  and  Ireland,  as  well  as  the  Channel  Isles,  in 
sandy  gravel,  at  from  3  to  18  fathoms.  Cullercoats  and 
Whitburn  (Alder,  fide  J.  H.  F.  and  Abbes) ;  Tenby 
(Lyons) ;  Pwllheli  (M^Aiidrew) ;  Belfast  (Hyndman) ; 
Lough  Strangford  (Dickie) ;  Clyde  district  (Smith  and 
others) ;  Jura  Isle  (Bedford).     It  occurs  in  a  fossil  state 


TAPES. 


351 


at  Belfast  and  in  the  Sussex  tertiaries  and  Mammalian 
Crag.  Var.  1.  Cork  (Humphreys).  Var.  2.  Bantry  Bay 
and  Falmouth  (J.  G.  J.).  Two  other  varieties  were 
found  hy  Dr.  Turton  in  a  semifossil  state  imbedded  in 
blue  clay  at  Clontarf  near  Dublin.  One  of  them  he 
described  and  figured  in  his  'Conchological  Dictionary^ 
as  Venus  cenea,  and  the  other  as  V.  nitens.  These  last 
are  much  smaller  and  thinner  than  the  typical  form, 
and  may  belong  to  some  of  LamarcVs  species  from  the 
Mediterranean  which  have  been  carved  out  of  T.  aureus. 
Clark  referred  Turton's  varieties  to  T.  virgineus,  and  he 
questioned  if  that  and  T.  aureus  were  not  the  same 
species.  Sars  has  taken  the  ordinary  sort  of  a  large 
size  by  dredging  off  the  Loffoden  Isles ;  and  Loven, 
Asbjornsen,  Danielssen,  and  Malm  have  also  recorded 
it  from  the  Scandinavian  coasts,  at  depths  varying  only 
from  5  to  10  fathoms.  South  of  Great  Britain  it  is 
found  everywhere  as  far  as  the  ^lEgean,  where  Forbes 
took  it  in  4-10  fathoms ;  Middendorff  gives  the  Black 
Sea  as  a  habitat.  It  is  strange  that  the  animal  of  a 
species  so  common  as  this  on  many  of  our  shores  should 
never  have  been  described  or  noticed.  I  hope  the 
"hiatus  valde  deflendus"  will  soon  be  filled  up,  with 
others  of  the  same  kind.  The  shell,  which  is  very  pretty, 
was  figured  by  Lister  as  English.  In  Turton^s  collection 
is  a  monstrosity  which  he  mistook  for  the  Venus  sinuosa 
of  Pennant.  It  has  an  oblique  fold  extending  from  the 
umbonal  area  to  the  front  towards  the  posterior  side. 
1  possess  another  distortion  which  is  less  flexuous. 

The  present  species  appears  to  be  the  Venus  laeta  of 
Poll,  the  animal  of  which  he  has  described  as  follows  : 
— Body  whitish:  mantle  having  its  edges  waved  and 
fringed :  tubes  of  unequal  size,  rather  wide,  united  for 
three-fourths  of  their  lengths ;  orifices  cirrous,  and  en- 


352  VENERIDiE. 

circled  with  reddish-brown  spots,  the  surface  of  the  tubes 
being  frequently  marked  in  the  same  way.  Loven  con- 
siders it  the  V.  literata  of  the  '  Fauna  Suecica/  but  not 
of  the  *  Systema  Naturae/  Gmelin  and  Lamarck  made 
each  three  species  out  of  the  present.  It  is  the  V.  ne- 
bulosa  of  Solander  and  Pulteney,  and  Capsa  deflorata  of 
Leach. 

IdI-Sq-        2.  T.  viRGi'NEUs"^j[Linne. )         ^\-c\- 

Venus  virginea,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1136  (according  to  modern  authors). 
Tapes  virginea,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  388,  pi.  xxv.  f.  4,  6. 

Body  pale  yellowish-white  or  cream-colour :  mantle  having 
its  edges  dentate  on  the  anterior  side,  sinuous  in  front,  and 
scalloped  on  the  posterior  side,  with  a  few  short  yellow  fila- 
ments at  each  end:  tubes  united  for  three-fourths  of  their 
length,  and  separate  for  the  other  foiu-th  towards  their  ex- 
tremities ;  their  colour  is  dehcate  pale  lemon,  tinged  with  red- 
dish-brown at  the  bifurcation,  and  often  tipped  with  purple ; 
they  are  of  the  same  size ;  the  incurrent  tube  has  its  orifice 
truncate,  and  fringed  with  14  pointed  cirri,  which  are  alter- 
nately large  and  small,  the  former  being  marked  at  their  bases 
on  each  side  with  a  patch  of  bistre,  and  the  latter  being  white  ; 
the  excurrent  tube  curls  upwards  as  in  other  species,  and,  in 
consequence  of  its  outer  edges  being  a  Httle  inflected,  does  not 
appear  truncate  ;  this  tube  has  16  short  white  cirri  at  the  ori- 
fice, which  is  encircled  by  a  fine  reddish-brown  hue ;  the  tubes 
when  extended  do  not  measure  more  than  half  the  breadth  of 
the  shell :  gills  nearly  circular,  pale  drab,  hung  very  obUquely  ; 
the  under  pair  are  at  least  double  the  size  of  the  upper,  and 
are  strongly  marked  across  by  the  vessels  of  circulation  :  ^ja/ps 
subtriangular,  short,  and  distinctly  striated :  liver  apparently 
small  and  pale  green :  foot  thick  and  fleshy,  not  much  bent,  but 
flexible  and  capable  of  being  attenuated  to  a  fine  point ;  it  has 
no  byssal  groove. 

Shell  rhomboid-oblong,  moderately  convex,  soHd  and 
opaque,  poHshed  and  rather  glossy :  sculpture,  flattened  ribs  as 
in  the  last  species,  but  they  are  less  regular  and  often  wanting 
on  the  umbonal  area  and  consequently  in  young  specimens ; 
there  are  occasionally  a  few  obscure  longitudinal  lines,  and 

*  Virgin. 


TAPES.  353 

invariably  the  microscopical  striae :  colour  yellowish- white, 
often  painted  with  two  or  three  reddish-brown  or  purplish 
rays  of  different  widths,  which  are  seldom  entire,  being  gene- 
rally interrupted  and  divided  into  streaks,  zigzag  markings,  or 
spots  of  a  most  diversified  kind ;  the  rays  frequently  appear 
white,  owing  to  the  greater  breadth  of  the  darker  bands; 
some  specimens,  as  in  T.  aureus,  are  of  a  uniform  pale  yellow 
or  milk-white :  epidermis  homy,  rubbed  off  in  nearly  every 
part :  margins  obliquely  but  not  much  rounded  in  front,  sharply 
curved  and  produced  on  the  anterior  side,  behind  which  the 
line  from  the  beaks  is  nearly  straight,  produced  and  wedge- 
shaped  on  the  posterior  side,  which  is  obliquely  truncate  and 
ends  in  a  blunt  point,  straight  on  the  dorsal  side  in  the  young 
but  sloping  gradually  and  with  a  slight  curve  in  the  adult : 
heahs  small,  somewhat  inflected,  and  close  together ;  umbonal 
area  not  prominent :  lunule  lanceolate,  longer  than  in  T.  aureus 
but  similar  in  other  respects :  corselet  indistinct :  ligament 
rather  long,  yellowish -brown,  wholly  exposed,  contained  in  a 
marginal  groove  :  hinge-line  and  hinge-plate  as  in  the  last  spe- 
cies :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  three  erect  cardinals,  of  which 
the  posterior  is  the  smallest,  triangular,  and  set  obliquely,  the 
middle  cardinal  is  the  largest  and  double  or  cloven ;  the  left 
valve  has  the  same  number  of  cardinals,  the  smallest  of  which 
is  on  the  anterior  side  and  set  obliquely,  and  the  other  two  are 
double ;  laterals  indistinct :  inside  rather  glossy,  with  a  purplish 
or  orange  tinge  towards  the  beaks  in  bright- coloured  speci- 
mens :  scars  as  in  T.  aureus.     L.  1*6.    B.  1-9. 

Var.  1.  Sarniensis.  Shell  thicker,  less  produced  at  both 
ends  and  consequently  of  an  oval  shape.  F.  Sarniensis,  Turt. 
Dith.  p.  153,  tab.  10.  f.  6. 

Var.  2.  elongata.  Shell  more  produced  and  pointed  at  the 
posterior  end,  being  consequently  more  oblong  and  broader  in 
proportion  to  its  length. 

Habitat  :  Every  part  of  the  British  coasts,  in  sand 
and  among  nullipores,  from  the  shore  to  145  fathoms, 
at  which  latter  depth  it  was  dredged  by  Capt.  Beechey 
off"  the  Mull  of  Galloway.  "  Garnsey "  was  the  first 
recorded  locality,  as  appears  from  Lister's  'Historia 
Conchyliorum.'  It  occurs  in  aU  our  upper  tertiaries 
from  the  Belfast  deposit  (Grainger)  and  glacial  beds  at 


354  VENERID^. 

Bushbury  Hill  near  Wolverhampton  (Rev.  W.  Lister) 
and  Great  Yarmouth  (Rose)  to  the  Coralline  Crag.  The 
variety  Sarniensis  has  been  found  in  the  Channel  Isles 
and  south  of  England,  on  the  Irish  coasts,  and  at  Loch 
Carron  and  Lerwick,  with  the  usual  form.  Var.  2. 
Bantry  Bay,  west  coast  of  Scotland,  andLerwick  (J.  G.  J.) ; 
Larne,  co.  Antrim  (Hyndman).  Its  extra-British  dis- 
tribution includes  Upper  Norway  (10-30  fathoms)  and 
the  Lusitanian  coasts,  Mediterranean  and  ^gean  (shore 
to  30  fathoms) ;  it  appears  to  be  more  a  southern  than 
northern  species. 

The  elegant  shape  of  this  shell  and  its  bright  and 
variegated  (often  particoloured)  painting  help  to  redeem 
a  collection  of  our  native  Testacea  from  the  common 
opprobrium  that  they  are  poor  and  dingy  compared  with 
foreign  sheUs.     Not  in  their  form  alone,  but 

.     .     .     .     "  in  the  effusive  warmth 
Of  colour  mingling  with  a  random  blaze, 
Doth  beauty  dwell." 

Specimens  are  found  of  larger  dimensions  than  those 
above  described.  I  have  one  2  inches  long  by  2^  inches 
broad.  The  fry  are  square  and  perfectly  smooth.  Dis- 
tortions are  not  common,  unless  the  variety  Sarniensis 
may  be  so  regarded.  In  one  specimen  of  this  sort  the 
right  valve  has  an  obscure  and  broad  farrow  running 
from  the  beak  in  the  direction  of  the  front  margin. 
Philippi  states  that  the  animal  is  eaten  at  Naples  and 
in  Sicily,  and  is  called  by  the  lazzaroni  "  vongola.^^ 

T.  virgineus  is  oblong,  and  T,  aureus  triangular.  The 
present  species  is  also  distinguishable  by  the  ribs  being 
partly  obliterated. 

Although  it  is  most  unlikely  that  this  can  be  the 
Venus  virginea  of  Linne  (described  as  resembling  V. 
decussata,  but  more  round  and  inhabiting  India) ^  it  has 


TAPES.  355 

so  long  gone  by  that  name,  that  it  would  be  unadvisable 
to  change  it.  It  is  probably  his  F.  l(Bta.  Dale  called 
it  Pectunculus  fasciatus ;  and  this  name  has  the  pre- 
cedence of  all  others.  I  will  adduce  a  few  out  of  the 
numerous  synonyms  published  by  different  authors  : 
V.  edulis,  Chemnitz  ;  V,  rhomboides,  Pennant ;  V.  Beu- 
dantii,  Payraudeauj  and  V,  virago j  Loven.  In  its 
younger  state  it  appears  to  be  the  V,  nitens  of  Scacchi, 
but  not  of  Turton. 

H^.s^o         3.  T.  pullas'tra ^X^ontagu.)  ^  . 3^ . 

Venus  pullastra,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  p.  125.     T.  pullastra,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  382, 
pi.  XXV.  f.  2, 3,  and  (animal)  pi.  L.  f.  5  &  5  a. 

Body  thick,  oblong,  greyish,  yellowish,  or  very  pale  bluish- 
white,  sometimes  tinted  with  pink :  mantle  having  wavy  or 
jagged  edges,  which  project  a  little  beyond  the  valves ;  the 
indentations  or  folds  are  stronger  at  the  sides  than  in  front ; 
within  the  margin  are  a  few  scattered  white  tentacular  papillae : 
tubes  nearly  equal  in  length  and  diameter,  the  upper  being  a 
trifle  longer  than  the  lower,  but  not  quite  so  large  and  more 
conical  and  contracted  at  the  opening ;  they  vary  in  length 
from  being  only  one-half  to  quite  as  long  as  the  shell  is  broad ; 
the  upper  serves  for  excretal  and  the  lower  for  ahmentary 
purposes;  both  are  cyhndrical  or  funnel-shaped,  and  joined 
together  until  about  one-fourth  of  the  distance  from  the  orifices, 
where  they  diverge,  the  upper  curved  backwards  and  the  lower 
forwards ;  they  are  closely  wrinkled  across,  and  the  upper  or 
outer  third  portion  is  irregularly  traversed  with  brown  streaks 
or  Hues;  the  orifice  of  each  tube  is  tinged  vrith  brown  of 
various  shades,  red,  orange,  or  flake-white,  and  fringed  with 
short  finely  ciliated  filaments,  those  of  the  upper  tube  being 
plain,  and  the  other  set  arranged  in  a  double  row ;  the  inner 
row  consists  usually  of  a  few  only,  which  are  erect  and  longer 
than  the  outer  row,  and  branched  or  studded  at  their  sides 
with  short  points,  Hke  the  gills  of  some  N'udibranchs ;  the 
outer  row  is  twice  as  numerous,  very  much  shorter,  and  folded 
outwards;  the  edge  of  the  lower  orifice  is  considerably  ex- 
panded, like  a  bell,  when  the  animal  is  feeding :  gills  pale 

*  A  pullet. 


356  VENERIDiE. 

brown ;  the  upper  pair  do  not  cover  the  lower,  and  they  are 
decussated  on  both  surfaces  by  the  network  of  the  circulatory 
vessels:  palps  small,  triangular,  striated  on  the  inner,  and 
smooth  on  the  outer  surface :  foot  muscular,  slightly  bent  or 
geniculated,  and  lance-shaped. 

Shell  rhomboid-oval,  moderately  convex,  solid  and  opaque, 
not  so  glossy  as  the  last  species:  sculpture,  numerous  and 
close-set  flattened  concentric  bands,  which  are  divided  by 
faintly  impressed  lines,  so  that  the  shell  appears  to  be  grooved 
or  tooled  rather  than  ribbed ;  these  bands  occasionally  dicho- 
tomize or  branch  off,  and  are  much  stronger  and  more  raised 
(becoming  laminar)  on  the  posterior  side ;  they  are  crossed  by 
fine,  irregular,  but  equally  numerous  longitudinal  striae  decus- 
sating the  surface ;  the  microscopical  markings  are  also  pre- 
sent :  colour  yellowish-white,  often  variegated  by  reddish- 
brown  rays,  zigzag  streaks,  or  blotches  of  every  conceivable 
width,  shade,  number,  and  form,  sometimes  tinged  with  pur- 
ple, umber,  or  the  darkest  brown,  occasionally  yellowish  or 
pure  white :  epidermis  horncolour,  fibrous,  seldom  persistent 
in  any  part:  margins  nearly  straight  or  but  Httle  bent  in  front, 
trending  upwards  with  a  sharper  curve  to  the  anterior  end, 
which  is  rounded  and  terminated  behind  by  an  excavation  for 
the  lunule,  produced  and  obliquely  truncate  at  the  posterior 
side,  the  end  of  which  is  rounded,  straight  and  horizontal  on 
the  dorsal  side  in  the  young  but  sloping  gradually  in  the  adult : 
beaks  small,  somewhat  recurved,  and  close  to  each  other ;  um- 
bonal  area  rather  prominent :  lunule  lanceolate,  deep  but  not 
very  distinct,  nearly  smooth,  mostly  of  a  darker  hue :  corselet 
narrow,  defined  on  each  side  by  the  edges  of  the  ligamental 
groove :  ligament  rather  long,  yellowish -brown  or  horncolour, 
wholly  exposed  and  projecting  beyond  the  lips  of  the  corselet, 
contained  in  a  marginal  groove,  minutely  striated  across  when 
fractured,  showing  its  compact  structure  and  tendinous  tissue : 
hinge-line  representing  a  very  obtuse  angle :  hinge-phte  sohd 
but  not  very  broad  except  under  the  beak,  where  it  forms  a 
kind  of  shelf:  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  three  erect,  slender, 
parallel,  and  nearly  equal-sized  cardinals,  the  posterior  of  which 
is  rather  the  smallest,  and  the  other  two  are  double  or  bifid 
at  the  crown ;  the  left  valve  has  the  same  number  and  kind 
of  cardinals,  the  anterior  being  the  smallest,  and  the  others 
double ;  laterals  ridge-like  and  indistinct :  inside  towards  the 
beaks  porcellanous,  and  covered  with  minute  and  irregularly 
confluent  tubercles,  pure  white  or  stained  with  purple  at  the 


TAPES.  357 

hinge  or  posterior  side  :  paUial  scar  broad  and  polished,  deeply 
and  widely  sinuous  at  the  posterior  end  :  muscular  scars  trian- 
gular, large,  and  also  polished.     L.  1*5.    B.  1-7. 

Yar.  1.  perforans.  Shell  more  or  less  distorted,  and  either 
longer,  broader,  or  shorter  than  usual,  or  having  the  anterior 
margin  abruptly  truncate.  Venus perforans,  Mont.  Test.  Brit, 
p.  127,  t.  3.  f.  6. 

Var.  2.  ovata.  Shell  more  convex,  longer,  and  contracted 
at  each  end. 

Yar.  3.  ohlonga.  Shell  much  broader,  being  more  produced 
at  each  end. 

Yar.  4.  plagia.  Shell  more  produced  at  the  posterior  side, 
wliich  bends  upwards  (as  in  Lutraria  elh'ptica,  var.  ohJonga), 
the  anterior  margin  having  a  corresponding  curve  and  being 
obliquely  truncate.  Venus  plagia,  Jeifr.  in  Ann.  Nat.  Hist. 
vol.  xix.  p.  313. 

Habitat  :  Equally  common  and  diffused  with  T.  vir- 
gineus ;  but  it  is  usually  littoral,  living  in  muddy  gravel 
or  sand,  and  is  seldom  found  below  7  or  8  fathoms.  It 
occurs  in  the  Clyde,  Belfast,  and  Sussex  tertiary  beds. 
The  T.  perovalis  of  Searles  Wood  from  the  Coralline 
Crag  scarcely  differs  from  the  present  species.  Var.  1. 
In  crevices  of  rocks,  and  in  deserted  holes  of  Pholades 
and  Saxicava  arctica,  generally  attached  by  a  byssus, 
from  Unst  to  Jersey.  Var.  2.  Exmouth  (Clark) ;  Cork 
(Humphreys).  This  is  analogous  to  the  variety  Sar- 
niensis  of  the  last  species.  Var.  3.  Cork  (Wright); 
Bundoran,  co.  Donegal  (J.  G.  J.);  Shetland  (Barlee). 
Var.  4.  Lerwick  and  Deal  Voe  (J.  G.  J.).  T.  pullastra 
inhabits  the  coasts  of  Norway,  South  Sweden,  and  Den- 
mark, and  those  of  the  north  and  west  of  France ;  and 
(as  Venus  yeographica,  which  I  consider  a  variety  of  the 
same  species)  it  is  spread  over  all  the  sea-bed  lying  be- 
tween Gibraltar  and  the  Morea.  It  is  also  one  of  the 
IJddevalla  fossils. 

According  to  Montagu  these  shells  are  called  "  pull- 


358  VENERID^. 

ers''  or  '^  pullets  ^^  in  some  parts  of  Devonshire.  De 
Gerville  says  that  the  people  of  La  Manche  sell  this 
kind  for  eating,  under  the  name  of  "  Coque/'  Its  vulgar 
appellation  in  Shetland  is  "  KuUyak,"  being  probably 
derived  from  the  Norse  word  "  kulle/'  a  haddock,  this 
mollusk  being  a  favourite  bait  for  fish.  It  is  also  not 
an  unpalatable  article  of  human  food.  I  tasted  one 
raw  at  the  recommendation  of  Dr.  Edmondston,  and 
fancied  that  its  flavour  was  not  inferior  to  that  of  an 
oyster.  He  indeed  gave  this  the  preference.  The  giUs 
appear  to  be  aerated  by  means  of  the  mantle-edges, 
which  are  always  swaying  about  with  a  wave-like  motion. 
The  fry  are  shaped  like  the  adult,  but  are  quite  smooth 
and  glossy.  My  largest  specimen  was  found  by  Edward 
Forbes  in  Skye,  and  is  2  inches  long  by  2  J  inches  broad. 
Monsters  of  another  kind  occasionally  make  their  ap- 
pearance, being  distorted  in  one  way  or  another,  chiefly 
in  being  twisted  or  inequivalve. 

This  shell  differs  from  T,  virgineus  in  being  oval  in- 
stead of  oblong,  less  glossy  and  never  polished,  and  in 
the  ribs  being  much  finer,  more  numerous,  and  de- 
cussated by  longitudinal  striae.  Forbes  was  the  first 
who  publicly  repudiated  (in  his  '  Malacologia  Monensis^) 
the  claims  of  Venus  perforans  to  specific  distinction, 
justly  considering  it  to  be  only  a  variety  of  T.  pullastra. 
Nine  years  previously,  when  I  was  also  a  juvenile  con- 
chologist,  I  formed  a  similar  opinion ;  and  in  the  mean 
time  Clark  made  the  excellent  observations,  which  were 
transferred  from  his  note-book  to  the  pages  of  the  '  Bri- 
tish MoUusca,'  embodyiug  the  views  of  the  consenta- 
neous triumvirate.  The  normal  coloured  markings  are 
present  in  some  specimens  of  this  form  which  had  been 
immured  all  their  lives  in  rocks  and  secluded  from  the 
garish  light  of  day.     One  living  example,  which  occu- 


TAPES.  359 

pied  the  former  burrow  of  a  Pholas  dactylus,  has  a 
group  of  Serpula  triquetra  attached  to  it  on  the  poste- 
rior side,  the  hole  being  large  enough  to  contain  both. 
This  is  a  confirmatory  proof  that  T.  pullastra  does  not 
perforate  any  hard  substance. 

Although  Mr.  William  Wood  figured  this  species  in 
the  ^  Linnean  Transactions  ^  (vol.  vi.  1. 17.  f.  13, 14),  and 
showed  that  the  structure  of  its  hinge  was  difierent  from 
that  in  T.  decussatus,  he  did  not  assign  any  specific  name 
to  it.  I  believe  our  shell  is  the  Venits  liter ata  of  Linne 
and  Poli ;  but  that  name  is  now  used  for  a  tropical  spe- 
cies. As  I  have  before  remarked,  the  V.  geographica  of 
Chemnitz  is  the  southern  form  or  variety,  to  which  the 
V.  eremita  of  Brocchi,  V.  bicoloVj  V.  cateniferaj  V,  reti- 
fera,  and  Venerupis  nucleus  of  Lamarck,  and  the  Venus 
Tenorii  of  Costa  may  also  be  referred. 

N''.  » «»        4.  T.  decussa'tus  ^,(^Linn^.)  ^ .  3^  - 

Venus  decussata,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1135  (according  to  modOTn  authors). 
T.  decussata,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  379,  pi.  xxv.  f.  1. 

Body  thick,  oval,  very  pale  cream-colour  or  greyish-white ; 
margins  having  their  edges  scalloped  or  fringed  with  white : 
tubes  subcylindrical,  separate  throughout,  and  (at  the  will  of 
the  animal)  diverging  in  various  directions,  of  the  same  length, 
which  when  they  are  extended  is  equal  to  the  breadth  or 
transverse  admeasurement  of  the  shell;  they  are  at  times 
greatly  distended ;  their  colour,  to  within  a  quarter  of  an  inch 
from  the  orifices,  is  pale  yellowish-white,  interspersed  with 
minute  flakes  of  pure  white,  streaked  or  speckled  near  the 
orifices  with  confused  tawny-yellow,  reddish-,  or  dark-brown 
markings ;  orifices  encircled  with  cirri,  thaLof  the  lower  (or 
alimentary  tube)  having  about  12  long  and  as  many  alternate 
shorter  ones,  and  the  upper  (or  excretal)  tube  being  furnished 
with  about  20  equal-sized  ones  ;  these  cirri  are  of  a  brown  or 
bistre  colour :  gills  suboval,  pale  brown  sprinkled  with  minute 
darker  points ;  as  usual,  the  upper  pair  is  the  smaller ;  they 

*  Intersected  by  lines  crosswise. 


360  VENERIUM. 

are  more  strongly  pectinated  on  the  inner  than  on  the  outer 
surface :  palps  very  small  for  the  size  of  the  animal,  triangular, 
and  striated  like  the  branchial  laminae :  foot  large,  white,  mus- 
cular, lanceolate,  bent,  and  furnished  with  a  byssal  groove. 

Shell  having  a  general  resemblance  to  T.  pullastra,  but 
distinguishable  by  the  following  characters.  It  is  usually  not  so 
convex,  and  less  broad  (or  shorter  from  one  end  to  the  other)  : 
sculpture  much  coarser,  the  longitudinal  striae  being  quite  as 
strong  as  the  transverse  ribs  and  often  more  raised ;  the  surface 
is  thus  reticulated,  and  marked  (especially  on  the  posterior 
side)  by  rows  of  tubercles :  colour  of  a  more  sombre  and 
uniform  hue,  mostly  yellowish  and  variegated  with  rays  and 
zigzag  streaks  or  spots  of  dark  or  light  brown  :  dorsal  margin 
more  straight  and  the  posterior  slope  decidedly  truncate. 
L.  1-75.   B.  2. 

Yar.  quadrangula.  Shell  smaller,  square -shaped,  and  more 
convex. 

Habitat  :  Muddy  gravel  and  sand  at  low-water  mark, 
with  T.  pullastra^  on  the  shores  of  our  southern  and 
western  counties,  Wales,  and  Ireland.  Cheshire  coast 
(Hall)  ;  Scarborough  (Bean) ;  Northumberland  and 
Durham  (Alder) ;  Berwick  (Johnston  and  Maclaurin)  ; 
Clyde  district  (Eyton);  Oban  (J.  G.  J.);  Sound  of 
lona  (Bedford) ;  Skye  (Forbes) ;  Aberdeen  (Macgil- 
livray) ;  Shetland  (Forbes  and  M^Andrew).  Var. 
Cork  (Humphreys);  Bantry  Bay  (Barlee).  This  spe- 
cies is  subfossil  in  the  Loch  of  Spynie,  and  in  the 
'^  Kjokkenmoddings/'  Morayshire  (Gordon)  :  fossil  in 
the  Scotch  glacial  beds  (Smith) ;  Belfast  "  alluvial  ^' 
deposit  (Hyndman  and  Grainger) ;  Sussex  tertiaries 
(Godwin- Austen).  It  also  occurs  with  shells  of  Arctic 
species  in  the  newer  pliocene  strata  of  Bohuslan  (Malm), 
Uddevalla  (J.  G.  J.),  and  Christiania  (Sars) ;  and  with 
shells  of  southern  species  in  the  Sicilian  tertiaries  (Phi- 
lippi).  It  has  not  been  noticed  in  a  living  or  recent 
state  by  any  writer  on  the  northern  or  Scandinavian 


TAPES.  361 

fauna  j  but  it  is  universally  common  southwards  as  far 
as  the  .^gean  and  probably  Senegal. 

The  shell  was  well  figured  by  Lister  as  English.  He 
noticed  the  purplish-violet  stain  inside,  and  inquired 
whether  the  dye  of  the  ancients  could  have  been  pro- 
cured from  bivalves  as  well  as  from  univalves.  This 
question  has  never  been  answered  by  any  physiologist 
or  antiquary.  He  also  mentions  that  the  shells  are 
called  "  purrs  '^  in  some  parts  of  England ;  Petiver  and 
Dale  give  the  same  provincial  name.  According  to 
Collard  des  Cherres,  the  Breton  designation  is  ^^pa- 
lourde/^  which  is  also  applied  in  that  province  to  Pec- 
ten  maximus.  M.  Gay  informs  us  that  it  is  known  at 
Toulon  as  '^  clouvisso."  The  animal  makes  a  favourite 
dish  in  continental  seaports;  and  Mr.  Dennis  writes 
me  word  that  both  this  and  T.  pullastra  are  eaten  in 
Sussex.  It  has  been  observed  by  Mr.  Rich  to  be  more 
tenacious  of  life  than  T.  pullastra.  He  kept  some  of 
the  present  species  alive  in  fresh  water  for  eight  or  nine 
days,  but  none  of  T.  pullastra  survived  for  half  that 
time.  He  also  found  the  colour  of  the  shells  of  both 
these  species,  when  put  into  hot  water  or  near  a  fire,  to  J 
change  from  dark  purphsh-brown  to  a  brick-red  hue.  f 
Montagu  justly  remarked  that  the  siphons  differ  from 
those  of  T,  pullastra  in  being  divided  to  their  origin ; 
but  he  was  mistaken  in  supposing  that  both  tubes  were 
protruded  in  search  of  food.  Mr.  Clark  says,  "This 
species  is  much  more  common  than  the  P.  pullastra ; 
they  live  together  in  the  same  shingles,  and  have  pre- 
cisely the  same  habitudes;  notwithstanding  this  com- 
munity they  are  very  distinct."  His  opinion  on  the 
last  point  is  the  more  valuable  because  he  was  by  no 
means  a  species-maker.  The  young  of  T,  decussatus  are 
nearly  square,  while  those  of  T.  pullastra  are  oblong. 


362  VENERIDiE. 

My  largest  specimen  measures  two  and  a  half  inches  in 
length  by  three  inches  in  breadth :  others  are  twisted 
and  irregular  or  keeled  on  the  posterior  side. 

The  habitat  assigned  by  Linnd  to  Venus  decussata  is 
"O.  Indico^^;  but  the  description  in  the  ^  Mus.  Ulr. 
Keg./  as  well  as  those  in  the  10th  and  12th  editions  of 
the  ^  Syst.  Nat./  suit  the  European  shell  which  now 
bears  the  above  specific  name.  Specimens  from  the 
Indian  Ocean  cannot  be  distinguished  from  this  in 
form,  sculpture,  or  colour,  although  they  are  called  T. 
Indica.  The  synonyms  are  numerous;  I  have  noted 
about  a  dozen.  If  the  name  could  now  be  changed,  I 
would  suggest  the  adoption  of  that  proposed  by  Da 
Costa,  viz.  "  rcticulatus.'^  Adanson's  "  le  Lunot  ^'  ap- 
pears to  be  the  present  species,  and  not  T.  pullastra. 

Genus  III.  LUCINOP'SIS^  Forbes  and  Hanley. 
PI.  VII.  f.  1. 

Body  roundish:  mantle  having  its  edges  furbelowed  or 
puckered :   tubes  separate  throughout. 

Shell  globose,  thin,  striated  concentrically :  lunule  in- 
distinct :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  three,  and  in  the  left  valve 
two  cardinals,  besides  the  usual  lateral  in  each  valve :  pallial 
scar  exhibiting  a  remarkably  deep  sinus. 

To  the  learned  authors  of  the  *  British  Mollusca '  is 
the  credit  due  of  proposing  and  establishing  the  present 
genus,  which  connects  the  Veneridce  with  the  Tellinidce, 
and  almost  forms  the  type  of  an  intermediate  family. 
In  the  structure  and  position  of  the  siphonal  tubes  it  is 
more  like  Tellina  than  Venus ;  and  in  the  orbicular  form 
of  the  shell,  as  well  as  in  the  number  and  shape  of  the 
teeth,  it  differs  from  any  genus  in  either  of  the  above- 

*  Having  the  aspect  of  the  genus  Lucina. 


LUCiNOPsis.  363 

mentioned  families.  The  microscopical  striae,  charac- 
teristic of  the  shells  of  the  Venerida,  are  absent  in 
Lucinopsis.  In  its  general  appearance  this  genus  agrees 
with  Lucina ;  but  the  recurved  beaks,  sinuation  of  the 
pallial  scar,  and  length  of  the  tubes  oflPer  conclusive 
reasons  for  their  separation. 

f(^.  ij^7  Lucinopsis  unda'ta  ^,iPennant)  f^  •  4^ 

Venus  undata,  Penn.  Brit.  Zool.  p.  95,  pi.  55.  f.  51.     L.  undata,  F.  &  II. 
i.  p.  435,  pi.  xxviii.  f.  1,  2,  and  (animal)  pi.  M.  f.  2. 

Body  milk-white,  or  of  a  pale  pinkish  drabcolour :  mantle 
having  its  edges  wavy,  or  sometimes  partially  jagged,  but 
never  serrated  or  fringed ;  ventral  opening  small :  tubes  more 
or  less  divergent,  occasionally  tinged  with  orange,  conical, 
capable  of  being  considerably  extended ;  incurrent  tube  the 
smaller  in  diameter,  but  longer  of  the  two,  its  orifice  margined 
by  a  circle  of  very  short  and  minute  dark  specks,  and  fringed 
vsdth  16-20  white  cirri  of  various  sizes  and  lengths ;  excurrent 
tube  having  its  orifice  encircled  with  12-15  white  cirri,  which 
are  unifonnly  short  and  without  the  marginal  row  of  dark 
specks :  gills  pale  drab,  the  upper  plates  being  much  smaller 
than  the  lower  and  half  overlapping  them  ;  pectinations  rather 
fine,  but  not  very  distinct :  palps  of  the  same  colour  as  the 
gills,  fleshy,  rather  long,  triangular,  pointed,  strongly  striated 
on  the  outside  and  smooth  within :  foot  of  moderate  size,  white, 
flat,  pointed,  not  much  bent,  destitute  of  a  byssal  groove,  and 
issuing  from  the  front  or  ventral  side. 

Shell  almost  circular,  tumid,  semitransparent,  rather  glossy : 
sculpture,  numerous  and  fine,  but  irregular,  concentric  stria), 
and  occasional  lines  of  growth :  colour  milk-white,  with  often 
a  yellow  or  ochreous  hue,  especially  near  the  beaks :  epidermis 
thin,  hke  varnish  and  slightly  iridescent,  longitudinally  (but 
very  minutely)  striated  or  puckered:  margins  more  or  less 
straight  on  the  ventral  side  in  the  adult  and  rounded  in  the 
young,  regularly  curved  on  the  anterior  side,  excavated  below 
the  beaks,  obtusely  angular  at  the  posterior  end,  with  an 
abrupt  slope  or  truncation  on  that  side ;  dorsal  or  ligamental 
margin  very  gently  curved  in  the  adult  and  sloping  in  the 

*  Wavy. 

r2 


364  VENERID^. 

young :  heahs  small,  slightly  turned  towards  the  anterior  side, 
and  nearly  contiguous  ;  umbonal  area  prominent :  lunvUe  lan- 
ceolate, rather  deep,  but  rarely  defined  by  a  separating  groove : 
ligament  long,  yellowish -brown  or  homcolour,  projecting  be- 
yond the  dorsal  margin,  and  conspicuous  from  the  contrast  of 
its  colour  with  that  of  the  shell :  hinge-line  obtuse-angled  in 
the  adult,  and  rectangular  in  the  young:  hinge-plate  solid: 
teethy  in  the  right  valve  three  cardinals  ;  the  middle  one  short, 
thick,  triangular,  and  double,  crowned  with  jagged  edges  or 
points ;  the  other  two  laminar,  and  equally  diverging  from 
the  central  tooth,  the  anterior  being  much  the  longest  of  all ; 
the  left  valve  has  only  two  cardinals,  representing  the  letter 
V  reversed,  the  posterior  being  double,  and  the  other  erect  and 
laminar ;  the  intermediate  space  receives  the  central  tooth  of 
the  right  valve ;  the  anterior  tooth  in  each  valve  is  elongated 
or  continued  in  the  form  of  an  oblique  ridge,  which  has  the 
appearance  of  a  lateral  tooth  :  i^iside  chalky-white ;  margin 
smooth  and  bevelled  towards  the  edges :  pallial  scar  broad, 
removed  far  from  the  margin ;  sinus  very  large,  extending  to 
within  one-third  of  the  diameter  in  the  direction  of  the  beaks : 
muscular  scars  strongly  marked,  the  anterior  much  longer 
than  the  other,  which  is  oval.     L.  1*25.   B.  1*35. 

Yar.  1.  vcntrosa.     Shell  smaller  and  more  ventricose. 

Yar.  2.  (cqimlis.  Shell  equilateral,  compressed  in  front : 
heaks  more  prominent  and  central. 

Habitat  :  Fine  and  muddy  sand,  in  all  our  bays 
and  within  the  line  of  soundings,  at  from  3  to  100 
fathoms.  It  is  fossil  at  Belfast,  "  in  vast  numbers  and 
very  large  "  (Hyndman  and  Grainger) ;  Ayr  (Smith) ; 
Kyles  of  Bute  (Crosskey).  Var.  1.  Arran  I.,  co.Galway 
(Barlee) ;  Shetland  (J.  G.  J.) .  Var.  2.  Scilly  Isles  (Lord 
Vernon);  Bantry  Bay  (Humphreys);  West  coast  of 
Scotland  (Barlee).  This  species  is  distributed  from  the 
Loffoden  Isles  (Sars)  to  Mogador  (R.  T.  Lowe)  and  the 
^gean  (Forbes).     South-Italian  tertiaries  (Philippi). 

The  animal  is  sluggish.  The  tubes  of  individuals 
which  I  examined  were  very  short,  although  not  united. 
Mr.  Clark  says  that  "  the  siphonal  apparatus  has  the 


TELLTNID.E.  365 

entire  aspect  of  the  typical  Tellinida,^^  but  that  its 
position  dijBPers  in  being  very  little  posterior  to  the 
centre  of  the  ventral  range,  instead  of  the  tubes  being 
(as  is  more  usual  in  that  family)  protruded  from  the 
posterior  angle.  He  also  remarks  that  the  colour  of  the 
animal,  when  killed  by  hot  water,  often  changes  to  the 
various  hues  of  orange,  red,  and  brown, — a  condition 
which  prevails  more  or  less  in  all  the  testaceous  Mol- 
lusca,  and  particularly  in  the  bivalves.  We  must  look 
to  the  carcinologists  for  an  explanation  of  this  phe- 
nomenon, remembering  the  old  simile  of  Aurora : 

"  And,  like  a  lobster  boil'd,  the  morn 
From  black  to  red  began  to  turn." 

This  species  is  the  Venus  inquinata  of  Lamarck,  V. 
incompta  of  Philippi,  and,  according  to  him,  the  Lucina 
caduca  of  Scacchi.  Deshayes,  in  his  Catalogue  of  the 
Bivalve  shells  in  the  British  Museum,  places  it,  with  a 
doubt,  in  his  genus  Cyclina. 


Family  XIV.  TELLI'NIDiE,  Latreille. 

Body  oval  or  oblong  :  mantle  fringed  with  tentacular  appen- 
dages :  tubes  very  long,  separate  throughout,  unequal  in  length, 
issuing  from  a  sheath  or  fold  of  the  mantle  :  gills  unequal  in 
size :  palps  large :  foot  tongue-shaped  and  flexible. 

Shell  sometimes  inequivalve,  triangular,  oval,  oblong,  rhom- 
boidal,  or  cuneiform,  striated  concentrically,  and  in  certain 
kinds  also  longitudinally  or  obliquely:  epidermis  generally 
thin,  but  existing  in  all  the  members  of  this  family :  heahs 
incurved,  nearly  straight:  ligament  external,  placed  on  the 
smaller  side  of  the  shell :  hinge  in  each  valve  furnished  with 
two  cardinal  teeth  (one  of  which  is  frequently  cloven  or  double ), 
and,  in  certain  genera  and  species,  with  a  lateral  tooth  on 
each  or  but  one  side  in  either  or  only  in  one  valve :  pallial  scar 
more  or  less  deeply  sinuous  or  indented  :  muscular  scars  dis- 
tinct. 


366  TELLINID^. 

This  large  and  well-known  family  differs  from  the 
VeneridcB  in  the  pallial  tubes  being  invariably  long  and 
separate,  the  beaks  being  less  recurved,  and  the  liga- 
ment placed  on  the  smaller  side  of  the  shell,  and  also  in 
having  fewer  cardinal  teeth.  The  comparative  length 
of  the  tubes  in  each  individual,  caused  by  their  exten- 
sion or  contraction,  seems  to  depend  on  the  will  of  the 
animal;  sometimes  the  incurrent,  and  at  other  times 
the  excurrent  tube  is  the  longer  of  the  two.  In  families 
which  have  these  tubes  united,  there  can,  of  course, 
be  no  such  inequality.  Carpenter  has  shown  that  the 
shells  of  the  Tellinidcs  are  of  a  solid  texture,  and  that 
their  external  and  internal  layers  present  appearances 
of  a  prismatic  cellular  structure ;  he  termed  these  cells 
"  fusiform,^^  and  observed  that  they  were  arranged  in 
the  two  layers  in  opposite  directions. 

The  Tellinidae  inhabit  sand,  and  occasionally  mud,  at 
all  depths ;  some  kinds  are  littoral. 

Poli  proposed  the  name  Peroncea  for  the  animals  of 
the  genera  comprised  in  the  present  family. 

Genus  I.  GASTRA'NA  *,  Schumacher.     PI.  VII.  f.  2. 

Body  oval,  tumid  and  thick :  tubes  having  cirrous  orifices. 

Shell  equivalve,  inequilateral,  wedge-shaped,  ventricose, 
decussated  by  concentric  ridges  or  laminae  and  longitudinal 
stria) :  teeth,  one  large  cloven  cardinal  and  a  minute  triangular 
one  by  its  side  in  the  left  valve,  and  two  equal-sized  divergent 
cardinals  in  the  right  valve ;  no  laterals :  inside  margin 
smooth. 

The  solitary  species  which  represents  this  species  in 
the  European  fauna  may  be  regarded  by  some  as  an 
aberrant  Tellina.  The  generic  difference  consists  in 
Gastrana  having  a  more  decidedly  cuneiform  and  ven- 

*  So  named  from  the  turgidity  of  the  shell. 


GASTRANA.  367 

tricose  shell,  as  well  as  in  the  greater  size  of  the  anterior 
cardinal  tooth  in  the  left  valve,  and  the  want  of  lateral 
teeth.  But  all  these  characters  exist  in  species  of  the 
parent  or  typical  genus.  The  shell  of  T.  balaustina  is 
nearly  equally  convex;  T.  squalida  and  other  species  have 
the  anterior  cardinal  tooth  in  the  left  valve  as  large  in 
proportion  to  the  other  tooth ;  and  T.  balthica  has  no 
lateral  tooth.  However,  as  I  have  before  remarked,  there 
are  no  lines  of  absolute  demarcation  between  any  two 
allied  genera ;  and  there  may  be  as  good  reason  for  sepa- 
rating Gastrana  from  Tellinay  as  Tapes  from  Venus. 

Deshayes  proposed  in  1845  the  name  of  Diodonta  for 
this  genus,  being  (it  may  be  presumed)  unaware  of 
Schumacher's  publication,  which  bears  the  date  of  1817. 
The  one  selected  a  European,  and  the  other  tropical 
types ;  but  all  are  congeneric. 

N'^  <  4-7        Gastrana  fra'gilis  *,  'Linne.)       ^  ■  ^      {^^^' ) 

Tellina  fragilis,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1117.    Diodonta  fragilis,  F.  &  H.  i. 
p.  284,  pi.  xxi.  f.  3,  and  (animal)  pi.  K.  f.  2. 

Body  yellowish-white :  tubes  almost  twice  as  long  as  the 
shell  is  broad,  one  having  eight  and  the  other  six  rays  or 
points  at  their  orifices  ;  alimentary  tube  sheathed  at  its  base 
foot  rather  large  (Deshayes). 

Shell  triangular,  considerably  produced  at  the  posterior 
end,  more  convex  towards  the  beaks,  rather  thin  but  opaque, 
somewhat  glossy  when  young  but  afterwards  becoming  lustre- 
less :  sculpture,  more  or  less  irregular,  thin,  concentric  ridges 
or  laminae,  which  are  slightly  imbricated  on  the  posterior  side, 
besides  numerous  minute  and  close-set  parallel  stria)  in  the 
interstices  of  the  ridges ;  the  whole  surface  is  also  covered 
with  fine  longitudinal  striae  which  radiate  from  the  beaks,  and 
are  three  times  as  many  as  the  transverse  ridges,  but  very 
much  more  slight  and  scarcely  raised ;  where  these  cross  the 
ridges  the  crests  of  the  latter  are  indistinctly  beaded :  colour 

*  Brittle. 


368  TELLINID^. 

pale  yellowish-white :  epidermis  fibrous,  usually  worn  off  and 
only  visible  near  the  beaks  and  at  the  edges  of  newly-formed 
layers :  margins  curved,  but  not  deeply,  in  front,  nearly  semi- 
circular on  the  anterior  side,  acutely  angular  but  bluntly 
pointed  at  the  posterior  end,  whence  there  is  a  long  and  nearly 
straight  slope  backwards :  heahs  small,  incurved,  and  con- 
tiguous (frequently  becoming  worn  by  attrition):  ligament 
strong  and  prominent,  homcolour,  annulated  at  irreg-ular  in- 
tervals :  hinge-line  obtusely  angular :  hinge-plate  thick,  re- 
flected outwards  on  the  dorsal  side,  where  it  terminates  ab-  , 
ruptly  near  the  extremity  of  the  ligament :  teeth,  in  the  right 
valve  two  cardinals  of  unequal  size  representing  the  letter  Y 
reversed,  and  receiving  between  them  the  larger  tooth  of  the 
opposite  valve ;  in  the  left  valve  two  cardinals,  that  on  the 
posterior  side  being  very  large,  recurved,  irregularly  divided  by 
a  groove,  or  double,  and  the  other  on  the  anterior  side  very 
much  smaller,  triangular,  and  parallel  with  the  hinge-plate : 
inside  partially  nacreous,  stained  with  yellow  near  the  beaks 
and  on  the  posterior  side  :  pallial  scar  exhibiting  a  wide  but 
not  deep  sinus :  muscular  scars  of  irregular  shape,  equal-sized. 
L.  1-05.  B.  1-5. 

Habitat:  Not  uncommon,  although  very  local,  in  sand, 
from  low- water  mark  to  12  fathoms.  Weymouth  (Thomp- 
son) ;  Guernsey  (J.  G.  J.) ;  near  Tenby  (Lyons) ;  coast 
of  Pembrokeshire  (M*^ Andrew) ;  south  and  west  of  Ire- 
land (Turton,  Humphreys,  Battersby,  King,  and  others) ; 
Shetland  Isles  (Forbes,  in  Brit.  Assoc.  Rep.  1850).  Dr. 
Turton  found  it  in  a  semifossil  state  at  Clontarf  in 
Dublin  Bay,  imbedded  in  blue  clay  with  Tapes  aureus. 
The  only  northern  locality  that  has  been  noticed  for 
G.  fragilis  is  Drontheim,  where  Mr.  M 'Andrew  dredged 
a  single  valve.  The  southern  localities  are  very  nume- 
rous, and  comprise  all  the  coasts  of  the  Atlantic  from 
Brittany  to  Gibraltar,  the  Mediterranean  on  both  sides, 
Adriatic,  and  iEgean.  The  greatest  depth  that  I  can 
find  recorded  is  30  fathoms ;  and  it  is  littoral  at  Vigo 
and  in  the  ^gean.  Searles  Wood  has  noticed  its 
occurrence  in  the  "  faluns  ^'  of  Touraine,  and  Philippi 


GASTRANA.  369 

in  the  newer  tertiary  strata  of  the  south  of  Italy.  This 
species  being  common  in  some  parts  of  the  west  of  Ire- 
land which  have  been  often  explored  by  many  of  our 
best  zoologists^  it  is  surprising  that  the  animal  has  not 
been  noticed  by  any  writer  on  the  British  or  Irish  Mol- 
lusca,  and  that  it  should  have  devolved  on  a  German 
conchologist  to  examine  it  on  the  distant  shores  of 
Sicily,  and  on  a  French  savant  to  investigate  its  ana- 
tomy in  North  Africa.  Their  descriptions,  however, 
differ  from  that  of  Poli,  as  well  as  among  themselves. 
According  to  Philippi  the  siphonal  orifices  are  not  cir- 
rous ;  the  characters  of  the  animal  which  I  have  quoted 
from  Deshayes  give  the  number  of  cirri  which  surround 
the  aperture  of  each  tube ;  while  Poli  states  that  the 
cirri  encircling  the  branchial  tube  are  scarcely  percepti- 
ble, even  by  the  aid  of  a  lens,  and  that  the  mouth  of  the 
other  tube  is  plain.  The  lesser  tooth  in  the  left  valve 
is  thrown  into  the  shade  by  its  huge  companion,  and 
the  genus  is  represented  by  authors  as  having  only  one 
tooth  in  that  valve.  Montagu  says  that  his  Tellina 
polygona  has,  "  besides  the  very  large,  triangular,  bifid 
tooth,  an  approximate  small  one,  that  might  easily  be 
passed  unnoticed."  I  believe  that  shell  was  only  a 
half-grown  and  distorted  G.  fragilis ;  I  have  one  exactly 
answering  to  the  particulars  and  figure  given  in  the 
'  Testacea  Britannica.'  The  young  are  more  oval,  and 
not  so  inequilateral.  A  specimen  in  my  collection  con- 
tains a  small  incipient  pearl  close  to  the  posterior  scar. 
The  regularity  of  sculpture  varies  in  individuals  from 
different  localities. 

It  is  the  Tellina  striatula  of  Olivi,  T.  jugosa  of  Brown, 
Petricola  lamellosa  and  P.  ochroleuca  of  Lamarck,  and 
(in  its  younger  or  immature  state)  his  Psammotcea 
tarentina. 

R  5 


370  TELLINIDiE. 

Genus  II.  TELLI'NA  ^  Linn^.     PI.  VII.  f.  3. 

Body  oval,  compressed :  tubes  slender ;  orifices  cirrous,  or 
plain. 

Shell  oval,  triangular,  or  oblong,  in  some  species  slightly 
inequivalve,  more  or  less  inequilateral,  sculptured  by  con- 
centric laminae  or  striae,  and  occasionally  by  longitudinal  (or 
partially  by  oblique)  striae ;  posterior  side  flexuous  :  teeth,  two 
cardinals  in  each  valve ;  laterals  on  either  side  or  on  one  only 
of  each  or  one  valve,  but  not  always  present :  inside  margin 
smooth. 

According  to  Aldrovandus  the  generic  name  is  de- 
rived from  the  quick  growth  of  the  shell.  He  cites 
Aristotle  as  his  authority;  but  the  expression  of  the 
latter  [otl  Tor^icrTa  ^IvovTai  reXewit)  was  used  with  re- 
ference to  every  sort  of  shell-fish.  Mr.  William  Wood's 
work,  '  General  Conchology,'  published  in  1815,  con- 
tains a  monograph  of  all  the  species  of  Tellina  which 
were  at  that  time  known  :  it  is  well  executed  and  pret- 
tily illustrated.  He  explained,  better  than  Montagu 
had  done  a  few  years  previously,  the  use  of  the  siphonal 
tubes,  as  weU  as  of  the  linguiform  organ  usually  termed 
a  ^'  foot.''  As  Lamarck  observed,  the  two  valves  of  the 
same  individual  are  not  always  perfectly  alike ;  some- 
times one  valve  is  more  convex  than  the  other.  This 
inequality  of  size  occurs  to  a  certain  extent  in  our  T, 
crassa  and  T,  squalida.  The  species  are  exceedingly 
numerous,  both  in  a  recent  and  fossil  state ;  according 
to  Chenu  there  are  220  of  the  former,  and  nearly  half 
as  many  in  secondary  and  tertiary  strata.  Searles  Wood 
says  that "  the  genus  appears  as  early  as  the  Coral  Rag, 
with  some  doubtful  forms  in  the  Palaeozoic  Formations." 
Their  shells  are  of  an  elegant  shape,  and  often  variegated 
by  bright-coloured  rays  and  other  markings. 

*  The  name  given  by  Dioscorides  to  a  kind  of  shell-fish. 


TELLINA. 


371 


Even  this  consistent  genus  has  a  dozen  synonyms, 
two  of  them  prior,  and  the  rest  subsequent  to  Linnets 
time. 

A.  Shell  oval,  nearly  eqmlateral,  concentrically  laminated  ; 
lateral  teeth  conspicuous. 

N^JAS^      1.  Tellinabalau'stina^,  Linn^.  )»^  -t*    (<^«^ 

T.  balaustina,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1119 ;  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  290,  pi.  xxi.  f.  2. 

Body  gelatinous,  greyish- white :  tvhes  clear  white  and  trans- 
parent ;  orifices  apparently  not  fringed  or  cihated. 

Shell  triangularly  oval,  or  inchned  to  globular,  ventricose, 
thin,  semitransparent,  rather  glossy :  sculpture,  regular,  deh- 
cate,  and  but  sUghtly  raised  concentric  laminse,  which  are  easily 
rubbed  off  or  broken,  more  crowded  at  the  sides,  besides  minute, 
close-set,  parallel  striae  in  the  interstices ;  the  whole  surface  is 
also  covered  with  microscopical  and  excessively  fine  but  irre- 
gular longitudinal  striae :  colour  whitish  with  a  faint  tinge  of 
yellow,  variegated  by  narrow  streaks  of  a  pinkish  hue,  which 
radiate  from  the  direction  of  the  beaks  and  are  more  conspi- 
cuous towards  the  margins ;  these  rays  differ  in  number  and 
width,  and  frequently  are  broken  and  variously  disposed,  some- 
times two  or  three  being  close  together,  and  now  and  then  con- 
fluent :  epidermis  thin,  filmy  and  iridescent,  imparting  to  the 
surface  a  silky  lustre :  margins  semicircular  on  the  anterior 
side,  regularly  but  more  bluntly  curved  in  front,  slightly  an- 
gular on  the  posterior  side,  which  is  flexuous  and  separated 
from  the  rest  of  the  shell  by  an  obscure  and  broad  ridge;  dorsal 
margin  short,  straight  in  the  young  and  nearly  so  in  the  adult : 
beaks  small,  incurved,  and  almost  contiguous ;  umbones  some- 
what raised :  lunide  lanceolate,  deeply  incised,  with  shelving 
sides :  ligament  short,  not  very  prominent,  homcolour :  hinge- 
line  more  rounded  than  angular :  hinge-plate  slight,  of  mode- 
rate breadth:  teeth,  in  each  valve  two  symmetrical,  short, 
erect,  and  diverging  cardinals,  the  posterior  of  which  in  the 
right  valve  and  anterior  in  the  left  valve  are  bifid  or  double ; 
laterals,  one  on  each  side  in  both  valves,  remote  and  laminar, 
more  developed  in  the  right  than  in  the  left  valve:  inside 
glossy,  tinged  with  orange,  microscopically  wrinkled  and  lon- 

*  Colour  resembling  that  of  a  pomegranate  flower. 


372  TELLINIDiE. 

gitudinally  lineated :  pallial  scar  slight,  large,  but  not  extend- 
ing far  into  the  interior :  muscular  scars  well  defined.  L.  0*75. 
B.  0-85. 

Habitat  :  Kare  (in  the  sense  of  local),  in  fine  sand, 
at  the  undermentioned  places  and  depths :  Falmouth, 
among  trawl  refuse  from  about  20  fathoms  (Miss  Vigors, 
Mrs.  Gulson,  and  Mr.  Cocks) ;  Birterbuy  Bay,  co.  Gal- 
way,  18-20  fathoms  (Barlee  and  J.  G.  J.) ;  Stornoway 
and  Skye,  40-50  fathoms  (Barlee) ;  Moray  Firth,  in  deep 
water  (Macdonald) ;  Shetland,  18-78  fathoms  (J.  G.  J.). 
Fossil  in  the  Coralline  Crag  (S.  Wood).  It  inhabits 
every  part  of  the  Mediterranean,  Adriatic,  and  iEgean, 
at  from  6  to  50  fathoms,  and  M^Andrew  has  dredged 
it  off  Madeira  and  the  Canary  Isles  in  20-25  fathoms. 
Philippi  enumerated  it  as  a  Sicilian  tertiary  shell. 

This  is  one  of  the  much  sought-for  treasures  of  the 
British  conchologist,  apparently  scarce,  but  found  in 
many  parts  of  the  North  Atlantic, 

"  All  scatter'd  in  the  bosom  of  the  sea." 

The  market-price  of  perfect  specimens  may  be  said, 
in  mercantile  phrase,  to  "  rule ''  from  £2  to  £5.  Sepa- 
rate valves  and  fragments  have  not  unfrequently  been 
brought  up  in  the  dredge  on  the  eastern  coasts  of  Shet- 
land, at  a  considerable  distance  from  land,  and  far  be- 
yond the  course  or  influence  of  the  Gulf-stream.  The 
fry  are  triangular,  and  in  shape  not  unlike  those  of 
Lucina  borealis.  My  largest  specimen  (a  single  valve) 
is  about  an  inch  in  breadth.  The  dimensions  of  British 
examples  greatly  exceed  those  of  any  from  the  Mediter- 
ranean; and  they  can  always  be  thus  distinguished. 
Although  the  present  species  may  be  considered  a 
southern  form,  it  is  a  striking  illustration  of  the  fact 
that  the  development  of  size  in  individuals  of  the  same 
species  in  the  Mollusca  increases  northward.    Lilljeborg 


T,ELLINA.  373 

and  Sars  have  made  similar  observations  with  regard  to 
the  Crustacea  and  other  Invertebrata  which  are  com- 
mon to  northern  and  southern  latitudes.  An  explana- 
tion (although  perhaps  an  imperfect  and  unsatisfactory- 
one)  of  this  law  has  been  offered  in  the  ^  Introduction  ^ 
to  my  first  volume,  p.  xxxii. 

The  synonyms  of  this  pretty  species  are  few  and  ob- 
solete. I  am  aware  of  two  only,  viz.  T.  orbiculata,  Re- 
nier,  and  T.  serratula,  Chiereghini. 

N'?!^^  2.  T.  cRAssA*,(Gmelin.)  H '  ^^   1^"^' 

Venus  crassa,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  (ed.  Gmel.)  p.  3288.      T.  crassa,  F.  &  H.  i. 
p.288,  pl.xx.  f.1,2. 

Body  yellowish -white :  mantle  thick ;  edges  closely  fimbri- 
ated :  tubes  funnel-shaped  and  long ;  orifice  of  each  narrow, 
and  fringed  with  6  short  tentacular  cirri;  the  excretal  or 
upper  tube  in  an  individual  examined  by  me  was  three  or  four 
times  the  length  of  the  other  tube ;  mouth  of  the  alimentary 
tube  much  contracted  and  like  a  snout  in  shape :  gills  nearly 
circular,  of  a  very  thin  texture ;  lower  pair  twice  the  size  of 
the  upper ;  both  are  coarsely  but  not  distinctly  pectinated : 
jmlps  narrow,  slender,  pointed,  of  an  elongated  triangular  form, 
quite  smooth  externally,  but  conspicuously  striated  on  the  inner 
side :  liver  dark  brownish-green  :  foot  very  large. 

Shell  obtusely  triangular  rather  than  oval,  compressed, 
thick,  opaque,  moderately  glossy ;  the  left  valve  is  somewhat 
larger  and  deeper  than  the  other :  sculpture,  numerous  strong, 
threadlike,  concentric  ribs,  which  are  more  crowded  and  become 
laminar  at  the  sides  also  in  the  young ;  the  narrow  interstices 
of  these  ribs  are  impressed  with  finer  parallel  striae,  and  crossed 
by  deeper,  more  regular,  and  close-set  longitudinal  striae,  none 
of  which,  however,  are  visible  except  by  the  aid  of  a  magni- 
fier :  colour  the  same  as  in  the  last  species  :  epidermis  fibrous, 
yellowish-brown,  slight,  and  efiaced  in  nearly  every  part  by 
continual  friction  :  m<irgins  curved  in  front,  and  obtusely  an- 
gular with  rounded  points  at  each  end ;  posterior  side  decidedly 
flexuous,  especially  in  the  right  valve :  heciks  small,  incurved, 

*  Solid. 


374  TELLINID^. 

and  contiguous ;  umbones  projecting,  but  not  disproportion- 
ately convex :  lunule  deep,  lanceolate,  elongated,  and  of  a  red- 
dish-brown hue  :  ligament  long,  rather  prominent,  dark  horn- 
colour  :  hinge-line  curved :  hinge-plate  thick,  broad,  and  flexu- 
0U8  :  teeth  similar  to  those  in  T.  balaustina,  but  stronger ;  the 
anterior  lateral  in  the  right  valve  is  very  large  and  conspi- 
cuous :  inside  highly  glossy  and  nacreous,  longitudinally  marked 
towards  the  margin  with  faint  and  indistinct  lines,  and  some- 
times streaked  irregularly  from  the  hinge  to  the  centre  vrith 
bright  pink  or  rosecolour :  pallial  scar  well  defined,  large,  ex- 
tending across  nearly  to  the  anterior  adductor  muscle,  and 
slightly  lineated  in  the  same  direction :  muscular  scars  deep, 
particularly  that  of  the  anterior  adductor,  which  is  pear- 
shaped.     L.  1-8.   B.  2-1. 

Yar.  albida.    Shell  whitish  and  without  coloured  rays. 

Habitat  :  All  our  sandy  coasts,  jfrom  the  Shetland  to 
the  Channel  Isles,  from  low-water  mark  to  55  fathoms. 
Var.  1.  Lerwick  (Barlee  and  J.  Gr.  J.).  This  species  is 
fossil  at  Ayr  (J.  Smith),  and  in  the  Mammalian,  Red,  and 
Coralline  Crag  { S.Wood).  Nyst  has  recorded  it  from 
the  Belgian  Crag,  and  Philippi  from  the  Sicilian  upper 
tertiaries.  It  is  not  uncommon  in  the  North  Sea  from 
Dfontheim  (Sars)  to  the  Bohuslan  district  (Loven  and 
Malm),  and  south  of  Great  Britain  from  Normandy 
(Bouchard-Chantereaux)  to  Gibraltar  and  the  Gulf  of 
Tunis  (M'Andrew  and  Deshayes),  at  depths  varying  from 
8  to  35  fathoms. 

Turton  noticed  that  one  of  the  valves  is  more  convex 
than  the  other ;  the  inequality  is  not  great,  but  very  per- 
ceptible. Independently  of  this  character,  and  of  its 
being  infinitely  more  common,  T.  crassa  diflPers  from 
T.  balaustina  in  being  at  least  six  times  the  size,  having 
a  more  solid  texture,  and  the  ridges  being  stronger  and 
more  compact ;  the  fry  are  oval  instead  of  triangular. 
The  one  is  the  "porcelain  of  creation'^;  the  other  is 
common  ware. 

According  to  Brown,  the  present  species  is  the  type 


TELLINA.  375 

of  Leach's  genus  Arcopagia,  which  Leach  himseK  has 
since  denominated  Cydippe.  It  is  the  Pectunculus  de- 
pressior  of  Da  Costa,  T.  rigida  of  Pulteney,  T.  subro- 
tunda  of  Deshayes,  and  Cydippe  Listeriana  of  Leach;  the 
young  appears  to  be  the  Arcopagia  ovata  of  Brown,  and 
(in  a  "  depauperated  '^  and  dirty  state)  is  certainly  the 
T.  maculata  of  Turton.  Adams's  species  of  the  last 
name  is  probably  the  T.  bimaculata  of  Linne,  a  very 
common  West-Indian  shell. 

B.  SheU  triangular,  inequilateral,  produced  at  the  posterior 
end  to  an  angular  point,  concentrically  striated  (one  spe- 
cies having  the  right  valve  sculptured  also  by  obhque 
longitudinal  striae);  lateral  teeth  wanting  or  imperfectly 
developed.     ^^^^  h^^.c^ 

IS'?  ^5h  3.  T.  BAL'THiCA*,^Linne.)  ^^  •  4o 

T.  balthica,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1120.      T.  solidula,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  304, 
pi.  XX.  f.  6. 

Body  thick,  pale  yellowish,  tinged  with  different  shades  of 
brown :  mantle  of  a  firm  texture,  fringed  with  fine,  but  short, 
white  filaments :  tubes  nearly  hyaline,  varying  considerably  in 
length  both  collectively  and  individually ;  the  excretal  one  is 
curved  upwards,  and  usually  longer  than  the  other,  being  often 
exserted  to  almost  twice  the  length  of  the  shell,  plain  at  its 
orifice ;  the  alimentary  tube  has  from  four  to  six  very  minute 
dentations  at  its  aperture :  gills  two  only,  one  on  each  side, 
rather  elongated :  palps  enormous,  triangular,  broad  at  their 
bases  and  pointed  at  their  extremities,  smooth  without  and 
distinctly  striated  within  :  foot  white,  very  large,  muscular,  of 
moderate  length,  sHghtly  bent. 

Shell  more  triangular  than  round,  usually  convex  and 
sometimes  almost  globular,  varying  in  thickness  according  to 
the  nature  of  its  habitation,  opaque,  glossy:  scvJpture,  fine, 
minute,  and  close-set  but  irregular  concentric  striae,  diversified 
by  occasional  lines  of  growth  :  colour,  of  all  hues  and  shades 
from  milk-white  or  yellow  to  crimson,  often  relieved  by  narrow 
zones  or  concentric  belts  of  a  deeper  tint,  rarely  pink  in  the 

*  Inhabiting  the  Baltic. 


376  TELLINIDiE. 

earKer  stages  of  growth  and  abruptly  becoming  white  after- 
wards :  epidermis  minutely  wrinkled,  fibrous  at  the  sides  and 
edges  of  the  shell,  light  brown,  or  occasionally  greenish,  mostly 
effaced  in  full-grown  specimens  :  margins  rounded  in  front  and 
on  the  anterior  side,  somewhat  produced  on  the  posterior  side 
and  ending  in  an  obtuse  angle,  with  a  greater  or  less  degree 
of  flexure,  and  frequently  with  an  angular  ridge  running  from 
the  posterior  end  to  the  beaks ;  dorsal  margin  sloping  with  a 
slight  curve:  beaks  small,  inflected,  nearly  contiguous;  um- 
bones  scarcely  projecting :  lunule  lanceolate,  not  very  distinct : 
ligament  strong,  prominent,  dark  homcolour,  now  and  then  ex- 
tending between  the  beaks  to  the  lunule :  hinge-line  curved : 
hinge-plateVhick  and  broad,  occupying  between  a  third  and  a 
fourth  of  the  circumference  :  teeth  fixed  in  a  shallow  cavity  or 
depression  in  the  middle  of  the  hinge-plate,  and  set  either 
across  it  or  in  opposite  directions ;  they  consist  of  two  small 
symmetrical  cardinals  in  each  valve,  the  posterior  in  the  right 
valve  and  anterior  in  the  left  being  bifid  or  cloven  length- 
wise :  inside  glossy  and  nacreous,  often  partaking  of  the  ex- 
ternal colour,  and  microscopically  wrinkled  :  pallial  scar  large, 
triangular,  extending  in  a  line  parallel  with  the  front  margin : 
muscular  scars  deep  and  distinct.     L.  0'7.   B.  0*8. 

Var.  1.  attenuata.  Shell  smaller,  more  compressed,  and  of  a 
thinner  consistency,  often  eroded ;  epidermis  also  thin,  partially 
iridescent ;  teeth  very  slight ;  inside  chalky-white. 

Var.  2.  minor.  Shell  smaller  and  more  triangular.  L.  0*5. 
B.  0-55. 

Var.  3.  nivea.  Shell  of  the  same  size  as  the  last  variety, 
but  more  compressed,  snow-white. 

Habitat  :  Sand,  gravel,  and  mud  between  tide-marks 
on  every  shore.  Var.  1.  Southampton  (J.  G.  J.);  Or- 
well estuary  (Dr.  Clarke).  This  is  the  Baltic  form. 
Var.  2.  Bantry  Bay  (Humphreys  and  J.  G.  J.)  Var.  3. 
Llanrhidian  Marsh  in  the  estuary  of  the  Burry  River, 
Glamorganshire  (J.  G.  J.)  Our  usual  form  (which  may 
be  termed  solidula)  abounds  in  all  the  later  tertiary  de- 
posits, including  the  boulder-clay  or  '  tilP  and  the  Mam- 
malian Crag.  It  may  therefore  be  regarded  in  the  main 
as  a  northern  species;  but  it  is  likewise  common  in 


TELLINA.  377 

many  parts  of  the  south  of  Europe,  as  will  appear  from 
the  following  epitome  of  its  geographical  distribution : 
Behring^s  Straits  to  Kamtschatka,  White  Sea,  and 
Nova  Zembla  to  the  Black  Sea  (Middendorff) ;  Finland 
{Nordenskiold  and  Nylander)  to  Kiel  Bay  (Meyer  and 
Mobius),  at  depths  varying  from  zero  to  60  fathoms; 
North  of  France  (De  Gerville  and  others)  to  the  coast  of 
Spain  (Gay)  j  Toulon  (Gay)  to  Mogador  (R.  T.  Lowe)  and 
Sicily  (Scacchi  and  others) ;  Labrador  (Brit.  Mus.)  to 
Massachusetts  (Say)  and  north-west  coast  of  America 
(P.  Carpenter) .  It  is  also  fossil  in  the  Uddevalla  and 
Sicilian  pHocene  strata. 

This  species,  so  familiar  to  modern  geologists,  and  such 
an  important  test  for  the  discrimination  between  older 
and  newer  or  quaternary  deposits,  was  well  characterized 
and  figured  by  Lister.  His  method  of  giving  the  dimen- 
sions of  a  bivalve  shell  is  generally  correct  and  that 
which  is  now  recognized,  viz.  the  length  representing  the 
line  of  growth  in  the  direction  of  the  beaks,  and  the 
breadth  the  extent  from  side  to  side.  Chemnitz  has  given, 
in  a  vignette  in  the  sixth  volume  of  his  '  Conchy  lien- 
Cabinet'  (p.  76),  a  diagram  illustrating  this  mode  of 
admeasurement.  The  animal  has  been  excellently  de- 
scribed by  Bouchard-Chantereaux,  who  says  that  some- 
times the  only  tube  exserted  is  the  branchial  one,  which 
the  animal  stretches  out  five  or  six  inches  in  length,  with 
a  diameter  of  only  a  line,  absorbing  with  an  astonishing 
rapidity  any  minute  object  within  its  reach.  It  is  essen- 
tially a  hardy  mc^llusk,  accommodating  itself  to  all  degrees 
of  temperature,  and  to  every  kind  of  water  from  nearly 
fresh  to  the  saltest.  The  typical  or  original  form  inhabits 
the  brackish  and  land-locked  Baltic  Sea.  Lov^n  was  in- 
clined to  consider  this  a  degenerate  variety  of  the  same 
species  as  the  T.  solidula  of  Pulteney,  but  for  the  pallial 


378  TELLINID^. 

fold  being  less  deep  in  the  latter  form :  Searles  Wood, 
however,  shows,  in  his  ^  Crag  Mollusca,^  that  the  extent 
of  this  mark  depends  on  the  comparative  tumidity  of 
the  shell  in  many  species  of  Tellina  and  allied  genera. 
The  last-named  author  has  properly  adopted  the  spe- 
cific name  balthica.  It  was  at  one  time  said  that  all 
geographical  or  local  names  are  objectionable ;  'and 
entertaining  this  opinion  I  even  went  the  length  of 
substituting  fresh  names  whenever  they  occurred  in  the 
List  of  British  Pulmonobranchous  MoUusca,  published  in 
the  'Transactions  of  the  Linnean  Society.^  But  that 
was  more  than  thirty  years  ago ;  and  I  have  since  been 
convinced  that  the  objection  to  all  such  names  is  not 
tenable.  The  Committee  appointed  by  the  British 
Association  to  consider  the  subject  of  Zoological  nomen- 
clature did  not  even  recommend  that  they  should  be 
entirely  discontinued  in  future.  In  the  present  in- 
stance the  word  balthica  is  not  only  correct,  but  com- 
memorative of  the  original  discovery  and  of  the  habitable 
conditions  which  belong  to  the  species.  Although  it 
does  not  tell  the  whole  truth,  there  is  no  falsehood  in- 
volved in  the  use  of  it,  nor  can  it  mislead  any  one.  The 
size  of  my  largest  specimens  from  open  bays,  where  the 
sea- water  has  the  usual  degree  of  saltness,  is  an  inch  in 
length  and  one  and  a  quarter  in  breadth.  Clark  ex- 
pressed an  opinion  that  the  animal  "  differs  greatly 
from  the  typical  Tellinae  in  the  branchial  plate  and  cha- 
racter of  the  palpi,  and  thick  obtuse  foot.''  Morch  has 
referred  this  species  to  the  genus  Macoma  (according  to 
Gray  Macroma)  of  Leach. 

Da  Costa  gave  it  the  appropriate  specific  name  of 
rubra ;  and  besides  being  the  T.  solidula  of  Pulteney,  it 
is  the  T.  carnaria  of  Pennant  (but  not  of  Linne),  Psam- 
mobia  fusca  of  Say,  and  has  four  or  five  other  less- 
known  names. 


TELLTNA.  379 

P^f  ir^-  4.  T.  te'nuis  ^  Da  Costa.  K   ^ 

T.  tenuis,  Da  Costa,  Brit.  Conch,  p.  210;  F.  &H.  i.  p.  300,  pi.  xix.  f.8, 
and  (animal)  pi.  K.  f.  3. 

Body  very  flat,  yellowish-white :  mantle  finely  fringed :  tubes 
white,  nearly  equal  in  length  and  diameter,  the  upper  one 
being  usually  cui'ved  upwards  :  gills  two  only,  one  on  each  side, 
very  large  and  membranous,  nearly  triangular,  most  delicately 
pectinated,  and  pale  brown :  palps  triangular,  not  very  long  or 
pointed,  nor  so  disproportionately  large  as  in  the  last  species, 
pectinated  more  strongly  inside  than  outside,  of  a  sombre  hue, 
marked  with  paler  lines  which  give  them  a  mottled  appear- 
ance :  foot  large,  broad,  compressed,  not  very  pointed,  slightly 
bent. 

Shell  triangularly  oval,  flattened,  thin,  semitransparent, 
remarkably  glossy  and  polished ;  the  right  valve  is  a  trifle 
larger  than  the  left :  sculpture,  exceedingly  slight  and  indistinct 
concentric  striee,  with  occasional  deeper  lines  of  growth ;  the 
•surface  is  also  marked  with  a  few  short  and  obscure  longitu- 
dinal lines  :  colour  white,  yellow,  flesh,  orange,  pink,  or  rose, 
of  various  shades,  sometimes  whitish  with  a  large  rosy  mark 
on  the  umbonal  area,  or  with  two  divergent  streaks  of  yellow 
or  pink,  one  on  each  side  of  the  beaks,  or  pink  with  similar 
whitish  rays,  or  else  with  transverse  bands  of  a  deeper  hue : 
epidermis  slight  and  brilliantly  iridescent :  ^nargins  generally 
not  much  curved  in  front,  more  so  and  often  bluntly  angular 
on  the  anterior  side,  somewhat  flexuous  on  the  posterior  side 
and  produced  to  a  rather  sharp  point,  from  which  a  slight 
ridge  runs  to  the  beak  in  each  valve,  separating  the  posterior 
area ;  this  margin  is  obliquely  truncate ;  the  dorsal  or  liga- 
mental  margin  has  a  straight  slope  to  the  upper  angle  of  the 
posterior  side  :  healcs  small,  nearly  straight,  scarcely  inflected, 
but  turned  towards  the  posterior  side :  ligament  short,  but 
large,  very  prominent,  light  homcolour:  hinge-line  obtusely 
angular :  hinge-plate  much  broader  on  the  posterior  than  on 
the  other  side,  and  abruptly  truncate  at  the  end  of  the  liga- 
ment :  teeth,  cardinals  as  in  the  last  species ;  sometimes  the 
left  valve  has  a  posterior,  or  the  right  an  anterior  lateral :  in- 
side glossy,  having  the  same  coloured  markings  as  the  outside, 
microscopically  wrinkled,  and  striated  towards  the  margin : 
pallial  scar  as  in  the  last  species  :  muscular  scars  oblong,  large 
and  conspicuous.     L.  0-65.   B.  0-95. 

#  Thin. 


380 


TELLINID^. 


Habitat  :  All  sandy  beaches,  at  the  low-water  mark 
of  neap  tides  or  at  the  depth  of  a  few  fathoms.  Fossil 
in  the  Belfast  deposit  (Grainger),  Scotch  glacial  beds 
(J.  Smith  and  Crosskey),  as  well  as  (on  the  authority  of 
Philippi)  in  the  Neapolitan  and  Sicilian  newer  tertiary 
strata.  Its  northern  range  comprises  Upper  Norway, 
in  10-40  fathoms,  (and  possibly  Finland,)  Sweden,  and 
Normandy;  and  southward  it  has  been  noted  on  the 
Lusitanian  shores,  in  the  Mediterranean  from  Spezzia, 
Corsica,  and  Mogador  to  Sicily,  and  also  in  the  Black 
Sea. 

Known  to  Lister,  who  figured  it  as  English  in  the 
'  Historia  Conchyliorum.'  Being  also  a  Swedish  shell 
it  could  hardly  have  escaped  the  notice  of  Linne,  and  it 
probably  was  his  T.  incarnata.  That  species  is  described 
in  the  '  Fauna  Suecica,'  and  the  size  given  ("  extimi 
pollicis^^)  is  the  same  as  that  of  T.  bimaculata.  The 
identity  of  our  shell  with  the  first-mentioned  Linnean 
species  was  suspected  by  Mr.  W.  Wood ;  but  as  another 
species  has  been  called  incarnata^  and  Da  Costa^s  name 
tenuis  is  now  universally  adopted  for  the  present  species, 
it  is  better  to  retain  the  latter  name.  According  to 
Philippi,  Mediterranean  examples  are  much  smaller  than 
those  from  the  German  Ocean.  In  a  specimen  from 
Tenby  the  lateral  tooth  in  the  right  valve  is  extraordi- 
narily developed.  The  present  species  difiiers  from  T. 
balthica  in  the  shell  being  oval,  flat,  thin,  and  remark- 
ably glossy,  with  a  sharp  angle  at  the  posterior  extre- 
mity. Mr.  Clark  suggested  the  removal  of  both  species 
to  another  genus.  Possibly  the  Tellinula  of  Chemnitz, 
or  Tellinides  of  Lamarck,  might  receive  these  and  other 
species  comprised  in  the  section  now  under  consider- 
ation. 

T.  tenuis  does  not  burrow  deep  in  the  sand ;  and  the 


TELLINA.  .  381 

shells  may  often  be  seen  lining  the  upper  tide-mark  in 
large  bays,  having  been  torn  from  their  soft  beds  and 
cast  up  by  the  waves.  Helplessly  stranded,  amid  sea- 
weeds and  foam,  they  lie  in  the  rays  of  the  setting 
sun,  wet  and  glistening,  ruby,  gold,  amber,  and  opal. 
These  petty  wrecks  always  accompany  a  storm ;  and 
afterwards  the  sea  puts  on  a  sorrowful  face  *,  as  if  half 
conscious  and  repenting  of  the  havoc  he  had  lately 
made.  Who  has  not  enjoyed  at  such  a  time  a  ramble 
on  the  wide  beach,  perhaps  not  unobservant  of  the 
various  debris  with  which  it  is  now  strewn,  albeit  in  a 
pensive  mood  and 

"  Framing  wild  fancies  to  the  ocean's  swell "  ? 

The  Ettrick  shepherd  may  have  had  in  his  eye  a 
scene  of  this  kind  when  he  wrote, 

"  While  fairy  shells  in  myriads  lying, 
The  smooth  hard  sand  in  lustre  dyeing, 
Encircle  with  a  far-seen  chain 
Of  glory  the  most  glorious  main." 

The  sea  in  a  happier  aspect,  decorating  with  shells  the 
tawny  brow  of  his  bride,  the  shore,  has  been  portrayed  by 
a  more  modern  poet  in  some  well-known  lines ;  and  the 
conchologist  ought  to  be  doubly  gratified  by  his  favourite 
theme  being  so  immortalized  by  the  northern  muse. 

The  T.  tenuis  of  Chemnitz  is  a  different  species.  Our 
shell  is  his  T.  incarnata,  and  probably  that  of  Risso ; 
but  the  descriptions  of  the  latter  are  so  vague  and  in- 
sufficient, that  it  is  almost  a  waste  of  labour  to  attempt 
any  identification  of  his  species.  It  is  the  T.  planata 
of  Pennant  and  T.  polita  of  Pulteney  (but  not  either  of 
the  species  so  named  by  Linn^),  and  the  T,  exigua  of 
Poll. 

*  "  Whispering  how  meek  and  gentle  he  can  be." 


382  TELLINIDiE. 

\\- ^^  5.  T.  fa'bula"^,  Gronovius.     ^  -  ^^S" 

T.fabula,  Gron.  Zoophyl.  iii.  p.  268,  t.  18.  f.  9 ;  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  302,  pi.  xix. 
f.  9. 

Body  clear  white :  tubes  apparently  rather  longer  than  in 
T.  tenuis,  which  the  animal  closely  resembles  (Forbes  and 
Hanley). 

Shell  triangularly  oval  or  inclining  to  oblong,  flattened, 
thin,  semitransparent,  glossy,  and  having  a  resplendent  and 
prismatic  lustre:  sculpture,  extremely  fine,  numerous,  and 
sharply  incised  concentric  striae,  which  in  the  right  vah'e  are 
at  first  reg-ular  and  parallel,  but  aftei-wards  become  stronger, 
more  remote,  imbricated,  and  flexuous,  and  slant  diagonally 
from  the  upper  part  of  the  anterior  side  towards  the  front  and 
posterior  margin  ;  the  surface  is  also  covered  with  much  more 
numerous  and  close-set  microscopical  transverse  striae,  as  well 
as  with  a  few  slight  longitudinal  lines,  as  in  the  last  species ; 
the  posterior  side  (and  occasionally  the  anterior  side  also)  is 
not  marked  by  the  larger  striae ;  the  lines  of  growth  are  well 
iefined  and  sometimes  form  distinct  zones  :  colour  pearl-white 
with  frequently  a  tinge  of  yellow  or  occasionally  of  light 
orange :  epidermis  veiy  thin  and  brilliantly  iridescent :  mar- 
gins not  much  curved  in  front,  semioval  on  the  anterior  side, 
flexuous  on  the  posterior  side  and  elongated  to  a  rather  sharp 
point,  from  which  an  obscure  ridge  runs  to  the  beaks  as  in 
T.  tenuis ;  the  posterior  margin  is  short  and  obHquely  trun- 
cate ;  the  dorsal  margin  is  more  or  less  straight,  and  slopes  to 
the  upper  angle  of  the  posterior  side  :  heaks  small,  scarcely  in- 
flected, contiguous,  and  turned  a  little  towards  the  posterior 
side :  ligament  as  in  the  last  species :  hinge-line  and  hinge- 
plate  also  similar :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  two  erect,  small, 
deeply  cloven  cardinals ;  in  the  left  valve  a  cardinal  of  the 
same  kind  just  under  the  beak,  and  a  much  smaller  and 
laminar  cardinal  on  the  posterior  side,  which  diverges  from 
the  other  at  about  a  right  angle  ;  each  valve  has  a  short  in- 
distinct lateral  on  the  anterior  side :  inside  chalky- white, 
except  the  line  of  the  pallial  scar  and  the  whole  of  the  mus- 
cular scars,  which  are  polished  :  pallial  scar  as  in  the  last  two 
species,  but  larger,  with  the  upper  angle  extending  much  fur- 
ther towards  the  beak,  and  infringing  on  the  posterior  mus- 
cular impression :  muscular  scars  irregular,  but  distinct  and 
visible  outside.     L.  0-5.   B.  0-85. 

*  A  small  bean. 


TELLINA,  383 

Yar.  ovata.  Shell  smaller,  of  a  more  oval  form  in  con- 
sequence of  the  posterior  side  not  being  so  much  produced,  the 
oblique  striae  partially  evanescent,  and  the  epidermis  of  a 
greenish  tint. 

Habitat  :  Common  iu  sandy  bays  and  voes,  from 
low- water  mark  to  15  fathoms^  on  aU  our  coasts.  The 
variety  is  from  the  Hebrides,  Lerwick,  and  Deal  Voe. 
This  species  is  fossil  in  the  Belfast  deposit  (Grainger), 
and  Mammalian  Crag  (Searles  Wood).  Landt  has  re- 
corded it  from  the  Faroe  Isles  (as  T.  fragilissima) ; 
Lilljeborg,  M' Andrew,  and  Malm  have  taken  it  in  the 
Scandinavian  seas,  at  from  3  to  17  fathoms;  North  of 
France  (De  Gerville  and  others) ;  Carthagena,  7  fathoms 
(M*^ Andrew) ;  Gulf  of  Lyons  (Martin) ;  Nice  (Verany) ; 
Corsica  (Requien) ;  Algeria  (M 'Andrew  in  35  fathoms, 
and  Weinkauff) ;  and  Sicily  (Scacchi,  Maravigna,  and 
Philippi). 

This  differs  from  the  last  species  {T.  tenuis)  in  its 
smaller  size,  more  oblong  shape,  and  attenuated  extre- 
mity, fragile  texture,  much  finer  sculpture,  and  espe- 
cially in  the  oblique  striation  of  the  right  valve.  Malm 
found  the  present  species  in  the  stomachs  of  Platessa 
vulgaris  and  Gadus  ceglefinus.  Gronovius  says  that  the 
vernacular  name  of  this  shell  is  "  Sny-Boontje.'^  Few 
would  have  suspected  that  the  Dutch,  as  a  people,  had 
been  nearly  a  century  back  such  discriminating  con- 
chologists. 

It  is  the  Tellinula  fragilissima  of  Chemnitz,  T.  vitrea 
of  Gmelin  (from  the  last-named  author,  who  more  suo 
changed  the  original  name  without  taking  any  notice  of 
it),  T.  semistriata  of  Solander's  MS.  (according  to  DiU- 
wyn),  and  T.  ^i^cor*  of  Pulteney. 


384  TELLINIDiE. 


y..^^ 


6.  T.  squa'lida  *,  Pulteney.    U^.iSc 


T.  squalida,  Pult.  in  Hutch.  Dors.  p.  29.     T.  incarnata,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  298, 
pi.  XX.  f.  5. 

Body  whitish  with  a  rosy  or  fleshcolour  tint :  mantle  having 
its  edges  strongly  fringed :  tubes  speckled ;  orifices  plain :  foot 
large. 

Shell  triangularly  oval,  somewhat  inequivalve  (the  left 
valve  being  larger  than  the  right),  flattened,  rather  thin  but 
almost  opaque,  of  a  satiny  lustre :  sculpture ^  numerous  and 
fine  concentric  striae,  which  are  more  close-set  in  the  young 
and  afterwards  become  slightly  laminar  and  imbricated ;  the 
posterior  side  has  none  of  these  strias,  but  is  marked  across 
with  oblique,  flexuous,  and  more  compact  striae,  giving  that 
side  a  rough  or  scabrous  appearance ;  the  right  valve  is  more 
striated  than  the  left;  the  surface  is  also  covered  with  the 
same  parallel  and  microscopical  striae  as  are  observable  in  the 
last  species :  colour  pale  orange  or  yellow,  with  often  a  reddish 
mark  near  the  beaks  and  occasionally  one  or  two  faint  longi- 
tudinal rays  of  a  whitish  hue  on  the  posterior  side,  which  ex- 
tend from  the  beaks  to  the  lower  margins  of  the  fold :  epidermis 
fibrous  and  brown,  usually  rubbed  off  except  at  the  edges : 
margins  rounded  in  front,  semioval  on  the  anterior  side,  ab- 
ruptly sloping  upwards,  and  produced  at  the  posterior  end  to 
a  sharp  point  something  like  that  of  a  ploughshare  ;  the  poste- 
rior side  is  decidedly  flexuous,  as  well  as  obliquely  truncate ; 
the  dorsal  margin  on  the  posterior  side  is  straight,  and  that 
side  is  divided  lengthwise  by  two  more  or  less  deep  and  dis- 
tinct furrows,  which  run  from  the  beak  to  the  posterior  angle : 
healcs  projecting,  small,  pressed  together  and  worn  by  the  con- 
tact, turned  towards  the  posterior  side  :  ligament  rather  large, 
prominent,  dark  horncolour,  separating  the  valves  by  a  long 
lanceolate  gap  or  depression :  hinge-line  obtusely  angular : 
hinge-plate  rather  narrow :  teeth,  cardinals  as  in  T.fabula ;  the 
right  valve  only  has  a  lateral,  placed  on  the  anterior  side  near 
the  beak  and  of  an  obtusely  triangular  shape  :  inside  polished, 
longitudinally  striated  towards  the  margin,  coloured  more 
deeply  than  the  outside  :  pallial  scar  large,  of  the  same  shape 
as  in  all  the  other  species  of  this  section  :  muscular  scars  simi- 
lar to  those  of  T.  fabula.     L.  1-1.    B.  1-8. 

Habitat  :    Not   common,    on  sandy  coasts   of  the 

*  Eough. 


TELLINA.  385 

south  and  west  of  England,  Wales,  Ireland,  and  west 
of  Scotland,  from  7  to  15  fathoms;  Dunbar  (Laskey). 
The  last-mentioned  locality  has  been  designated  the 
"  hotbed  '^  of  our  spurious  Mollusca :  it  is  notorious 
that  much  confusion  originated  in  species  having  been 
formerly  stated  to  be  found  there,  which  are  now  ascer- 
tained to  belong  only  to  tropical  seas.  Fossil  in  the 
Kyles  of  Bute  (Crosskey);  Sicily  and  Tarento  (Phi- 
lippi) .  It  does  not  appear  to  have  been  found  in  the 
north  of  Europe ;  but  its  southern  range  is  very  exten- 
sive, from  the  north  of  France  to  the  ^gean  (where 
it  is  littoral),  Madeira,  the  Canary  Isles,  and  Azores,  at 
various  depths  not  exceeding  49  fathoms. 

I  have  stated  in  the  particulars  of  T.  tenuis  my  reasons 
for  considering  that  species  the  T.  incarnata  of  Linne. 
He  described  it  as  a  Swedish  shell,  but  erroneously  re- 
ferred to  Lister^s  figure  of  Psammobia  Ferroensis.  The 
present  shell  is  not  known  as  Scandinavian,  and  is  at  least 
three  times  the  size  stated  by  Linne  for  his  T.  incarnata. 
I  believe  the  species  which  I  have  last  described  is 
partly  the  T.planata  of  the  '  Mus.  Ulr.  Reg.^  and  '  Syst. 
Nat.';  but  as  the  latter  name  is  now  used  for  a  larger, 
although  similar,  Mediterranean  shell,  it  may  prevent 
confusion  by  continuing  the  old  name  {squalida)  pro- 
posed by  Solander  and  adopted  by  Pulteney.  It  would 
require  a  vivid  imagination  to  suppose  that  this  can  be 
the  T.  depressa  of  Gmelin,  the  meagre  description  of 
which  was  taken  verbatim  from  Gualtieri.  Our  shell  has 
certainly  none  of  the  colours  there  indicated,  '^nunc 
Candida,  nunc  purpurascente,  nunc  subrosea."  Gual- 
tieri's  wretched  figures  appear  to  represent  two  dififerent 
species ;  and  no  habitat  is  given.  Poli  called  the  present 
species  T.  incarnata y  and  Donovan  T.  depressa. 


386  TELLINIDiE. 

C.  Shell  oblong,  inequilateral,  angulated,  and  slightly  gaping 
at  the  posterior  end,  concentrically  striated ;  lateral  teeth 
more  developed. 

U  .  ^\  .  7.  T.  dona'cina  *,  Linne.     N^  In 

T.  donacina,  Linn.  Syet.  Nat.  p.  1118 ;   F.  &  H.  i.  p.  292,  pi.  xx.  f.  3,  4, 
and  (animal)  pi.  K.  f.  4. 

Body  oblong,  compressed,  white :  mantle  not  fringed,  but 
finely  dentated  (Clark)  ("  conspicuously  fringed,"  Forbes  and 
Hanley) :  tuhes  long  and  slender,  with  plain  orifices,  marked 
at  their  sides  by  whitish  lines,  which  appear  to  represent  rows 
of  cilia :  gills  suboval,  nearly  of  the  same  size,  pale  brown, 
smooth  outside,  and  striated  inside  by  about  30  delicate  vessels 
of  the  branchial  circulation :  palps  subtriangular,  narrow,  lon- 
gitudinally furrowed,  but  otherwise  smooth  outside  and  pecti- 
nated within :  foot  pure  white,  flat,  broad,  long  and  pointed. 

Shell  triangularly  oblong,  compressed,  of  a  moderate  thick- 
ness, opaque,  more  or  less  glossy :  sculpture,  numerous  fine 
concentric  and  rib-like  striae,  which  are  more  close-set  in 
the  young,  and  consequently  cover  the  umbonal  area  in  the 
adult,  besides  intermediate  and  more  delicate  strise,  only  ob- 
servable by  means  of  a  high  magnifier,  and  then  chiefly  in  the 
interstices  of  the  larger  strise :  colour  yellowish-white,  rarely 
saffron,  ornamented  with  bright  pink  longitudinal  rays  and  a 
more  conspicuous  but  shorter  streak  of  a  deep  rosy  or  carna- 
tion hue  just  below  the  beak  in  each  valve  on  the  ligamental 
side ;  the  rays  are  generally  broken  or  interrupted,  and  fre- 
quently confluent,  and  they  vary  in  number  and  arrangement, 
being  often  in  pairs ;  in  some  specimens  the  ground-colour  is 
rosy  and  the  rays  white :  epidermis  fibrous,  light  reddish- 
brown,  seldom  retained  except  in  the  young  :  margins  rounded 
in  front,  with  an  oblique  and  somewhat  flexuous  curve  to  the 
posterior  end,  also  rounded  and  wedge-shaped  on  the  anterior 
side,  truncate  and  flexuous  on  the  posterior  side,  which  ends 
in  a  blunt  angle ;  dorsal  margins  on  both  sides  straight,  the 
anterior  twice  as  long  as  the  posterior,  forming  between  them 
at  the  point  of  junction  a  well-defined  obtuse  angle ;  the  pos- 
terior side  slightly  gapes,  and  has  an  obscure  ridge  in  each 
valve,  extending  from  the  beak  to  the  point  of  the  lower  angle : 
beaks  small,  sharp,  and  contiguous,  turned  towards  the  pos- 
terior side :  ligament  large,  prominent,  dark  homcolour,  sepa- 

*  So  named  from  its  resemblance  to  a  Donax. 


TELLINA.  387 

rating  the  valves  by  a  lanceolate  gap  or  depression,  which 
vrould  be  a  lunule  if  the  ligament  were  not  interposed  and 
were  seated  (as  in  the  Veneridce)  on  the  other  side  of  the  beak : 
corselet  long  and  rather  deeply  excavated ;  its  colour,  as  well 
as  that  of  the  ligamental  depression,  is  carnation :  hinge-line 
obtusely  angular:  hinge-plate  thick,  twice  as  broad  on  the 
posterior  as  on  the  anterior  side  :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  two 
small  cardinals,  that  under  the  beak  on  the  posterior  side  being 
the  larger,  triangular,  and  slightly  cloven,  besides  a  short  but 
strong  anterior  lateral  near  the  cardinal  tooth  on  that  side,  and 
a  remote  and  smaller  lateral  on  the  other  side ;  the  left  valve 
has  similar  cardinals,  reversed  in  position,  but  no  lateral  tooth: 
inside  highly  polished  and  glossy,  longitudinally  striated  to- 
wards the  front  margins,  which  are  thickened,  of  an  orange 
tint,  usually  marked  with  the  posterior  ray,  and  sometimes 
with  another  ray  or  streak  of  the  same  colour  on  the  anterior 
side  :  pallial  scar  having  a  triangular  sinus,  which  is  shaped 
like  a  foot  and  ankle  (as  it  is  also  in  all  the  species  of  the  pre- 
ceding section),  very  large,  extending  at  the  upper  end  for 
three-fourths  of  the  distance  from  the  front  margins  to  the 
beaks,  and  at  the  sides  to  the  edges  of  the  muscular  scars :  these 
last  are  large  and  irregularly  oval.     L.  0-8.    B.  1. 

Var.  1.  Lantivyi,  Shell  of  a  thinner  texture,  whitish  or 
faintly  tinged  with  yellowish-pink,  not  rayed.  T.  Lantivyi^ 
Payraudeau,  Moll.  Cors.  p.  40,  pi.  i.  f.  13-15. 

Var.  2.  distorta.  Shell  rather  more  compressed,  and  less 
inequilateral  in  consequence  of  the  posterior  side  being  more 
produced  and  not  so  truncate  as  in  the  typical  form,  with  a 
sharper  point  at  that  end.  T.  distorta,  Poli,  Test.  Sic.  1. 15. 
f.  11. 

Habitat  :  Southern,  western,  and  eastern  coasts  of 
England,  North  and  South  Wales,  all  Ireland,  and  west 
of  Scotland,  in  shell-sand  and  among  nullipores,  in  4-25 
fathoms.  Scarborough  (Bean);  Northumberland  and 
Durham,  rare  (Alder) ;  Holy  Island  (Eyton).  I  am 
not  certain  of  any  more  northern  locality,  at  home  or 
abroad.  Var.  1.  Ullapool  (J.  G.  J.).  Var.  2.  Exmouth 
(Clark);  Loch  Carron  (J.  G.  J.);  Hebrides  (Barlee). 
This  species  occurs  in  a  fossil  state  at  Banff  (J.  Smith) ; 
Coralline  Crag  (S.Wood);  Subapennine tertiaries  (Broc- 

s2 


388  TELLINID^. 

chi) ;  Sicily  (Philippi) .  Its  southern  limits  comprise 
the  North  Atlantic  from  the  Boulonnais  to  the  Lusi- 
tanian  coasts  and  Madeira,  the  Mediterranean,,  Black 
Sea  (Krynicki),  and  ^gean,  at  depths  between  7  and  50 
fathoms ;  and  the  two  varieties  have  a  range  of  nearly 
equal  extent. 

This  elegant  little  shell  can  scarcely  be  mistaken  for 
any  other  of  the  Tellens  above  described.  Specimens 
vary  in  having  the  striae  more  or  less  compact ;  in  the 
young  these  are  laminar  on  the  posterior  side. 

It  is  the  T.  trifasciata  of  Pennant  (but  not  of  Linne), 
T.  variegata  of  Poli,  and  T.  subcarinata  of  Brocchi.  This 
and  the  following  species  have  many  characters  in  com- 
mon with  Psammobia,  and  appear  to  form  a  connecting 
link  between  the  two  genera. 

u    -^.  8.  T.  pusil'la *,  Philippi.    '^^^n 

T.  pusilla,  Phil.  Moll.  Sic.  i.  p.  29,  t.  iii.  f.  9,  a,  b.     T.  pygnusa,  F.  &  H.  i. 
p.  295,  pi.  xix.  f.  (),  7. 

Body  shaped  like  that  of  T.  donacina,  whitish  and  transpa- 
rent :  mantle  plain-edged  and  not  fringed :  tubes  nearly  con- 
tiguous, although  separate;  incurrent  tube  bag-shaped,  ex- 
tremely short ;  exeurrent  much  longer,  very  broad  and  dilated 
at  the  base,  and  then  becoming  cylindrical,  four  or  five  times 
the  length  of  the  other  tube ;  orifices  of  both  plain :  foot  very 
large,  serrated  at  the  sides. 

Shell  so  closely  resembling  a  dwarf  or  miniature  form  of 
the  last  species,  that  it  is  only  necessary  to  point  out  the  dif- 
ference. This  never  attains  one-fourth  of  the  cubical  contents 
of  T.  donacina :  it  is  more  convex  in  every  part  and  propor- 
tionally more  solid :  the  sculpture  is  much  finer  and  more 
regular  :  the  colouring  is  brighter  and  more  varied,  being  rose, 
pink,  flamecolour,  orange,  sulphur,  lemon,  or  milk-white,  fre- 
quently of  a  uniform  hue,  but  more  often  diversified  by  rays 
as  in  the  other  species,  besides  having  the  longitudinal  streak 
on  each  side  of  the  beaks  ;  specimens  have  occasionally  trans- 

*  Little. 


1 


TELLINA.  389 

parent  rays  on  a  white  ground :  the  posterior  side  is  not 
flexuous,  gaping,  produced,  or  angular,  but  abruptly  truncate 
and  somewhat  rounded :  both  of  the  lateral  teeth  in  the  right 
valve  are  near  the  beak,  instead  of  the  posterior  lateral  being 
placed  at  a  distance  from  it,  owing  to  the  relative  extent  of  that 
side  in  the  two  species.     L.  0-2.   B.  0*35. 

Habitat  :  Sandy  ground,  at  depths  of  from  3  to 
85  fathoms,  on  most  of  our  coasts.  I  will  enumerate 
a  few  localities : — Balta  Sound  and  the  deep  sea  or 
"  outer  haf  ^^  in  Shetland  (J.  G.  J.) ;  Orkneys  and  north 
of  Scotland  (M^Andrew) ;  west  of  Scotland  (Bedford 
and  others) ;  Cork  (Humphreys) ;  Galway  (Barlee) ; 
Dublin  Bay  (Walpole  and  Kinaghan) ;  Coquet  and 
Berwick  Bay  (Mennell)  ;  Holy  Island,  Northumberland 
(Alder) ;  Fowey  (Barlee)  ;  Land^s  End  (Hockin  and 
Mus.  Turton.) ;  Plymouth,  Exmouth,  and  Channel  Isles 
(J.  G.  J.).  It  is  not  uncommon  on  the  Scandinavian 
coasts,  from  West  Finmark  to  Bohuslan^  in  10-25  fa- 
thoms ;  but  it  does  not  appear  to  have  been  found  or 
noticed  south  of  Great  Britain.  Philippi  first  described 
it  as  a  fossil  of  the  Sicilian  tertiaries,  adding  "  in  Ger- 
mania,  ad  Casselam,  Freden,  &c." 

The  shell  exhibits  in  every  stage  of  growth  the  marks 
of  difference  above  specified  with  regard  to  T.  donacina ; 
and  I  have  never  seen  any  intermediate  specimens.  Yet 
such  may  exist.  It  is  somewhat  suspicious  that  the 
present  species  is  only  found  north,  and  the  other  south 
of  Great  Britain.  Both  conjointly  seem  to  inhabit  no 
other  coasts  but  our  own.  Further  investigations  may 
clear  up  the  point  as  to  the  specific  value  of  T.  pusilla. 

Philippi  must  have  inadvertently  communicated  to 
Loven  the  MS.  name  of  ^^ pygmcca,"  this  species  having 
been  published  by  the  former  in  1836  as  ''  pusilla  J  ^ 

The  T.  calcarea  of  Chemnitz  =  T.  lata,  Gmelin  =  T. 
.sa^/05«,Spengler=  T'.^/^co7^5J0^cw«,Broderip  and  Sowerby 


390  TELLINID^. 

=  Macroma  teneraj  Leach  =  T,  proxima,  Brown  =  T. 
sordida,  Couthouy,  may  be  classed  with  Hypothyris 
psittacea,  Pecten  Islandicus,  Astarte  crebricostata,  and 
A.  borealis  as  having  long  ago  existed  in  that  part  of 
the  Atlantic  which  then  covered  the  greater  part  of  the 
British  Isles;  but  all  of  them  are  now  extinct  in  our 
seas.  I  have  dredged  valves  of  T.  calcarea^  but  always 
in  a  semifossilized  state  (although  retaining  part  of  the 
epidermis),  among  the  Hebrides  and  Shetlands ;  M^An- 
drew  has  taken  similar  specimens  in  Loch  Fyne ;  and 
Professor  Macgillivray  mentions  that  one  was  brought 
up  by  a  fishing-line  off  Aberdeen.  This  species  survives, 
however,  on  the  Danish  coasts  of  the  Baltic,  and  north- 
wards to  Spitzbergen,  as  well  as  on  the  shores  of  Asia 
and  America  from  Behring^s  Straits  to  Massachusetts. 
It  is  one  of  the  shells  most  characteristic  of  "  glacial " 
deposits,  and  occurs  in  every  tertiary  bed  up  to  the  Red 
Crag.  Its  name  ought  always  to  be  associated  with 
that  of  the  veteran  geologist  James  Smith  of  Jordan 
Hill,  who  was  the  first  to  detect  the  remains  of  an 
Arctic  fauna  in  this  country.  This  was  a  quarter  of 
a  century  ago;  and  we  can  even  now  understand  the 
delight  with  which  the  discovery  was  hailed  by  scientific 
men,  including  of  course  Edward  Forbes,  whose  pithy 
saying  on  the  occasion — "  Conchology  is  ris^  ^' — will  not 
easily  be  forgotten. 

T.  remies  of  Linne  (T.  fausta,  Pulteney),  T.  reticulata 
of  Linn^  {T.  proficua,  Pulteney),  T.  lineata  of  Turton 
[T.  Braziliana,  Lamarck),  T,  bimaculata  of  Linne,  and 
T.  similis  of  J.  Sowerby  are  tropical  species,  and  have, 
from  accidental  mistakes  as  well  as  from  ignorance  of 
the  laws  which  regulate  the  geographical  distribution 
of  the  Mollusca,  been  considered  indigenous  to  this 
country.     There  is  a  greater  probability  that  the  T. 


PSAMMOBIA.  391 

punicea  of  Gmelin  (7".  IcetUj  Pulteney,  and  T,  incequi- 
striata,  Donovan)  may  belong  to  the  southern  fauna  of 
Great  Britain_,  as  it  inhabits  the  Mediterranean ;  but  I 
do  not  think  it  ought  to  be  admitted  without  further 
evidence.  Pulteney  is  believed  to  have  found  it  on  the 
coast  of  Dorsetshire  ;  Brown  is  reported  to  have  dredged 
a  specimen  off  Holy  Island,  and  gives  ^'  Leith  shore " 
on  the  authority  of  Sir  Patrick  Walker;  and  Mr. 
Spencer  brought  me  a  couple  of  valves  from  Herm.  T. 
elliptica  and  T,  pellucida  of  Brown  are  irrecognizable  ; 
the  former  is  possibly  the  young  of  Tapes  pullastra,  and 
the  latter  the  fry  of  Lucina  borealis. 

Genus  III.  PSAMMO'BIA  ^,  Lamarck.    PI.  VII.  f.  4. 

Body  oblong  or  elongated,  compressed :  tubes  longitudinally 
Uneated  or  marked  with  rows  of  ciha ;  orifice  of  each  tube,  or 
cnly  of  the  incurrent  or  alimentary  one,  furnished  with  den- 
tUe  points. 

Shell  oblong  or  eUiptical,  equivalve,  nearly  equilateral, 
compressed,  striated  concentrically  as  well  as  longitudinally ; 
posterior  side  somewhat  truncate  and  gaping :  teeth,  two  car- 
dinals in  each  valve,  the  posterior  one  in  the  left  valve  being 
disproportionately  small  and  set  obhquely,  the  others  cloven ; 
no  laterals. 

Telana  and  this  genus  are  near  neighbours ;  but  in 
Psamrru)bia  the  tabes  are  furnished  externally  with  lon- 
gitudinal rows  of  cilia,  the  shell  is  more  or  less  equal- 
sided  and  sculptured  by  longitudinal  as  well  as  con- 
centric striae,  and  the  posterior  extremity  has  a  decided 
gape. 

Two  other  generic  names  {Lux,  Chemnitz,  and  Gari, 
Schumacher)  have  precedence  of  that  given  by  Lamarck, 
but  they  are  antiquated. 

*  Living  in  sand. 


392  .  TELLINID^. 

^^  '  1.    PSAMMOBIA  TELLINEL'LA'^,(^Lamarck)        ^'  ^^ 

p.  fellineUa,  Lam.  An.  sans  Vert.  v.  p.  515  ;  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  277,  pi.  xix.  f.  4, 
and  (animal)  pi.  K.  f.  1. 

Body  oblong,  pure  white :  mantle  dentated  in  front  and 
fringed  behind  from  the  beaks  to  the  tabes:  the  latter  are 
moderately  long,  tapering,  and  divergent ;  the  exciirrent  tube 
is  the  more  slender,  and  curved  upwards,  marked  lengthwise 
with  eight  fine  lines  of  intense  frosted  white  running  from  one 
end  to  the  other,  and  having  its  orifice  encircled  with  exceed- 
ingly minute  and  short  white  cirri ;  orifice  of  incurrent  tube 
furnished  with  six  similar  cirri  and  intermediate  shorter  ones : 
(Jills  suboval,  pale  brown,  hanging  obliquely,  and  coarsely 
striated  on  both  sides ;  upper  very  small :  palps  rather  long, 
subtriangular,  pointed,  pale  brown,  outwardly  smooth,  and 
inwardly  coarsely  pectinated  transversely,  not  furrowed  as  in 
Tellina  donacina :  foot  flat,  sharp-edged,  slightly  bent,  and 
lanceolate  at  the  point. 

Shell  oblong,  compressed,  rather  thin  than  solid,  opaque, 
slightly  glossy:  sculpture,  very  delicate  and  close-set  but 
somewhat  irregular  concentric  striae,  with  occasional  and  more 
strongly-marked  lines  of  growth  ;  the  concentric  or  transverse 
striae  are  crossed  by  others,  which  are  longitudinal  and  equally 
fine,  but  sometimes  become  larger  and  almost  rib-like  on  tie 
posterior  slope ;  in  fresh  specimens  the  surface  is  thus  faincly 
decussated,  but  the  longitudinal  striae  always  predominate : 
colour  yellowish-white  tinged  with  violet  or  flamecolour,  vgrie- 
gated  by  rays  of  either  of  those  hues,  or  of  pink,  and  diver- 
sified by  short  longitudinal  streaks  or  wavy  and  irregular  lines 
of  the  same  tint ;  usually  on  the  anterior  (and  frequently  also 
on  the  posterior)  side  of  the  beaks  are  short  but  broadieh  rosy 
streaks  as  in  Tellina  donacina ;  rarely  the  colour  is  izniform 
milk-white  or  purple :  epidermis  thin,  pale  yeUowish-brown, 
generally  obliterated :  marc/ins  slightly  and  obtusely  carved  in 
front,  more  acutely  so  on  the  anterior  side,  and  bluntlf  pointed 
at  the  posterior  extremity,  from  which  the  margin  in  each 
valve  slopes  with  different  degrees  of  curvature  to  the  beak, 
the  deflection  on  each  side  of  the  umbo  being  neaily  equal ; 
the  posterior  side  is  somewhat  angular,  and  both  sides  are 
wedge-like:  beaks  small,  sharp,  contiguous,  turned  towards 
the  posterior  side :    ligament  short,  prominent,  at  first  of  a 

*  Resembling  a  small  kind  of  Tellina. 


PSAMMOBIA.  393 

golden  yellow,  but  afterwards  horncolour,  more  or  less  annu- 
lated,  separating  the  valves  (as  in  T.  doyiacina)  by  an  ellip- 
tical gape :  corselet  short  but  deep  :  hinge-line  almost  straight 
or  very  little  curved  in  the  adult,  obtusely  angular  in  the 
young,  occasionally  stained  inside  with  rose-colour :  hinge- 
plate  narrow  and  thick,  abruptly  truncate  at  the  outer  end  of 
the  Kgament :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  two  small  knob-  like 
and  diverging  cardinals,  the  anterior  being  a  trifle  the  larger  ; 
in  the  left  valve  a  small  erect  cardinal  in  the  centre  of  the 
hinge,  seated  in  a  cavity,  besides  another  minute  laminar 
one  in  a  Une  with  the  beak  and  at  a  right  angle  to  the  edge 
of  the  hinge -plate ;  the  three  largest  teeth  are  bifid :  inside 
poUshed  and  very  glossy,  coloured  and  rayed  hke  the  out- 
side, and  sometimes  having  a  short  white  longitudinal  streak 
below  the  beak,  microscopically  fretted  throughout,  and 
indistinctly  striated  lengthwise  towards  the  edge,  which  is 
thickened :  pallialscar  well  defined  ;  sinus  oval,  not  very  large 
or  deep,  extending  from  the  posterior  muscular  scar  about 
halfway  across  the  interior,  apparently  double  in  consequence 
of  a  shifting  or  enlargement  of  the  tubular  base  :  muscular 
scars  irregularly  triangular,  anterior  the  larger  of  the  two. 
L.  0-6.  B.  1-15. 

Yar.  gracilis.  Shell  broader  in  proportion  to  its  length, 
flatter,  and  of  a  slighter  consistency,  somewhat  gaping  at  both 
ends ;  a  few  of  the  concentric  striae  assuming  the  form  of 
irregular  grooves  or  ridges;  colouring  more  delicate,  some- 
times bright  orange  or  marked  with  short  purplish  streaks, 
and  not  unfrequently  milk-white  with  dusky  or  pure  white 
streaks. 

Habitat  :  English,  Welsh,  Irish,  and  Scotch  coasts, 
from  one  extremity  to  the  other,  in  sand  and  among 
nuUipores,  at  depths  between  4  and  85  fathoms,  but 
locally  distributed.  The  variety  is  from  deep  water  off 
Shetland,  and  resembles  Galeomma  Turtoni  in  shape. 
P.  tellinella  is  a  fossil  of  the  Coralline  Crag.  It  inhabits 
the  upper  and  western  coasts  of  Norway,  in  3-40  fa- 
thoms ;  and  M'Andrew  has  taken  it  on  the  Lusitanian 
coasts,  in  15-30  fathoms. 

It  is  an  active  little  mollusk  burrowing  and  swimming 

s5 


394  TELLINIDiE. 

with  rapidity,  the  latter  operation  being  effected  by  a 
series  of  jerks.  The  tubes  are  capable  of  great  exten- 
sion ;  the  larger  or  imbibing  one  is  sometimes  as  long 
as  the  shell  is  broad,  and  thrust  out  in  every  direction 
as  if  in  search  of  food. 

*Montagu  considered  it  the  young  of  P.  vesperiina, 
which  is  invariably  a  flatter  and  more  oval  shell.  Pay- 
raudeau  seems  also  to  have  mistaken  the  two ;  the  pre- 
sent species  is  probably  his  P.  fragilis.  It  is  the  P. 
florida  of  Turton,  but  not  of  Lamarck. 
<3»  cur »  Co  ^tt4  ott**- 
^ .  4-L-  .  2.  p.  cosTULA  TA  ^,(Turton)       N  ^  lc]  ^ 

P.  costulata,  Turt.  Conch.  Dith.  p.  87,  t.  6.  f.  8 ;  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  279,  pi.  xix. 
f  .  5. 

Body  milk-white,  delicately  suffused  with  pink:  mantle 
having  thickened  edges,  which  project  beyond  the  valves  in 
front  and  at  the  sides,  and  are  slightly  cirrated,  especially  at 
the  posterior  end :  incurrent  (or  lower)  tube  very  long,  cylin- 
drical, and  octangular ;  each  angle  is  clothed  with  a  row  of 
minute  cilia  and  terminates  at  the  orifice  in  a  tooth-like 
point:  excurrent  (or  upper)  tube  conical,  contracted  at  the 
orifice,  which  is  plain  and  covered  with  eight  longitudinal  rows 
of  cilia  hke  those  of  a  Beroe;  both  tubes  diverge  from  each 
other  at  a  right  angle,  the  lower  one  being  straight  or  but 
slightly  bent,  and  the  other  (which  is  much  the  shorter  of  the 
two)  turned  upwards :  foot  flexible  and  pointed. 

Shell  resembling  that  of  P.  telUnella,  var.  gracilis,  in  almost 
every  respect  but  the  peculiar  sculpture  of  the  posterior  slope. 
Instead  of  this  part  being  simply  marked  by  minute  or  deli- 
cate longitudinal  striae,  it  has  from  twelve  to  twenty  strong 
and  sharp  thread-hke  ribs,  radiating  from  the  beaks  to  the 
outer  margin  in  each  valve,  which  is  consequently  scalloped  or 
notched ;  this  ribbed  area  is  distinctly  defined,  and  separated 
from  the  comparatively  smooth  portion  of  the  surface.  The 
shell  is  also  of  a  thinner  texture ;  the  colour  of  the  rays  is 
deeper  and  usually  purple,  but  not  so  regular ;  the  streak  on 
the  anterior  side  of  the  beak  is  broader  and  more  like  a  patch  ; 
and  the  posterior  side  is  rather  broader  and  more  truncate. 
L.  0-45.  B.  0-75. 

*  Slightly  ribbed. 


PSAMMOBIA.  395 

Habitat  :  In  fine  sand,  at  from  15  to  85  fathoms,  off 
Guernsey  (Tiirton, Metcalfe,  Hanley,  and  Barlee);  Torbay 
(Turton) ;  Exmouth  (Clark) ;  Goran  and  Port  Curno 
Cove,  Cornwall  (Peach  and  Miss  Lavars) ;  Birterbuy 
Bay,  CO.  Galway  ( Walpole) ;  Cork  (Humphreys) ;  Belfast 
Bay  (J.  G.  J.) ;  Ayr  (J.  Smith) ;  Skye  (Barlee) ;  Shet- 
land (M^Andrew,  Barlee,  and  J.  G.  J.).  I  observed  a 
specimen  in  Mr.  Searles  Wood's  collection  in  the  British 
Museum  mixed  with  P.  tellinella,  and  marked  "  Coral- 
line Crag '' ;  Apulia  (Philippi).  Sars  has  recorded  it 
from  Christiansund,  and  Lilljeborg  from  another  part 
of  the  Norwegian  coast;  M^Andrew  has  dredged  it 
off  Gibraltar,  Madeira,  the  Canaries,  Mogador,  Gulf  of 
Tunis,  Algiers,  Balearic  Isles,  and  Pantellaria,  at  depths 
varying  from  3  to  60  fathoms ;  Martin  has  taken  it  in 
the  Gulf  of  Lyons;  Requien  has  enumerated  it  as  a 
Corsican  shell ;  Philippi  described  it  as  Sicilian ;  "  Coasts 
of  Greece  (Graves  and  Spratt),''  according  to  Forbes  and 
Hanley.  The  number  and  extent  of  the  localities  above 
mentioned  on  the  authority  of  Mr.  M  ^Andrew  are  proofs 
of  the  energy  and  scientific  skiU  with  which  his  dredging 
operations  have  been  conducted  throughout  a  great  part 
of  the  European  seas.  His  tabulated  results  have  been 
of  the  greatest  service  to  me  in  the  preparation  of  this 
work. 

The  animal  is  not  less  agile  than  that  of  P.  tellinella, 
occasionally  leaping  like  Donax  vittatus  and  repeating 
the  action  three  or  four  times  in  succession.  The  shell 
does  not  appear  to  attain  quite  the  same  size  as  the 
other  species ;  my  largest  specimen  is  only  half  an  inch 
long  and  nine-tenths  of  an  inch  broad. 

Philippi  at  first  gave  this  species  the  name  of  P.  dis- 
cors,  but  afterwards  substituted  that  which  had  been 
previously  published  by  Turton. 


396  .    TELLINID.E. 

fi-4^  3.  p.  Ferroensis  */Chemnitz)     ^^*<TJ 

Tellina  Ferroensis,  Chemn.  Conch.  Cab.  vi.  p.  99,  t.  10.  f.  91.     P.  Ferro- 
ensis,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  274,  pi.  xix.  f.  3. 

Body  elongated,  white  or  of  the  palest  brown :  mantle  clothed 
with  a  short  white  fringe,  or  rather  with  fine  dentations  :  tubes 
of  nearly  equal  size  and  length ;  the  branchial  is  somewhat 
the  larger  and  longer,  and  when  not  fully  extended  it  appears 
finely  corrugated  and  marked  with  two  longitudinal  bars,  and 
its  orifice  has  six  plain  cirri;  the  excretal  tube  curves  up- 
wards, and  its  orifice  has  no  cirri :  gills  and  palps  nearly  as 
in  P.  tellinella :  foot  very  large,  flat,  long,  and  bevelled  to  a 
sharp  edge. 

Shell  oblong  and  somewhat  rhomboidal,  compressed,  rather 
solid,  opaque,  more  or  less  glossy  when  not  covered  by  the 
epidermis ;  the  right  valve  is  usually  larger  than  the  other  and 
slightly  overlaps  it :  sculpture,  numerous  fine,  but  not  raised, 
concentric  ridges,  which  are  sharper  on  the  anterior  side  and 
often  laminar  or  slightly  imbricated  on  the  posterior  side,  be- 
sides minute  and  close-set  parallel  striae  in  the  interstices  of 
the  ridges ;  the  surface  is  also  covered  with  slight  and  indis- 
tinct longitudinal  or  radiating  lines,  and  the  posterior  slope  or 
area  is  often  more  or  less  marked  with  half  a  dozen  slight 
ribs,  which  radiate  from  the  beaks  and  (especially  in  the 
young)  produce  a  cancellated  and  prickly  appearance  by  their 
intersecting  the  transverse  ridges :  colour  beneath  the  epider- 
mis pink  of  different  shades,  diversified  by  longitudinal  rays 
of  yellow  or  milk-white,  some  of  which  are  broader  than  the 
rest  and  frequently  confluent  or  broken ;  the  surface  also  is 
often  marbled  with  short  white  lines  or  streaks ;  now  and  then 
(but  rarely)  the  colour  is  uniform  purple :  epidermis  thick, 
fibrous,  more  persistent  than  in  either  of  the  preceding  species, 
dusky  in  the  adult  and  yeUovrish  with  a  green  tint  in  the 
half-grown  and  young  :  margins  not  much  rounded  in  front, 
and  occasionally  almost  straight,  semioval,  and  wedge-like  on 
the  anterior  side,  abruptly  and  obhquely  truncate  on  the  pos- 
terior side,  with  an  indentation  or  flexure  on  the  ventral  side 
of  the  posterior  angle  ;  a  keel  extends  from  the  beak  to  this 
angle,  and  the  area  thus  separated  is  flat  or  depressed,  and 
sculptured  by  the  radiating  ribs  above  mentioned ;  the  dorsal 
or  ligamentaJ  margin  is  serrated  in  specimens  strongly  sculp - 

*  Belonging  to  the  Faroe  Teles. 


PSAMMOBIA.  397 

tured  and  forms  the  upper  side  of  an  obtuse  angle:  beaks 
small,  pointed,  somewhat  calyciform,  almost  contiguous,  slightly 
turned  towards  the  posterior  side  :  ligament  rather  short,  pro- 
minent, keeping  the  valves  asunder  in  that  part :  hinge-line 
obtusely  angular :  hinge-plate  thick,  broader  on  the  posterior 
side,  abruptly  truncate  at  the  outer  end  of  the  ligament :  teeth, 
in  the  right  valve  two  triangular,  somewhat  diverging,  and 
nearly  equal-sized  cardinals ;  in  the  left  valve  a  central  car- 
dinal of  the  same  size  and  a  minute  laminar  one  set  obliquely 
or  at  a  right  angle  to  the  hinge-plate ;  the  three  largest  teeth 
are  bifid :  inside-  thickened,  highly  polished,  and  partially  iri- 
descent, usually  stained  with  purple  or  lilac :  pallial  scar  dis- 
tinctly marked,  sinuated  as  in  the  two  last  species  :  muscular 
scars  irregularly  triangular.     L.  1.   B.  1*8. 

Var.  dongata.     Shell  broader  or  more  produced  at  each  end. 

Habitat  :  Rather  common  on  all  the  British  coasts, 
in  sandy  and  nullipore  ground,  at  depths  of  from  4  to 
90  fathoms.  The  variety  is  from  Ullapool.  Fossil  at 
Preston  (J.  Smith);  Belfast  (Grrainger);  Coralline  Crag 
(S.  Wood).  The  exotic  distribution  of  this  species,  both 
north  and  south,  is  extensive,  and  embraces  Iceland 
(Leach),  Faroe  Isles  (Chemnitz),  Scandinavia  (Loven 
and  others),  north  of  France  (De  Gerville  and  Mace), 
coasts  of  Spain  and  Portugal  and  the  Canaries  (M ^An- 
drew), both  sides  of  the  Mediterranean  (Scacchi,  Wein- 
kauff,  and  others),  and  ^gean  (Forbes),  the  range  of 
depth  being  between  3  and  40  fathoms  in  the  former 
case,  and  between  8  and  40  fathoms  in  the  latter.  Broc- 
chi  and  Philippi  have  included  it  in  their  lists  of  tertiary 
shells  from  Italy. 

Couch  mentions  having  taken  a  specimen  from  the 
stomach  of  a  Picked  Dog-fish,  one  of  a  predaceous  tribe 
that  might  have  been  supposed  to  disdain  such  '^  small 
deer.^'  The  shells  are  always  to  a  certain  extent  twisted, 
and  sometimes  so  much  so  as  to  be  distorted.  The  fry 
are  triangularly  oval. 


398  TELLINID-S. 

P.  Ferroensis  was  probably  the  Tellina  trifasciata  of 
Linne,  as  Miiller  believed.  According  to  Loven  it  is 
the  T.  incarnata  of  the  '  Fauna  Suecica/  but  not  of  the 
'  Systema  Naturae/  It  is  strange  that  Linne  referred  to 
the  same  figure  in  Lister's  '  Historise  animalium  Angliae 
tractatus'^  (App.  t.  1.  f.  8)  both  for  T.  incarnata  and  T. 
trifasciata.  That  figure  undoubtedly  represents  the  pre- 
sent species.  It  is  the  T,  angulata  of  Bom  (but  not  of 
Linne),  T.  incarnata  of  Pennant,  T.  radiata  of  Da  Costa 
(but  not  of  Linne),  T.fervensis  and  T.  Bornii  of  Gmelin, 
T.  truncata  of  Spengler  (but  not  of  Linne),  and  (in  its 
immature  state)  the  T.  muricata  of  Renier;  S.  Wood 
has  noticed  four  other  names  given  by  palaeontologists, 

yl '  41  . 4.  p.  vesperti'na  *,  Chemnitz.     ts(<»  i<|S  - 

Lux  vespertina,  Chemn.  Conch. -Cab.  vi.  p.  72,  t.  7.  f-  59,  60.     P.  vesper- 
Una,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  271,  pi.  xix.  f.  1, 2. 

Body  suboval,  elongated,  yellowish- white :  mantle  finely 
fringed :  tubes  long,  and  apparently  rather  wider  than  in  P. 
Ferroensis 'y  the  branchial  has  six  points  at  its  orifice;  the 
other  is  curved,  and  its  terminal  margin  is  irregular:  gills 
hanging  obliquely  from  the  dorsal  range,  of  a  brown  colour, 
rather  coarsely  pectinated;  the  upper  pair  are  shorter  and 
smaller  than  the  lower:  palps  triangular,  elongated  and 
pointed,  of  a  fighter  colour  than  the  gills,  smooth  on  their  outer 
surfaces  and  distinctly  pectinated  within ;  they  are  of  equal 
length,  and  each  pair  is  connected  with  the  other  by  a  mem- 
brane surrounding  the  mouth :  foot  very  large,  broad,  and 
rather  thick. 

Shell  of  a  form  between  oval  and  oblong,  or  partly  rhom- 
boidal  owing  to  the  angularity  of  the  posterior  side,  compressed, 
rather  soUd,  opaque,  more  or  less  glossy  when  not  covered  by 
the  epidermis :  sculpture^  numerous  irregular  and  usually  ob- 
scure concentric  ridges,  which  are  more  observable  in  large 
specimens  near  the  margins ;  the  parallel  and  occasional  lines 

*  Name  derived  from  the  similaritj  of  the  coloured  streaks  on  the 
shell  to  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun. 


PSAMMOBIA.  399 

of  growth  are  conspicuous ;  the  whole  surface  is  marked  by 
slight  and  irregular  longitudinal  or  radiating  lines,  as  well  as 
by  close-set  microscopical  striae  in  the  same  direction,  but 
these  striae  are  generally  effaced ;  in  young  shells  the  posterior 
slope  is  sculptured  by  radiating  ribs  as  in  P.  Ferrbensis,  but 
much  less  distinctly :  colour  beneath  the  epidermis  yellowish- 
white,  variegated  by  bright  rays  of  a  purplish-brown  or  lilac 
of  different  widths ;  whether  the  rays  are  present  or  not,  the 
shell  is  frequently  marbled,  speckled,  or  spotted  with  white,  and 
lineated  with  short  dusky  streaks ;  now  and  then  specimens 
are  found  having  the  umbones  of  a  uniform  purple  hue  :  epider- 
mis rather  thick  and  persistent,  light  yellowish-brown  in  the 
young,  and  of  a  deeper  or  olive-brown  in  the  adult :  margins 
not  much  rounded  in  front,  obliquely  curved  towards  the  an- 
terior side,  where  they  are  semioval  and  wedge-shaped,  slightly 
indented  or  flexuous  on  the  ventral  side  of  the  lower  or  poste- 
rior angle,  abruptly  and  somewhat  obliquely  truncate  but  not 
sharply  angular  on  the  last-mentioned  side,  which  is  indis- 
tinctly defined  by  an  obscure  ridge  extending  from  the  beak  to 
the  lower  angle ;  dorsal  margin  nearly  straight  or  but  little 
inclined,  and  ending  in  an  obtuse  angle  which  forms  the  upper 
side  of  the  posterior  margin :  heaks  as  in  the  last  species : 
ligament  short,  extremely  prominent,  annular  and  of  a  closely 
fibrous  texture,  funnel-shaped,  with  the  smaller  end  proceed- 
ing from  between  the  beaks  and  widening  outwards ;  the  large 
end  is  closed  and  held  down  to  the  dorsal  edge  by  a  membra- 
nous extension,  which  in  the  young  is  of  a  yellowish  colour, 
the  body  of  the  ligament  being  homcolour;  the  valves  are 
separated  in  that  part  as  in  the  other  species :  hinge-line  ob- 
tusely angular  or  gently  curved:  hinge-plate  rather  thick, 
broader  on  the  posterior  side,  abruptly  truncate  at  the  outer 
end  of  the  hgament :  teeth  as  in  P.  Ferrbensis :  inside  thick- 
ened, porcellanous,  highly  polished  and  sHghtly  iridescent,  yel- 
low or  lemoncolour  tinged  with  purple  near  the  beak,  some- 
times of  a  uniform  lilac,  marked  with  faint  longitudinal  striae 
towards  the  front  margins,  and  microscopically  wrinkled  like 
shagreen :  pallial  and  muscular  scars  as  in  the  other  species. 
L.  1-25.   B.  2-25. 

Var.  1.  lactea.  Shell  milk-white  ;  all  the  teeth  more  erect 
and  recurved,  and  the  smallest  in  the  left  valve  triangular  and 
pointed  instead  of  laminar  or  ridge-like. 

Var.  2.  livida.  Shell  more  oval,  or  longer  in  proportion  to 
its  breadth,  of  a  uniform  fawncolour,  but  shaded,  and  marked 


400  TELLINIDiE. 

with  the  usual  short  dusky  streaks  ;  posterior  ridge  more  de- 
veloped and  conspicuous. 

Habitat  :  Local,  but  generally  diffused,  from  low- 
water  mark  at  spring-tides  to  a  few  fathoms,  in  sand.  I 
will  mention  a  few  of  the  localities :  Cornwall,  Devon, 
Dorset,  Channel  Isles,  Scarborough,  Northumberland 
and  Durham,  Pembrokeshire,  Pwllheli  (M'Andrew), 
south  and  west  of  Ireland,  Stranraer  in  Wigtonshire 
(Bedford),  west  of  Scotland,  Firth  of  Forth  (Laskey, 
Brown,  and  Collins),  Moray  Firth  (Dawson).  Var.  1. 
Exmouth  (Clark);  Kenmare  River  (J.  G.  J.).  Var.  2. 
Bantry  Bay  (Humphreys).  This  species  has  been  found 
in  a  fossil  state  at  Belfast  by  Mr.  Grainger,  and  in  the 
Coralline  Crag  by  Mr.  S carles  Wood.  Abroad  it  in- 
habits the  Scandinavian  sea  from  Finmark  to  Bohus- 
lan,  and  southwards  the  coast-line  from  the  North  of 
France  to  the  Canaries,  as  well  as  the  European  and 
African  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  as  far  as  Sicily  and 
the  iEgean,  at  depths  varying  from  7  to  40  fathoms. 
Sicilian  tertiaries  (Philippi) . 

At  Kenmare  this  kind  is  eaten,  as  well  as  Venus  ver- 
rucosa ;  and  heaps  of  their  shells  may  be  seen  about  the 
huts  of  the  peasantry.  Twisted  distortions  now  and 
then  occur.  My  largest  specimen  is  one  and  a  half  inch 
long  by  two  and  a  half  inches  broad ;  but  some  collected 
by  Lilljeborg  in  Upper  Norway  are  of  still  greater  di- 
mensions. 

Miiller  apparently  considered  this  the  Tellina  radiata 
of  Linne ;  and  the  descriptions  in  the  '  Fauna  Suecica ' 
and  '  Systema  Naturae '  are  not  unsuitable ;  but  the 
more  detailed  particulars  given  in  the  '  Mus.  Ulr.  Reg.' 
mention  a  character  which  our  shell  does  not  possess, 
viz.  lateral  or  marginal  teeth.  Possibly  the  angular 
points  of  the  hinge-plate  were  meant.     The  words  are, 


DONAX.  401 

"  Marginales  utrinque  solitarii,  remoti  a  Cardinalibus, 
distincti  fossula  in  ipso  margine."  It  is  the  T.  vari- 
abilis of  VuMenej,  T.depressa  of  Pennant^  Solen  pictus 
of  Spengler,  T.  gari  of  Poli  (but  not  of  Linne),  Psam- 
mobia  florida  of  Lamarck,  and  T.  albida  of  Dillwyn  (but 
not  of  Linne).  Leacb  proposed  the  generic  name  of 
Gobrceus  for  the  present  species. 

Sanguinolaria  deflorata  is  a  tropical  shell,  and  was 
wrongly  introduced  into  the  British  fauna. 

Genus  IV.  DO'NAX^  Linne.     PI.  VII.  f.  5. 

Body  oblong,  compressed,  rather  thick:  mantle  having  a 
double  margin,  the  outer  one  of  which  is  clothed  with  three 
rows  of  fringe  :  tubes  not  so  long  as  in  the  other  genera,  lon- 
gitudinally lineated ;  orifices  cirrous. 

Shell  wedge-shaped,  equivalve,  inequilateral,  rather  solid, 
mostly  smooth  and  covered  with  a  glossy  epidermis,  but  some- 
times and  partially  sculptured  by  longitudinal  striae,  some  of 
which  are  decussated  by  concentric  striae ;  posterior  side  ob- 
liquely truncate :  teeth  consisting  of  a  double  and  central  car- 
dinal, with  a  shght  diverging  laminar  one  on  either  side  in  the 
right  valve,  and  two  diverging  cardinals  (representing  a  re- 
versed Y)  with  a  minute  tooth  between  them  at  tbeir  junction 
in  the  left  valve,  besides  laterals  on  each  side  of  both  valves 
near  the  beaks :  inside  having  the  margin  usually  more  or  less 
notched  or  crenulated. 

Systematists  are  not  agreed  as  to  whether  this  genus 
should  constitute  the  type  of  a  family  apart  from  the 
Tellinidce.  It  is  by  no  means  easy  to  say  how  many 
and  what  kind  of  characters  are  essential  for  the  forma- 
tion of  such  a  group.  The  animal  of  Donax  resembles 
that  of  Psammobia,  especially  in  the  ciliated  lines  of 
the  tubes  or  siphons ;  but  the  mantle  has  an  outer  and 
inner  margin,  the  former  being  ornamented  with  three 
rows  of  cirri :  the  shell  is  not  unlike  that  of  some  species 
♦  A  kind  of  fish  mentioned  by  Athena?us. 


402  TELLINIDiE. 

of  Tellina  (e.  g.  T,  donacina)  in  its  cuneiform  shape; 
but  the  dentition  is  more  complicated.  The  ligament 
is  placed  at  the  smaller  end  of  the  shell,  as  in  all  the 
other  genera  belonging  to  this  family.  Under  the  above 
circumstances  I  have  thought  it  best  to  unite  the  Dona- 
cid<s  with  the  Tellinidaj  considering  also  that  we  have 
only  Donax  to  dispose  of. 

The  habits  of  the  present  genus  are  gregarious,  and 
usually  littoral,  although  in  suitable  localities,  where  a  bed 
of  sand  extends  out  to  sea,  the  Donaces  may  be  found  at 
some  depth.  According  to  M.  Pictet  it  did  not  make  its 
appearance  until  the  Tertiary  epoch.  Chemnitz  called  it 
Serrula,  and  Poli  Peronaea.  Lamarck^s  genus  Capsa  is 
described  as  having  no  lateral  teeth,  and  only  differing  in 
that  respect  from  Donax  :  the  late  G.  B.  Sowerby  added 
another  character,  viz.  a  smooth  inside  margin,  and  in- 
stanced our  D.  politus  as  one  of  the  types ;  but  that 
species  certainly  has  lateral  or  side  teeth. 

A.  Inside  margin  strongly  notched. 
^■^^-        1.  Donax  vitta  Tus^^Da  Costa.)     N?  \BS 

Cuneus  vittatus,  Da  Costa,  Brit.  Conch,  p.  202,  pi.  xiv.  f.  3.    D.  anatintis, 
F.  &  H.  i.  p.  332,  pi.  xxi.  f.  4, 5,  and  (animal)  pi.  K.  f.  7. 

Body  elongated,  purplish-red  or  yellow:  mantle  open  for 
two-thirds  of  its  extent,  thickened  at  the  edges  and  having  a 
double  margin ;  one  margin  is  short,  with  sinuous  or  scalloped 
edges ;  the  other  and  outer  one  is  fringed  with  three  rows  of 
cirri,  the  inner  two  consisting  of  moniliform  white  beads  of  two 
sizes,  and  the  outermost  or  third  row  having  short,  close-set, 
fine  filaments  of  the  same  colour ;  the  cirri  become  longer  and 
stronger  as  they  approach  the  posterior  side:  tubes  trans- 
parent, of  equal  length,  and  when  fully  exserted  not  more  than 
half  an  inch  long  ;  incurrent  tube  ornamented  with  eight  lon- 
gitudinal cihated  lines  of  an  opaque-white  colour,  which  give 

*  Banded. 


DONAX.  403 

it  an  octagonal  appearance ;  these  lines  terminate  at  the  orifice 
in  eight  small  fimbriated  prongs,  which  fold  over  and  enclose 
the  tube  whenever  anything  passes  into  it ;  the  excurrent  tube 
has  only  six  of  these  lines  and  as  many  terminal  prongs; 
when  the  tubes  are  withdrawn,  they  are  protected  by  a  small 
pouch  formed  out  of  the  mantle ;  siphonal  orifices  and  cirri  of 
a  very  pale  orange  colour :  gills  large,  suboval,  light  brown ; 
upper  pair  much  smaller  and  shorter  than  the  lower:  palps 
rather  long,  triangular,  pale  yellow,  smooth  externally  and 
distinctly  striated  internally :  foot  very  large,  much  compressed, 
bevelled  to  a  sharp  edge  and  lanceolate  point  when  fully  ex- 
tended ;  but  when  at  rest  or  half  exserted,  it  is  puckered  and 
transversely  ridged. 

Shell  triangularly  oblong,  not  very  inequilateral,  somewhat 
compressed  but  more  convex  towards  the  beaks  and  sloping 
from  that  part  to  the  margins,  rather  thick,  opaque,  glossy  and 
polished :  sculjyture,  numerous  fine  longitudinal  striae,  which 
radiate  from  the  beak  but  do  not  extend  to  the  anterior  or 
larger  side,  and  only  cover  about  two-thirds  of  the  surface ; 
they  are  more  crowded  on  the  posterior  slope ;  the  posterior 
side  is  also  marked  with  a  few  concentric  or  transverse  striae, 
which  are  scratch-like  and  very  irregularly  disposed,  never 
reaching  to  the  ventral  area;  these  last  striae  are  usually 
flexuous,  and  observable  on  one  or  more  parts  of  the  posterior 
area  but  never  on  all  parts  of  it ;  they  are  not  found  in  the 
earlier  stages  of  growth,  and  occasionally  (but  rarely)  they  are 
altogether  wanting ;  where  the  two  sets  of  striae  intersect  each 
other  a  partial  decussation  is  of  course  the  result :  colour 
yellow,  brown,  or  purple  of  difi'erent  shades,  often  variegated 
(especially  in  the  young  and  half- grown  specimens)  with  three 
rays  of  white,  one  proceeding  from  the  beak,  another  crossing 
the  ventral  range,  and  the  third  running  along  the  posterior 
ridge  ;  the  lines  of  growth  are  generally  marked  by  broad  con- 
centric bands  of  a  deeper  hue ;  sometimes  the  colour  is  uni- 
form milk-white:  epidermis  thin  and  smooth,  like  varnish, 
delicately  and  microscopically  striated  in  a  transverse  direc- 
tion :  margins  gently  curved  in  front,  with  a  slight  indentation 
or  sinuosity  near  the  posterior  side,  which  is  gibbous,  strongly 
angulated,  obliquely  but  not  abruptly  truncate,  and  ends  in  a 
blunt  and  somewhat  rounded  point ;  the  ridge  which  encloses 
a  great  part  of  this  side  is  prominent  and  extends  from  the 
beak  in  each  valve,  enclosing  a  kind  of  enormous  lunule  with 
projecting  lips ;  anterior  margin  semioval  and  wedge-shaped  ; 


404  TELLINID^.. 

dorsal  margin  on  the  anterior  side  long  and  sloping  but  not 
curved,  that  on  the  posterior  side  being  much  shorter,  diver- 
ging from  the  other  at  considerably  more  than  a  right  angle, 
and  nearly  straight :  heaks  small,  pointed,  incurved,  and 
turned  towards  the  posterior  or  ligamental  side  :  ligament  very 
short,  partly  prominent,  the  lower  half  being  imbedded  in  the 
hinge-plate,  horncolour :  corselet  long,  rather  deep,  with  thick- 
ened and  projecting  edges  :  hinge-line  obtusely  angular  :  hinge- 
plate  thick,  much  longer  but  narrower  on  the  anterior  than  on 
the  posterior  side,  abruptly  truncate  at  the  end  of  the  liga- 
ment :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  a  triangular  and  cloven  car- 
dinal immediately  below  the  beak,  flanked  on  each  side  by  a 
longer  and  laminar  cardinal,  the  anterior  of  which  is  set  ob- 
liquely and  the  posterior  or  larger  one  in  a  line  with  the  liga- 
ment ;  laterals  in  this  valve  two  on  each  side,  receiving  be- 
tween each  pair  the  single  lateral  of  the  opposite  valve ;  the  left 
valve  has  two  diverging  cardinals  and  an  intermediate  minute 
tooth  or  denticle  ;  the  laterals  (one  on  each  side)  in  that  valve 
are  short  and  sometimes  tubercular:  inside  highly  polished 
and  usually  glossy,  more  or  less  stained  with  violet,  especially 
on  the  posterior  side ;  margin  finely  and  regularly  notched 
from  the  anterior  end  to  the  ligament;  the  posterior  dorsal 
margin  is  more  closely  notched  or  crenulated,  and  the  other 
dorsal  margin  is  quite  smooth :  pallial  scar  slight,  with  an 
oval  and  rather  small  sinus :  muscular  scars  strongly  marked, 
of  an  irregular  shape.     L.  0-6.    B.  1-1. 

Var.  1.  turgida.  Shell  larger,  ventricose,  longer  in  propor- 
tion to  its  breadth,  and  nearly  lustreless  except  in  the  young, 
L.  1.   B.  1-6. 

Var.  2.  nitida.  Shell  somewhat  smaller  than  usual  and 
more  convex,  broader  in  proportion  to  its  length,  of  a  brilliant 
lustre. 

Habitat  :  Large  sandy  bays_,  from  low-water  mark 
to  a  few  fathoms  within  the  Laminarian  zone.  Var.  1. 
Stomoway  in  the  outer  Hebrides  (Barlee).  Var.  2. 
Dredged  in  18  fathoms,  ten  miles  off  Shields  (Da- 
mon) ;  and  on  the  Dogger  bank  in  12-15  fathoms, 
thirty  miles  from  Scarborough  (Leckenby) .  This  spe- 
cies is  fossil  in  the  Belfast  deposit  (Millen) ;  Wexford 
(James);  Ayr  (Smith);  Moel  Tryfaen,  Carnarvonshire, 


DON AX.  405 

at  the  height  (accurately  ascertained)  of  from  1330  to 
1360  feet  above  the  present  level  of  the  sea,  together 
with  about  fifty  other  species  of  shells  mostly  of  an  arctic 
character  !  (Darbishire)  ;  Mammalian  Crag,  Bramerton 
(S.  Wood) ;  Sicilian  tertiaries  (Philippi).  M'Andrewhas 
taken  it  on  the  coasts  of  Upper  Norway  in  3-25  fathoms ; 
I  noticed  specimens  from  Jutland  in  the  Royal  Museum 
at  Copenhagen;  and  southwards  it  occurs  from  Schel- 
ling  on  the  Dutch  coast  to  Vigo,  as  well  as  in  the  Me- 
diterranean, ^gean,  and  Black  Sea. 

Marvellous  accounts  have  been  given  of  the  agility  of 
this  little  shell-fish,  one  of  them  being  that  when  it  is 
taken  out  of  the  sand  it  will  endeavour  to  regain  the  sea 
by  a  succession  of  well-directed  leaps.  It  certainly  can 
twist  itself  about  almost  as  actively  as  Nassa  neritea 
does  in  the  lagunes  of  Venice ;  and  that  is  saying  a  good 
deal  for  it.  The  fry  have  triangular  shells,  with  the 
posterior  end  more  rounded  and  the  beaks  prominent ; 
in  this  stage  of  growth  it  is  the  D.  rubra  of  Turton.  A 
specimen  in  my  cabinet  is  inequivalve,  the  left  valve 
overlapping  and  partly  enveloping  the  other,  as  in  Cor- 
bula.  The  colours  of  this  shell  do  not  soon  fade ;  they 
are,  as  Tennyson  says,  of  the  kind 

"  That  keep  the  wear  and  polish  of  the  wave." 

This  is  the  D.  trunculus  of  Linn^  although  his  re- 
ferences to  the  works  of  Adanson,  Buonanni,  Klein,  and 
Argenville  belong  to  an  allied  species  which  now  gene- 
rally bears  that  name.  His  descriptions  in  the  '  Fauna 
Suecica'  as  well  as  in  the  tenth  and  twelfth  editions 
of  the  '  Systema  Naturae '  exactly  apply  to  the  present 
species;  and  the  first  authority  which  he  cites  is  Lis- 
ter's '  Treatises  on  English  Animals.'  Da  Costa  finds 
fault  with  these  inconsistent  references ;  but  he  seems 


406  TELLINIDiE. 

to  have  lost  sight  of  the  fact  that  Linne  knew  little 
more  of  exotic  shells  than  he  could  glean  from  the 
meagre  accounts  and  inartistic  figures  of  the  authors 
who  had  preceded  him.  It  is  also  the  D.  trunculus  of 
Miiller's  '  Zoologia  Danica/  and  of  all  British  concho- 
logists  except  Forbes  and  Hanley.  But  since  the  name 
trunculus  has  been  appropriated  by  Continental  writers 
for  the  Mediterranean  species,  I  have  followed  Searles 
Wood  in  adopting  that  which  was  given  by  Da  Costa 
to  our  shell.  The  latter  is  the  D.  vittata  of  Lamarck, 
but  not  his  D.  anatinum^  which  appears  to  be  the  same 
species  as  that  which  is  now  called  D.  trunculus.  The 
principal  difference  between  his  diagnoses  of  the  last 
two  species  is  that  the  former  is  described  as  "  ob- 
longa/^  and  doubtfully  identified  with  Tellina  donacina 
and  with  Grualtieri's  figure  of  another  species  of  Tellina 
which  it  is  impossible  to  make  out ;  while  the  latter  is 
designated  "  elongata  /'  and  Linne,  Lister,  Adanson, 
Knorr,  and  other  heterogeneous  authorities  are  cited. 
M.  D^Orbigny  (pere)  gave  me  in  1830  a  specimen  of 
the  Mediterranean  shell,  named  ^^ Donax  anatina"  on 
the  authority  of  Lamarck,  with  whom  he  had  been  in 
frequent  communication.  Lamarck  described  his  D. 
vittata  from  British  specimens  which  he  had  received 
from  Dr.  Leach.  Our  shell  is  also  the  D.  semistriata 
of  Poll,  and  probably  the  D,  fabagella  of  Lamarck.  The 
merits  of  the  last-named  author  as  a  natural  philoso- 
pher and  the  founder  of  the  modern  school  of  inquiry 
into  the  origin  of  species  are  unquestionably  great ;  but 
his  analytical  powers  were  of  an  inferior  order.  He 
evidently  did  not  possess  what  Aristotle  considered  the 
highest  excellence  of  human  wisdom — the  faculty  of 
discriminating  things  very  much  alike. 


DONAX.  407 

tC.xSS         2.  D.  trun'culus  *,  Linne.  K  4"^- 

B.  trvMCulus,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1127  (partly) ;  F.  &  H.  i,  p.  338. 

Body  pale  yeUowish-white  :  tubes  rather  long,  cylindrical, 
thick,  and  smooth  but  Hneated ;  cirri  of  the  alimentary  tube 
branched :  foot  compressed,  lanceolate,  sinuous.     (Poll.) 

Shell  distinguishable  from  that  of  D.  vittatus  by  the  follow- 
ing characters : — it  is  acutely  rather  than  obtusely  triangular, 
more  inequilateral  and  bright-looking :  the  longitudinal  striae 
are  finer  and  less  impressed,  and  there  are  no  transverse  or 
concentric  striae :  the  colour  is  usually  oHve,  blended  with 
chestnut  and  variegated  by  numerous  white  rays,  or  yellow 
with  chestnut  rays,  sometimes  orange  outside  and  flamecolour 
within,  or  milk-white :  the  posterior  margin  is  more  or  less 
abruptly  truncate,  and  not  sloping  gradually  to  a  blunt  point : 
the  umbones  are  more  prominent :  the  lateral  teeth  are  much 
less  developed,  and  often  rudimentary  or  indistinct :  and  the 
inner  margin  is  quite  smooth  below  the  Hgament,  instead  of 
being  notched  or  crenulated  as  in  D.  vittatus.  It  attains  a 
larger  size  than  that  species,  although  my  British  specimen  is 
only  -j^ths  of  an  inch  long  and  1^  inch  broad. 

Habitat  :  Exmouth  (Clark) ;  Torbay  (Battersby). 
Only  one  specimen  was  obtained  in  each  of  these  lo- 
calities, mixed  with  the  other  species.  It  occurs  in  the 
Red  Crag  (S.  Wood),  and  also  in  the  Italian  tertiaries 
(Brocchi  and  Philippi).  South  of  Great  Britain  it  is 
universally  diffused,  from  the  coasts  of  Brittany  (De 
Gerville  and  Collard  des  Cherres)  to  Gibraltar  (M^An- 
drew)  and  throughout  the  Mediterranean,  ^gean 
(Forbes),  and  Red  Sea  (Von  Hemprich  and  Ehrenberg), 
both  littoral  and  at  depths  varying  from  2  to  30  fa- 
thoms. 

This  may  be  the  Senegal  sbell-fisb  named  "  Pamet  ^' 
by  Adanson,  and  which  he  says  the  negroes  cook  and 
eat,  believing  that  it  acts  as  a  laxative.  We  are  told  by 
Poli  that  in  his  time  there  was  no  better  kind  of  shell- 
fish sold  at  Naples,  either  for  making  sauces  or  season- 
*  Having  a  small  piece  cut  off. 


408  TELLINID.E. 

ing  small  rolls  of  bread ;  and  lie  adds  that  it  was  col- 
lected by  means  of  a  rake  and  net  called  a  "rullo." 
According  to  Philippi  D.  trunculus  is  still  esteemed  a 
delicacy  in  the  south  of  Italy,  and  known  in  Sicily  as 
"  cozzola/'  M^Andrew  says  it  is  as  common  on  the 
table  as  on  the  shore  at  Malaga,  being  procured  by  men 
wading  with  nets  as  in  England  for  shrimps.  It  may 
also  be  seen  with  other  "  frutti  del  mare  ^'  in  the  fish- 
market  at  Genoa. 

The  present  species  is  the  Serrula  lavigata  of  Chem- 
nitz (not  his  Donax  Imvigata)  and  D.  anatinum  of  La- 
marck; Risso  contrived  to  make  half  a  dozen  species 
out  of  it. 

B.  Inside  margin  smooth,  or  minutely  crenulated  in  the  adult. 

\^-^-i^'  3.  D.  POLiTUs*,  Poli.  Hfi5<J 

Tellina  polifa,  PoK,  Test.  Sic.  i.  p.  44,  t.  xxi.  f.  14, 15.   B.  polltus,  F.  &  H. 
i.  p.336,pl.xxi.f.7. 

BoDTyeUowish-white :  tubes  cyHndrical,  short,  thick,  smooth 
but  hneated,  crowned  with  plain  cirri :  foot  lanceolate,  white. 
(PoU.) 

Shell  triangularly  oblong,  not  very  inequilateral,  much 
compressed,  with  a  greater  convexity  in  the  umbonal  part, 
rather  thick,  opaque,  lustrous :  sculpture,  scarcely  any  other 
than  a  few  slight  and  indistinct  concentric  lines,  and  occasional 
marks  of  growth  which  alone  are  perceptible  by  the  naked 
eye :  colour  chestnut  blended  with  olive,  beautifully  marbled  or 
flecked  with  creamcolour  and  marked  with  a  conspicuous  lon- 
gitudinal ray  of  the  same  tint,  which  proceeds  from  the  beak 
and  is  obliquely  curved  towards  the  ventral  margin  on  the 
anterior  side ;  this  ray  becomes  broader  as  it  approaches  the 
margin,  being  there  of  a  considerable  width  in  fuU-grown 
specimens ;  the  beaks  are  usually  violet  or  flamecolour,  and 
variegated  by  a  blotch  of  dusky  purple  under  the  ligament, 
and  sometimes  by  a  similar  but  fainter  stain  on  the  other  side 
of  the  beak ;  the  lines  of  growth  are  also  distinguished  by 
narrow  bands  of  violet  when  that  hue  appears  :  epidermis  thin 

*  Polished. 


DONAX.  409 

and  smooth,  olivaceous :  margins  gently  curved  in  front,  with- 
out any  indentation  or  sinuosity,  obliquely  and  gradually  trun- 
cate on  the  posterior  side,  which  ends  in  a  blunt  and  rounded 
point  and  has  a  slightly  angular  slope  ;  anterior  margin  semi- 
oval  and  wedge-shaped ;  dorsal  margin  on  that  side  long  and 
nearly  straight,  and  on  the  posterior  side  about  two-thirds  as 
long  and  equally  straight,  the  point  of  their  divergence  repre- 
senting an  angle  of  about  70  degrees :  beaks  small,  pointed,  in- 
curved, and  turned  towards  the  posterior  side :  ligament  very 
short,  partly  prominent,  the  lower  half  being  imbedded  in  the 
hinge-plate,  homcolour :  corselet  long,  rather  deep,  with  thick- 
ened and  somewhat  projecting  edges :  hinge-line  set  at  a  verj' 
obtuse  angle :  hinge-plate  thick,  much  longer  but  narrower 
on  the  anterior  than  on  the  posterior  side,  abruptly  truncate  at 
the  end  of  the  ligament,  in  consequence  of  the  latter  being 
partly  imbedded  in  it :  teeth,  cardinals  as  in  D.  vittatus,  but 
much  slighter  and  ordinarily  not  so  distinctly  cloven  ;  laterals 
as  in  that  species,  developed  in  the  young  but  nearly  oblite- 
rated in  aged  individuals:  inside  highly  polished  and  glossy, 
tinged  with  violet,  or  else  milk-white  with  a  flamecolour  stain 
on  the  anterior  dorsal  side,  besides  a  dusky-purple  streak  near 
the  beak  on  that  side  and  two  others  of  the  same  hue  on  the 
posterior  side ;  margin  closely  and  minutely  crenulated  in  every 
part  except  the  hinge-line  :  pallial  scar  slight,  with  a  tongue- 
shaped  sinus  extending  from  the  posterior  side  about  halfway 
across  the  interior  of  the  shell :  muscuhr  scars  distinct,  ante- 
rior triangularly  oblong  and  irregular,  posterior  smaller  and 
nearly  circular.     L.  0-7.   B.  1*35. 

Habitat  :  In  sand,  at  the  low-water  mark  of  spring- 
tides, and  at  the  depth  of  a  few  fathoms,  in  the  Channel 
Isles  and  on  some  parts  of  the  Devonian  and  Cornish 
coasts ;  frequently  in  Bantry  Bay  among  the  "  Coral- 
sand  "  procured  for  manure,  and  which  is  so  productive 
of  good  shells.  Leach  states  that  it  is  common  on  most 
of  our  shores,  and  specifies  South  Wales  as  one  of  the 
localities ;  but,  although  that  was  for  the  greater  part  of 
my  life  my  home  and  chief  "  hunting-ground,^^  I  never 
found  this  species  in  the  Principality  nor  learnt  from 
any  of  my  correspondents  that  it  had  been  discovered 
there :  D.  vittatus  must  have  been  mistaken  for  it.    The 


410  TELLINlDiE. 

present  species  occurs  in  tlie  Coralline  Crag.  It  does 
not  appear  now  to  inhabit  any  part  of  the  European  sea 
so  far  north  as  the  Suffolk  coast,  its  recent  distribution 
being  entirely  southern.  De  Gerville  has  recorded  it 
from  the  north  of  France,  Cailliaud  from  the  Departe- 
ment  of  Loire  Inferieure,  M^Andrew  from  the  coasts  of 
Portugal  and  Gibraltar  in  8-30  fathoms,  Payraudeau 
and  Requien  from  Corsica,  M ^Andrew  and  Weinkauff 
from  Algiers,  Scacchi  and  others  from  Sicily,  and 
Forbes  from  the  ^gean.  According  to  Philippi  it  is 
a  fossil  of  the  South-Italian  newer  tertiaries. 

Linne  did  not  notice  this  elegant  shell,  although  he 
might  have  seen  a  good  representation  of  it  in  Lister^s 
'  Historia  Conchyliorum '  (A.  pi.  385.  f.  232,  ''1,  Garn- 
sey  '^).  Besides  being  local,  and  therefore  comparatively 
scarce,  it  may  be  readily  known  from  either  of  the  two 
foregoing  species  by  being  flatter,  more  oblong,  and  not 
so  inequilateral,  and  by  the  surface  being  more  polished 
and  lustrous,  and  never  striated;  the  single  white  ray 
is  also  a  peculiar  feature;  the  inside  margin  appears 
smooth,  and  the  crenulations  are  only  to  be  seen  under 
a  tolerably  strong  magnifier ;  and  the  lateral  teeth  are 
much  less  distinct. 

It  is  the  Tellina  variegata  p  of  Gmelin,  and  probably 
his  T.  vinacea  from  Buonanni  ('^  Habitat  in  mari  britan- 
nico  et  balthico  ^^  !),  D.  complanata  of  Montagu,  D,  longa 
of  Bronn,  and  D.  glabra  of  Searles  Wood. 

Z).  Laskeyi  {Tellina  Laskeyi,  Montagu)  is  not  unlike 
the  last  species  in  shape,  but  is  much  smaller,  the 
streaks  on  each  side  of  the  beak  are  more  conspicuous, 
and  the  lateral  teeth  are  more  blunt  and  obscure.  I 
have  one  of  the  original  specimens  (a  single  valve), 
owing  to  the  kindness  of  my  late  Mend  Mr.  Dillwyn, 
who  received  it  from  Colonel  Montagu.     It  is  supposed 


MACTRID^.  411 

to  be  a  West-Indian  shell ;  and  there  is  no  satisfactory^ 
evidence  that  it  has  ever  been  found  in  the  British  seas, 
much  less  in  the  Firth  of  Forth. 

D.  denticulatus  (Linn^)  is  West  Indian,  and  likewise 
"  spurious/^  Chemnitz  called  it  Z),  punctata.  Da  Costa 
Cuneus  truncatuSj  and  Donovan  D.  crenulata,  the  last 
alleging  that  it  was  "very  common  on  the  western  coasts 
of  England  and  also  on  those  of  Ireland  and  Scotland." 
Linne  assigned  to  this  species  the  Mediterranean  as  a 
habitat,  on  the  authority  of  F.  Logie,  one  of  his  pupils ; 
Payraudeau  and  others  afterwards  recorded  it  from  the 
same  locality ;  and  the  Rev.  R.  T.  Lowe  lately  observed 
specimens  at  Mogador.    It  is  the  "  Nusar  '^  of  Adanson. 

Family  XV.  MAC'TRID^,  (Mactrad^)  Fleming. 

Body  oval  or  oblong :  mantle  closed  to  some  extent,  fringed 
at  its  edges :  tubes  more  or  less  elongated,  in  some  genera 
united  and  in  others  separate :  (jills  consisting  of  an  unequal 
pair  on  each  side  :  foot  tongue-shaped  and  flexible. 

Shell  equivalve,  triangularly  oval  or  oblong,  sometimes 
gaping  at  the  posterior  end  or  at  both  ends,  usually  sculptured 
by  fine  concentric  striae :  epidermis  fibrous :  lifjament  double, 
the  external  one  slight  and  placed  on  the  larger  side  of  the 
shell,  and  the  internal  one  (or  cartilage)  solid,  placed  on  the 
same  side,  and  occupying  a  large  pit  or  cavity  in  the  hinge : 
teeth,  two  cardinals  in  each  valve  (except  in  Scrohicularia, 
which  has  only  one  in  the  left  valve),  besides  more  or  less  dis- 
tinct laterals :  pallial  sair  sinuated :  muscular  scars  deep  or 
distinct. 

The  present  volume  will  conclude  with  this  family, 
being  the  last  of  those  which  have  the  mantle  open.  It 
is  remarkable  for  possessing  a  double  ligament,  one  ex- 
ternal and  the  other  internal ;  but  otherwise  it  is  not  of 
much  repute,  whether  we  look  to  the  shape  or  to  the 
colour  of  the  shell.  Usually  the  former  is  short  or 
stumpy,  and  the  latter  pale  and  unattractive.     It  is, 

t2 


412  MACTRID^. 

however,  a  numerous  and  widely  spread  group:  its 
favourite  habitat  is  sand  or  mud.  Dr.  Carpenter  has 
ascertained  that  the  texture  of  the  shells  presents  the 
same  general  characters  as  in  the  Tellinidce,  but  that  the 
indications  of  organic  structure  are  more  distinct.  In 
those  of  Mactra  and  Lutraria  the  cells  are  especially 
observable,  although  irregular  in  the  one  and  elongated 
in  the  other. 

Genus  I.  AMPHIDES'MA*,  Lamarck.    PI.  VIII.  f.  I. 

Body  ovaljiicompressed :  mantle  thick,  united  for  two-thirds 
of  its  length  :  tubes  separate  and  unequal,  not  very  long,  and 
having  their  orifices  fringed  with  cirri. 

Shell  oval,  only  slightly  inequilateral,  wedge-shaped,  closed 
at  both  ends,  longitudinally  as  well  as  concentrically  striated 
in  some  species :  beaks  turned  towards  the  posterior  side  :  teeth, 
two  cardinals,  of  unequal  size,  in  each  valve ;  laterals  more  or 
less  distinct. 

Although,  as  Lamarck  observed,  the  Amphidesmatd 
in  the  aggregate  appear  to  form  an  artificial  group — 
and,  as  originally  constituted,  they  were  truly  a  hete- 
rogeneous assemblage  of  species — the  characters  of  this 
genus  in  a  restricted  sense  are  peculiar,  and  it  serves  to 
connect  the  present  with  the  immediately  preceding 
family.  In  the  outward  form  of  the  shell  (as  well  as 
in  the  siphonal  tubes)  it  resembles  Donax,  and  in  the 
structure  of  its  hinge  Mactra.  Whether  the  genus 
Mesodesma  of  Deshayes  is  difierent  may  be  an  open 
question ;  but  there  is  much  less  cause  to  separate  Tur- 
ton's  genus  Erviliaj  which  not  only  was  very  inade- 
quately and  inaccurately  defined,  but  did  not  even  in- 
clude the  only  British  species  lately  assigned  to  it  by 
Forbes  and  Hanley,  and  which  will  be  now  described. 

*  Having  a  double  ligament. 


_     •, , .  AMPHIDESMA.  .   .  413 

hll  \^^     Amphidesma  casta'neum^/ Montagu^       1*^ '^'^ 

Donax  castanea,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  App.  p.  573, 1. 17.  f.  2.  Ervilia  castanea, 
F.  &  H.  i.  p.  341,  pi.  xxxi.  f.  5, 6. 

Shell  obliquely  and  triangularly  oval,  or  inclining  to  ob- 
long, convex,  thick,  opaque  in  the  adult  and  semitransparent 
in  the  young,  glossy :  sculpture,  slight  and  irregular  concentric 
striae,  which  now  and  then  become  laminar  on  the  anterior 
side ;  and  in  fresh  specimens  may  also  be  observed  numerous 
and  minute  longitudinal  striae,  especially  on  the  posterior  side, 
which  radiate  from  the  beaks  and  extend  to  the  margins : 
colour  reddish-chestnut,  of  a  deeper  tint  on  the  posterior  side, 
with  a  short  chocolate  streak  or  ray  in  each  valve,  curving 
from  the  front  or  ventral  margin  to  about  two- thirds  of  the 
distance  from  the  beak ;  this  streak  is  narrow  at  the  top  and 
rapidly  enlarges  to  its  base  as  in  Donax  politus ;  occasionally 
the  colour  is  milk-white  :  epidermis  slight,  yellowish  :  margins 
nearly  straight  or  but  little  curved  in  front,  rounded  and  semi- 
oval  at  each  end,  sloping  behind  from  the  beaks  at  an  obtuse 
angle,  where  the  dorsal  margins  are  straight,  and  half  as  long 
again  on  the  posterior  as  on  the  other  side :  heahs  very  small, 
blunt  and  calyciform,  incurved,  turning  a  little  towards  the 
posterior  side ;  umbones  rather  tumid  but  not  projecting  :  liga- 
ment extremely  small  and  caducous  :  cartilage  thick,  contained 
in  a  triangular  pit  which  shelves  inwards  and  is  enclosed  by 
strong  walls  or  sides :  hinge-line  gently  curved :  hinge-plate 
very  strong,  solid,  and  broad  :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  a  large 
erect,  triangular  and  oblique  cardinal  on  the  anterior  side,  and 
a  smaller  diverging  one  on  the  other  side  of  the  cartilage-pit, 
besides  a  long  but  indistinct  laminar  lateral  on  each  side ;  in 
the  left  valve  are  similar  cardinals  but  of  more  equal  size,  and 
the  laterals  are  usually  obliterated  or  obscure :  inside  polished 
and  glossy;  margin  minutely  and  closely  crenulated :  pallial 
scar  well  defined,  with  a  rather  short  oval  sinus  which  does 
not  reach  half  way  across :  muscidar  scars  oval,  the  anterior 
being  the  deeper  and  more  conspicuous.     L.  0*3.   B.  0-5. 

Habitat  :  Coasts  of  Cornwall  and  Scilly  Isles,  in 
20-54  fathoms,  but  more  frequently  thrown  up  on  sandy 
beaches  ;  Herm  (MaccuUoch) ;  Cork  (Humphreys  and 
J.  Gr.  J.) ;  dredged  off  Arran  Isles,  co.  Galway,  in  10-12 

*  Cl:iestnut-colour. 


414  MACTRID^. 

fathoms  (Barlee).  In  the  latter  case  only  were  the  spe- 
cimens perfect,  although  young,  and  without  the  animal. 
Laskey  gives  "  Dunbar/^  which  (to  say  the  least)  is  a 
questionable  locality.  The  notices  of  its  extra-British 
occurrence  are  as  follows :  Cherbourg  (R^cluz) ;  coasts 
of  Spain  and  Portugal,  Madeira  and  the  Canaries,  at 
depths  varying  from  12  to  30  fathoms  (M^ Andrew) ; 
St.  Michael,  Azores  (H.Drouet);  Red  Sea  (Forbes  and 
Hanley) . 

The  animal  is  unknown.  M'Andrew  seems  to  be  the 
only  one  who  has  taken  this  curious  species  in  a  living 
state,  and  he  probably  had  no  opportunity  of  examin- 
ing it. 

The  A.  nitens  of  Montagu  is  West  Indian  and  not 
British. 

A.  corneum  (Mactra  cornea,  Poli,  but  not  A.  cornea 
of  Lamarck),  being  the  Donax  plebeia  of  Pulteney,  A. 
donacilla  of  Lamarck,  and  Donacilla  Lamarckii  of  Phi- 
lippi,  is  a  common  Mediterranean  shell,  but  has  never 
been  dredged  or  taken  on  our  coasts  under  circumstances 
that  would  preclude  its  being  considered  exotic. 

A.  deauratum  (Turton),  or  Mesodesma  Jauresii  of  De 
Joannis,  which  according  to  Turton  was  dredged  off 
Exmouth,  is  a  Newfoundland  species.  I  was  informed 
that  the  original  specimen  came  from  Lieutenant  Grif- 
fiths, who  had  made  more  than  one  voyage  to  North 
America,  and  whose  mother's  collection  of  shells  was 
much  enriched  by  his  endeavours  to  please  her.  Mrs. 
Griffiths  was  an  old  correspondent  of  Dr.  Turton,  as  is 
evident  from  the  frequent  mention  of  her  name  in  his 
'  Dithyra.' 


MACTRA.  415 

Genus  II.  MACTRA^  Linne.     PL  VIII.  f.  2. 

Body  oval,  tumid :  mantle  thick,  open  in  front :  tubes  united, 
enclosed  in  a  sheath,  of  equal  length,  and  extensile ;  orifices 
ciliated. 

Shell  triangularly  oval,  ventricose,  nearly  equilateral, 
slightly  gaping  at  the  posterior  end,  concentrically  striated, 
and  occasionally  (but  slightly)  marked  with  longitudinal  lines : 
beaks  turned  towards  the  anterior  side,  separate :  teeth^  two 
thin,  erect,  and  diverging  cardinals  in  each  valve ;  those  in  the 
right  valve  are  of  unequal  size ;  and  those  in  the  left  valve 
equal- sized,  united  at  their  bases,  and  apparently  forming  a 
single  forked  or  chevron-shaped  tooth ;  laterals  large  and 
laminar,  two  on  each  side  in  the  right  valve,  and  one  on  each 
side  in  the  left  valve  :  pallial  scar  having  a  short  sinus. 

The  shells  comprised  in  this  ancient  genus  are  always 
recognizable  by  their  triangular  shape  and  strong  hinge- 
process.  S  carles  Wood  says  that,  in  a  fossil  state,  they 
have  been  obtained  in  the  Lias  and  Greensand  formations. 
The  genus  is  largely  represented  in  the  newer  Tertiaries, 
and  continues  in  a  flourishing  condition  at  the  present 
day.  They  seem  to  prefer  sand  to  mud  as  a  dwelling- 
place. 

A.  Shell  of  a  plain  or  uniform  hue ;  lateral  teeth  and  sockets 
perpendicularly  striated. — Spisula,  Gray. 

N^ita.        1.  Mactra  so'LiDAf^ljjinn^)  k  -V^  • 

M.  solida,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1126 ;  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  351,  pi.  xxii.  f.  1,  5,  and 
(siphons)  pi.  L.  f.  2. 

Body  more  compressed  than  in  most  of  its  congeners,  milk- 
white,  yellow,  or  hght  orange,  occasionally  tinted  with  brown  : 
mantle  less  fringed  on  the  posterior  side  than  in  other  parts ; 
edges  thickened :  tubes  short,  but  often  extended  three  quar- 
ters of  an  inch  in  specimens  considerably  under  the  average 
size ;  the  orifice  of  each  is  furnished  with  12-20  short  pale- 
yeUow,  brown,  or  reddish  cirri,  which  spring  from  bulbs ; 

*  A  kneading-trough.  t  Solid. 


416  MACTRIDiE. 

below  them  a  bright  orange  line  often  encircles  the  siphon al 
sheath;  a  conical  valve  is  now  and  then  seen  to  protrude 
from  the  opening  of  the  excretal  tube ;  gills  varying  in  colour 
from  light  orange  to  reddish-brown ;  upper  pair  larger  than 
the  other,  obliquely  and  very  finely  pectinated:  palj^s  long, 
narrow,  pointed,  brown  of  different  shades,  more  distinctly 
striated  than  the  gills,  particularly  on  the  inner  surfaces :  foot 
large,  fleshy,  and  white. 

Shell  representing  in  form  an  isosceles  triangle,  convex, 
usually  solid  and  thick,  opaque,  somewhat  but  not  very  glossy, 
owing  to  the  continual  abrasion  of  the  surface  by  the  sand  in 
which  it  is  buried :  sculpture,  numerous  slight  and  irregular  con- 
centric striae,  which  often  become  laminar  and  almost  rib-like 
in  front  and  at  the  sides,  and  always  at  the  dorsal  margin  ; 
lines  of  growth  strongly  marked  ;  on  the  anterior  and  ventral 
sides  in  some  specimens  may  also  be  observed  a  few  slight 
longitudinal  raised  lines  which  radiate  from  the  beak :  colour 
pale  yellowish-white,  sometimes  stained  with  ochre  from  a 
sediment  deposited  in  shallow  or  tidal  waters:  epidermis 
yellowish-brown,  silky  in  the  young  and  coarse  in  the  adult, 
being  in  the  latter  state  more  persistent  at  the  sides  and 
towards  the  edges  :  margins  curved  in  front,  obtusely  angular 
at  each  end,  but  more  pointed  at  the  posterior  side,  with  a 
rounded  slope  from  the  beak  to  either  extremity ;  the  sides 
(especially  the  posterior)  are  more  or  less  angulated :  beaks 
very  small  and  rather  blunt,  incurved,  turning  a  little  towards 
the  anterior  side  ;  umbones  more  or  less  tumid  and  projecting  : 
ligament  short  and  slight,  yellowish -brown :  cartilage  trian- 
gular, compact  and  strong,  golden-yellow,  placed  obliquely  in 
a  direction  opposite  to  that  of  the  beaks  and  immediately 
under  the  ligament :  hinge-line  obtusely  angular :  hinge-plate 
extremely  broad,  thick,  and  flexuous,  the  cartilage-pit  project- 
ing in  the  middle :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  a  short  laminar 
and  erect  cardinal  on  the  anterior  side,  nearly  parallel  with  the 
hinge-line,  and  a  much  slighter  and  scarcely  raised  cardinal 
forming  one  of  the  sides  of  the  cartilage-pit ;  laterals  in  this 
valve  two  on  each  side,  the  inner  surfaces  of  which  are  strongly 
pectinated  or  grooved  in  a  perpendicular  direction ;  the  left 
valve  has  two  short  cardinals,  also  on  the  anterior  side  of  the 
cartilage -pit,  united  at  the  base  or  point  of  the  fork,  and  of 
equal  height  and  length ;  laterals  in  that  valve  one  on  each 
side,  deeply  grooved  like  the  laterals  in  the  right  valve,  but  on 
both  sides  and  not  merely  on  their  inner  surfaces :  inside  more 


,  MACTRA.  417 

or  less  glossy,  microscopically  freckled,  often  iridescent,  and 
slightly  streaked  lengthwise  towards  the  front  margin  :  pallial 
scar  distinct,  with  a  short  and  tongue-shaped  sinus  :  musciihr 
scars  irregularly  triangular,  deep,  and  of  equal  size.  L,  1*4. 
B.  1-6. 

Var.  1.  truncata.  Shell  longer  in  proportion  to  its  breadth, 
gibbous,  and  of  a  thicker  texture ;  sides  more  compressed  or 
truncate ;  umbones  prominent;  hinge  and  teeth  stronger.  M. 
truncata,  Montagu,  Test.  Brit.  Suppl.  p.  34 ;  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  354, 
pi.  xxiii.  f.  1. 

Var.  2.  conjunctiva.  Shell  much  smaller,  having  the  same 
proportions  as  the  variety  truncata,  and  also  rather  ventricose, 
but  thin ;  umbones  not  more  prominent  than  usual.  L.  0*6. 
B.  0-85. 

Var.  3.  elliptica.  Shell  invariably  smaller  than  the  typical 
form,  broader  in  proportion  to  its  length  in  consequence  of  the 
sides  being  more  produced,  and  of  a  thinner  texture  ;  umbones 
not  prominent.  L.  0*75.  B.  1-25.  M.  elliptica.  Brown,  111. 
Conch.  G.  B.  &  I.  p.  108,  pi.  xli.  f.  6 ;  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  356,  pi.  xxii. 
f.  3,  and  (animal)  pi.  L.  f.  1. 

Habitat  :  In  gravelly  sand,  at  low  tides  and  at  the 
depth  usually  of  only  a  few  fathoms,  on  every  coast. 
Var.  1.  South  of  Devon  and  Cornwall,  Tenby,  Irish 
coasts,  Firth  of  Forth,  Clyde  district,  Orkneys,  and 
Lerwick.  Var.  2.  Shetland  (J.  G.  J.).  Var.  3.  Sandy 
bays,  at  depths  of  from  10  to  100  fathoms :  the  dorsal 
area  is  sometimes  ribbed  in  the  variety  elliptica^  as  well 
as  in  the  typical  form.  This  exceedingly  variable  spe- 
cies occurs  in  all  our  newer  tertiaries,  from  the  last 
raised  beach  to  the  Coralline  Crag.  The  ordinary  kind 
and  the  variety  truncata  have  been  chiefly  noticed  as 
littoral  and  in  southern  latitudes,  their  furthest  limit 
being  Sicily,  where  the  former  is  also  fossil ;  the  only 
northern  locality  that  appears  to  be  recorded  is  the 
Scandinavian  coast,  on  the  authority  of  O.  F.  Miil- 
ler.  The  variety  elliptica  has  essentially  a  northern 
range,  from   Iceland    (Steenstrup)    to   Kullen    in   the 

T  5 


418  MACTRlD/15. 

south  of  Sweden  (Loven),  at  depths  of  from  7  to  150 
fathoms. 

M.  solida  was  formerly,  and  perhaps  is  still,  eaten  in 
Devon  and  Cornwall.  In  LeigVs  ^  History  of  Lan- 
cashire '  it  bears  the  singular  and  certainly  not  plebeian 
name  of  "  a  pectunculus  with  azurine  circular  lines  in- 
terpolated.^^ The  animal  is  not  in  the  least  timid ;  and 
soon  after  being  caught  and  put  into  a  vessel  of  sea- 
water,  it  displays  its  agility  by  leaping  about  with  its 
tubes  extended.  In  some  specimens  of  the  variety 
elliptica  the  lateral  teeth  in  the  left  valve  are  only 
striated  on  the  outside.  The  authors  of  the  ^  British 
Mollusca '  owned,  in  the  Supplement  to  that  excellent 
work,  their  suspicions  that  the  M.  truncata  of  Montagu 
ought  to  be  united  with  the  present  species.  I  must 
take  another  step  in  the  same  direction,  and  reduce 
the  M.  elliptica  of  Brown  to  the  rank  of  a  variety.  I 
may  be  wrong,  and  am  open  to  conviction ;  but  I  con- 
fess that  I  cannot  draw  a  line  which  will  separate  one 
more  than  the  other  of  these  so-called  species  from  the 
typical  form.  I  expect  that  some  of  my  scientific 
readers  will  lay  down  the  book  and  say  to  themselves, 
"  Well !  I  wonder  where  all  this  radical  innovation  will 
end  !  Who  can  possibly  doubt  M.  elliptica  being  a  good 
species  ?  Why,  it  is  much  smaller,  of  an  oblong  shape, 
thin,  and  glossy;  while  M.  solida  is  triangular,  thick, 
and  dull.  Even  the  young  of  each  species  exhibits 
its  peculiar  characteristics."  In  reply  I  would  ask  the 
annotators  to  recollect  the  much  greater  difference  that 
exists  between  shells  of  Buccinum  undatum  taken  at 
low  water  and  at  a  depth  of  from  70  to  80  fathoms,  as 
well  as  with  respect  to  Venus  gallina  and  other  bivalves 
subject  to  similar  bathymetrical  and  climatal  changes. 
I  regard  ilf.  truncata  as  the  littoral  or  shallow-water 


•    MACTRA.  419 

and  southern  variety,  and  M.  elliptica  as  the  deep-water 
and  northern  variety  of  one  and  the  same  species.  Clark 
says  that  M.  elliptica  appears  distinct,  because  of  its 
deKcacy  and  elegance ;  but  he  adds  that  M,  solida  is  at 
Exmouth  strictly  a  littoral  species,  and  that  the  other  is 
never  taken  except  by  the  dredge  in  the  coralline  zone, 
six  miles  from  the  shore.  Every  conceivable  gradation 
of  shape  and  solidity  may  be  seen  in  a  recent  state ; 
and  the  union  of  M,  solida  and  M.  elliptica  is  cemented 
by  palseontological  researches — showing  the  advantage 
(if  not  the  necessity)  of  such  investigations  in  the  study 
of  the  MoUusca.  As  Searles  Wood  has  remarked,  spe- 
cimens of  M.  ovalis  from  the  Red  Crag  may  belong  to 
either  species.  I  may  also  observe  that  when  M,  solida 
gradually  finds  its  way  into  deeper  water  than  it  had 
been  accustomed  to — for  instance,  in  descending  from 
the  Dogger  bank  down  its  slopes  to  the  Silver-pits  on 
the  Yorkshire  coast — the  shell  becomes  more  slender 
and  glossy,  although  of  nearly  the  usual  size.  It  has 
then  all  the  appearance  of  a  large  M.  elliptica. 

The  typical  form  is  the  Trigonella  gallina  of  Da  Costa, 
M.  vulgaris  of  Chemnitz,  and  probably  M.  castanea  of 
Lamarck;  and  the  variety  truncata  is  the  Trigonella 
zonaria  of  Da  Costa,  M.  subtruncata  of  Donovan  (but 
not  of  Da  Costa),  M.  crassatella  of  Lamarck,  and  M. 
crassa  of  Turton.  The  latter  variety  was  figured  by 
Lister  as  "  Concha  crassa.^' 

K*?  \\>A  2*    M-  SUBTRUNCATA  *,  (pa  Costa)        1*^    43  . 

Trigomlla  subtruncata,  Da  Costa,  Brit.  Conch,  p.  198.    M.  subtruncata, 
F.  &  H.  i:  p.  358,  pi.  xxi.  f.  8,  xxii.  f.  2,  and  (siphons)  pi.  L.  f.  3. 

Body  convex,  milk-white  with  sometimes  a  faint  tinge  of 
yellow ;  mcmtle  having  its  edges  crenated  or  serrated  rather 

*  Somewhat  truncated  or  lopped. 


430  MACTRID^. 

than  fringed:  tubes  clothed  with  an  evanescent  epidermis, 
varying  in  colour  from  white  to  yellowish  or  reddish ;  their 
sides  are  scabrous  at  intervals,  and  the  excretal  tube  is  rough 
with  a  serrated  keel,  as  well  as  furnished  with  the  usual  re- 
tractile valve ;  orifices  fringed  with  a  double  row  of  white, 
yellow,  or  pale-red  cirri :  gills  and  palps  light  brown  :  foot 
narrow  and  tapering,  yellowish-white. 

Shell  so  closely  allied  to  M.  solida,  and  particularly  to  its 
variety  elliptica,  that  I  will  content  myself  with  pointing  out 
the  leading  characteristics  in  which  it  differs  from  that  species. 
This  is  much  smaller  than  the  typical  form  of  M.  solida,  more 
convex,  distinctly  and  strongly  angulated  on  both  sides,  in 
consequence  of  which  a  large  lunule-shaped  depression  is 
formed  in  front  of  the  beaks,  and  another  at  their  back ;  it  is 
deeply  and  regularly  striated  or  grooved  in  those  parts,  as  well 
as  frequently  on  other  portions  of  the  surface ;  the  umbones 
also  project  considerably  more  than  in  either  the  above  form  or 
variety,  owing  to  the  contraction  and  angularity  of  the  sides. 
L.  0-8.   B.  1-1. 

Var.  1.  striata.  Shell  larger  and  thicker,  its  margins  re- 
presenting almost  an  equilateral  triangle,  extremely  gibbous, 
more  deeply  and  thoroughly  striated.  M.  striata.  Brown,  111. 
Conch.  G.  B.  &  I.  p.  108,  pi.  xli.  f.  10. 

Var.  2.  incequalis.  Shell  resembling  the  last  in  every  re- 
spect but  the  proportional  length  of  the  sides,  the  posterior 
being  obliquely  produced  to  a  wedge-like  point. 

Yar.  3.  tenuis.  Shell  more  ventricose,  but  expanded,  of  a 
much  thinner  texture,  longer  in  proportion  to  its  breadth, 
smooth  or  but  very  slightly  and  irregularly  striated  in  front, 
although  having  the  usual  grooves  or  ridges  on  the  dorsal  part 
of  each  side. 

Habitat  :  With  the  last  species  and  equally  diifused, 
from  low- water  mark  to  27  fathoms.  Var.  1.  Exmouth, 
Irish  coasts,  west  of  Scotland,  and  Lerwick.  Var.  2. 
Lough  Strangford (Adair).  Var.  3.  A  single  valve  only, 
dredged  in  78  fathoms,  40-50  miles  south-east  of  the 
Whalsey  Skerries  in  Shetland.  This  remarkable  variety 
is  not  unlike  M.  stultorum  in  shape  and  consistency; 
but  it  has  the  peculiar  dorsal  grooves  and  striated  late- 


.  MACTRA.  421 

ral  teeth  of  the  present  species ;  it  is  analogous  to  the 
variety  elliptica  of  M.  solida.  Mr.  Alder  also  mentions, 
in  his  ^  Catalogue  of  the  Mollusca  of  Northumberland 
and  Durham/  ''  a  thinner  variety  from  deep  water/^  M, 
subtruncata  is  not  uncommon  in  our  newer  tertiaries  as 
far  back  as  the  Red  Crag.  It  ranges  from  East  Fin- 
mark  (Danielssen),  throughout  the  North  Atlantic,  to 
Gibraltar  (M'Andrew),  both  sides  of  the  Mediterranean 
to  Sicily  (Scacchi  and  others),  and  to  the  Black  Sea  (Mid- 
dendorff),  at  depths  varying  in  each  of  these  tracts  from 
the  shore-line  to  40  fathoms.  Brocchi  has  recorded  it 
among  his  Subapennine  fossils,  and  Philippi  from  the 
Sicilian  tertiaries ;  and  I  found  it  in  the  Uddevalla  beds, 
and  at  Biot  near  Antibes  in  upper  miocene  strata. 

A  small  variety  is  gathered  alive  at  low  water  in 
Lamlash  Bay  to  feed  pigs.  (Alder.)  According  to  Mr. 
Hyndman  this  species  is  called  the  '^  Lady-cockle  "  at 
Belfast.  Mr.  Norman  says  that  it  goes  by  the  name  of 
"  Aikens  '^  in  the  Clyde  district,  where  it  is  frequently 
used  as  bait,  and  for  that  purpose  either  raked  up  from 
the  sands  at  low  tides  or  gathered  by  the  hand  when 
thrown  up  on  the  beach  by  storms.  In  Dr.  Lands- 
borough's  agreeably  written  ^  Excursions  to  Arran '  it 
is  stated  that  the  last-mentioned  name  is  "  confined  to 
the  Lowlands ;  in  the  Highlands  it  is  called  ^  Mureck- 
baan,' — baan  signifying  the  colour,  which  is  white,  and 
Mureck  (it  is  probable)  being  the  Celtic  origin  of  the 
Latin  Murex,  the  shell-fish  which  yielded  the  Tyrian 
dye  or  imperial  purple.^'  Mr.  Norman  confesses  that 
his  powers  of  imagination  are  at  fault,  and  that  he  fails 
to  see  any  connexion  between  Murex  trunculus  and  "Mu- 
reck-baan."  The  variety  striata  attains  a  much  larger 
size  than  the  typical  form ;  I  have  a  specimen  nearly 
an  inch  and  a  quarter  long,  an  inch  and  a  half  broad. 


422  MACTRID^. 

and  more  than  three  quarters  of  an  inch  thick.  The 
young  and  fry  of  this  species  have  the  same  constant 
characters  as  the  adult. 

It  is  the  M.  stultorum  of  Pennant  and  M,  lactea  of 
Poli  (but  neither  of  them  Linnets  species  of  those  names), 
M,  triangula  of  Renier,  M.  cuneata  of  Sowerby's  ^  Mi- 
neral Conchology/  M,  deltoides  of  Lamarck,  M,  Euxi- 
nica  of  Krynicki  (according  to  Middendorff),  and  the 
M.  obtruncata  and  M.  triangulata  of  S carles  Wood. 
M,  lateralis  J  Say  (a  common  North- American  shell),  is 
probably  a  variety  or  oflPset  of  the  same  species. 


B.  Shell  longitudinally  rayed ;  lateral  teeth  and  sockets 
smooth. 

^  -V^  •  3.  M.  stulto'rum  *,  Linne.  (sKf^)  N?  i^^^ 

M.  stultorum,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  p.  1126 ;  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  362,  pi.  xxii.  f.  4, 6, 
and  xxvi.  f.  2. 

Body  white  faintly  tinted  with  blue :  mantle  open  through- 
out the  ventral  range,  thickened  at  its  edges,  which  are  clothed 
with  a  delicate  fringe  of  short  intensely  white  filaments  :  tubes 
never  exserted  more  than  half  an  inch,  covered  with  a  slight 
and  pale-brown  wrinkled  epidermis,  which  appears  to  be  in- 
dependent of  that  on  the  shell ;  orifices  encircled  by  dingy  pale- 
red  unequal  cirri,  the  alimentary  tube  having  12-16  (which 
are  somewhat  longer  than  the  other  set),  and  the  excretal  tube 
16-20  of  these  appendages ;  the  retractile  valve  of  the  last- 
mentioned  tube  is  conspicuous :  gills  narrow  and  attached  for 
two- thirds  of  their  length,  of  the  same  proportionate  size  as 
in  other  species,  and  (as  well  as  the  palps)  similarly  striated : 
foot  white,  thick,  and  plastic. 

Shell  of  the  same  shape  as  M.  solida,  but  more  evenly 
convex  and  always  ventricose,  thin,  although  nearly  opaque, 
and  glossy :  sculpture^  numerous  delicate  and  minute  irregular 
concentric  striae,  which  are  apparently  formed  by  laminar  folds 
of  the  epidermis  and  become  somewhat  coarser  at  the  sides ; 
occasional  lines  of  growth  are  also  observable  :  colour  yeUowish- 

*  Fools'. 


]^UCTRA.  423 

white  variegated  by  longitudinal  rays  of  light  reddish-brown, 
which  are  often  confluent,  or  arranged  in  sets ;  purplish  at  the 
beaks  ;  lines  of  growth  represented  by  white  bands  or  zones : 
epidermis  yellowish-brown,  laminar,  and  glistening,  at  the  pos- 
terior end  fibrous  and  frequently  ramified  or  interlacing,  so 
as  to  resemble  some  of  the  sessile  kinds  of  Tuhulariidoi : 
marghis  regularly  curved  in  front,  and  obtusely  angular  at 
both  ends,  with  a  slightly  rounded  slope  or  deflexion  on  each 
of  the  dorsal  sides  from  the  beak  to  the  terminal  angles ;  the 
anterior  and  posterior  sides  are  somewhat  angulated,  the  latter 
more  distinctly :  heals  sharp,  triangular,  and  incurved,  turned 
a  little  towards  the  anterior  side ;  umbones  swollen  and  pro- 
minent, but  not  much  projecting :  ligament  short  and  slight, 
yellowish-brown:  cartilage  triangular,  compact,  reddish-brown 
or  chestnut,  placed  obliquely  as  in  the  other  species :  hinge- 
line  curved :  hinge-phte  very  broad,  strong,  and  flexuous  in 
consequence  of  the  projection  of  the  cartilage-pit  and  adjacent 
part :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  a  short,  laminar,  and  erect  car- 
dinal, nearly  parallel  with  the  hinge-line,  and  another  of  the 
same  description  and  height,  placed  at  a  right  angle  to  the 
first,  and  forming  one  of  the  side-walls  of  the  cartilage-pit ; 
both  these  lie  directly  under  the  beak  and  on  the  anterior  side ; 
laterals  two  on  each  side,  thin,  erect,  laminar,  elongated,  quite 
smooth  and  polished ;  the  outer  are  shorter  and  smaller  than 
the  inner  pair;  in  the  left  valve  are  two  erect  and  laminar 
cardinals  of  equal  size  and  height,  united  throughout  at  the 
back  and  diverging  at  a  right  angle,  like  the  flaps  of  a  single 
folding  screen ;  this  valve  has  also  a  thin,  erect,  laminar  and 
elongated  lateral  on  each  side,  which  are  higher  in  the  middle 
and  curve  gradually  to  their  bases  :  imide  white,  marked  with 
clear  specks,  and  minutely  freckled,  slightly  striated  in  a  lon- 
gitudinal direction :  pallial  scar  distinct,  with  a  very  short 
sinus  representing  an  arc  of  three-fourths  of  a  circle :  muscular 
scars  also  distinct,  irregularly  oval  and  nearly  equal-sized. 
L.  1-5.   B.  2. 

Var.  cinerea.  Shell  rather  more  solid,  ashy-grey  or  cream- 
colour,  without  rays.  M.  cinerea,  Montagu,  Test.  Brit.  Suppl. 
p.  35. 

Habitat  :  From  the  verge  of  low- water  mark  at 
spring- tides  to  18  fathoms  (Goodwick  Bay,  Pembroke- 
shire), in  sandy  tracts;  and  the  variety  also  is  widely 
distributed.     This  species  occurs,  but  not  commonly. 


424  MACTRID^. 

in  all  our  upper  tertiary  strata  from  the  Scotch  glacial 
beds  (Smith)  to  the  Coralline  Crag  (S.  Wood).  Its 
extra-British  habitat  seems  to  be  southern  rather  than 
northern.  I  observed  specimens  in  the  Royal  Museum 
at  Copenhagen  from  the  Danish  shores  of  the  Baltic ;  it 
has  been  enumerated  in  every  list  of  French,  Lusita- 
nian,  Italian,  and  Algerian  shells ;  Ehrenberg  obtained 
it  in  the  Red  Sea,  and  Forbes  in  the  iEgean;  and 
M 'Andrew  dredged  a  single  valve  off  the  Canaries  in 
35  fathoms.  The  range  of  depth  ascertained  by  the 
last-named  observer  on  the  coast  of  Portugal  was  from 
15  to  30  fathoms.  Brocchi  and  Philippi  have  recorded 
it  as  fossil  in  the  newer  tertiaries  of  Italy, — the  one  from 
the  north,  and  the  other  from  the  south. 

Lister  discovered  and  figured  this  shell.  According 
to  Bouchard- Chantereaux  its  inhabitant  serves  for  bait 
to  catch  whiting  in  the  bays  of  Normandy.  English 
fishes  are  not  less  fond  of  such  savoury  morsels,  as  may 
be  inferred  from  the  following  note  of  Mr.  Dennis : — 
'^  When  the  steam  dredging-machines  were  at  work  at 
the  mouth  of  Newhaven  harbour  last  year  [1861],  they 
turned  up  so  many  of  the  Mactra  stultorum  that  the 
beach  at  high-water  mark  (where  a  shell  rarely  occurs) 
was  covered  with  them ;  and  the  trawl-fish,  such  as  soles, 
&c.,  found  their  way  to  the  spot  where  the  barges  were 
emptied,  in  such  numbers  that  the  Brighton  trawlers  or 
'Hogboats'  were  most  successful  in  capturing  them 
within  one  hundred  yards  of  the  shore.^'  He  adds  that 
"  some  of  the  people  eat  this  MactraJ*  Shells  of  a 
smaller  size,  but  thinner  and  more  beautifully  rayed  than 
usual,  were  procured  by  Mr.  Rich  from  the  Silver-pit 
fishing-grounds,  in  about  30  fathoms.  This  is  similar  to 
the  case  of  M.  solida,  var.  elliptica,  mentioned  at  p.  418. 
The  largest  specimens  are  found  in  Burra  fiord  in  Unst. 


MACTRA.  425 

The  fry  are  oval  and  very  tumid.  M.  solida  resembles  in 
form  and  size  the  variety  cinerea  of  the  present  species ; 
but,  besides  being  flatter  and  thicker,  it  invariably  has 
strong  transverse  grooves  on  each  side  of  the  beak. 

I  cannot  think  why  Linne  gave  such  an  unpolite  name 
to  this  species — unless  it  originated  in  a  philosopher  s 
joke,  like  that  attributed  to  the  derivation  of  Assiminia. 
It  is  the  Trigonella  radiata  of  Da  Costa ;  and  the  variety 
is  probably  the  M,  corallina  of  Buonanni  and  Linne, 
and  the  M.  straminea  of  Lamarck. 

N^  !4.i  .  4.  M.  GLAu'cA-^,  Borny^hrf.)      ol  •  4-^  - 

M.  glauca,  Born,  Test.  Mus.  Cres.  Vind.  p.51,  t.3.  f.  11,  12.    M.  helvacea, 
F.  &  H.  i.  p.  366,  pi.  xxiii.  f.  2. 

Body  white,  the  posterior  side  and  tubes  being  tinged  with 
golden  yellow :  mantle  delicately  fringed  with  short  flake- 
white  filaments;  edges  projecting  beyond  the  valves:  tubes 
conical  and  rather  short,  extending  about  an  inch,  of  equal 
length  and  diameter,  streaked  lengthwise  with  rufous-brown ; 
orifices  encircled  with  short  and  unequal  cirri  of  the  same 
colour. 

Shell  triangularly  oval,  convex  but  not  ventricose,  ex- 
panded and  gradually  sloping  from  the  umbones  to  the  mar- 
gins, thin  for  its  size,  and  glossy  under  the  epidermis :  sculp- 
ture,  numerous  delicate  and  minute  concentric  striae,  as  in 
M.  stultorum,  and  occasional  lines  of  growth  :  colour  yellowish- 
white,  variegated  by  longitudinal  rays  of  yellowish-brown  or 
fawncolour,  arranged  as  in  the  last  species,  and  of  a  brighter 
hue  at  the  beaks,  besides  a  large  stain  of  chestnut  on  the  dorsal 
margins :  epidermis  light  brown,  fibrous,  glistening  like  fine 
satin  in  front  and  on  the  anterior  side,  coarser  on  the  posterior 
side :  m/irgins  scarcely  (if  at  all)  curved  on  the  ventral  side, 
and  obUquely  sloping  backwards  to  the  anterior  end,  which 
is  rounded  with  a  tendency  to  angularity,  bluntly  angular 
and  much  broader  on  the  posterior  side,  where  there  is  a 
considerable  gape  and  an  obscure  ridge  from  the  beak  to 
the  angular  point  in  each  valve ;  dorsal  margins  very  gently 

*  Bluish-grey. 


426  MACTRID^. 

curved  on  the  anterior  side  and  nearly  straight  on  the  other 
side :  heaks  sharp,  triangular,  and  incurved,  turned  towards 
the  anterior  side ;  umbones  swollen,  prominent  and  project- 
ing :  ligament  short  and  comparatively  slight,  reddish-brown  : 
cartilage  large,  but  not  otherwise  different  from  that  of  its 
congeners :  hinge-line  curved :  hinge-plate  extremely  broad, 
reflected  over  the  dorsal  margins,  strong,  not  flexuous  because 
the  cartilage-pit  is  scarcely  advanced  beyond  the  inner  edge  of 
the  plate :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  two  short  erect  cardinals, 
united  behind  and  diverging  from  each  other  at  a  right  angle  ; 
laterals  two  on  each  side,  and  of  the  same  description  as  in 
M.  stultorum ;  in  the  left  valve  two  united  cardinals,  and  a 
single  lateral  on  each  side — similar  to  those  in  the  last  species, 
except  as  to  size  and  in  the  laterals  rising  from  the  beak  to  a 
rounded  point  at  each  end  and  then  abruptly  falling  and  con- 
tinued towards  the  front  in  a  ridge-like  form :  inside  coloured 
like  the  outside  and  showing  the  rays,  slightly  and  irregularly 
striated  in  a  longitudinal  direction :  paUial  scar  as  in  the  last 
species  ;  muscular  scars  triangularly  oval,  well  marked.  L.  3. 
B.4. 

Var.  luteola.  Shell  creamcolour,  without  rays  but  stained 
with  reddish-brown  or  chestnut  on  the  dorsal  margins. 

Habitat  :  Confined  to  a  very  few  parts  of  our  south- 
ern shores,  viz.  Hayle,  Cornwall,  where  single  valves 
were  first  found  by  Miss  Pocock,  subsequently  by 
Lieut. -General  Bingham,  and  since  by  Mr.  Templer, 
Mr.  Jordan,  and  Mr.  Hockin ;  Herm  and  Guernsey,  at 
unusually  low  tides  (Lukis) .  The  variety  is  from  Hayle. 
Fossil  in  the  Red  Crag  (S.Wood);  Tarenti  (Philippi). 
The  foreign  localities  are  the  north  of  France;  Spain 
and  Portugal  (Chemnitz) ;  Gulf  of  Lyons  (Martin) ;  and 
the  Mediterranean,  including  Algiers  (Poupillet). 

A  series  of  this  handsome  shell  was  presented  to  me 
by  the  late  Dr.  Lukis,  who  afterwards  sent  me  an  ex- 
quisite drawing  of  the  animal,  which  has  enabled  me  to 
give  a  description  of  that  part.  He  observed  that  "  when 
the  tide  recedes  it  buries  itself  two  or  three  inches  in 
the  sand ;  and  when  the  tide  rises  it  bestirs  itself  like 


LUTRARIA.  427 

other  mollusks,  and  reveals  its  hiding-place."  Mr.  G.  H. 
King,  of  No.  190  Portland  Road,  lately  kept  a  living 
specimen  in  one  of  his  tanks,  among  other  interesting 
things  which  this  experienced  naturalist  dealer  has  ex- 
hibited to  the  public.  Polios  description  of  the  animal 
is  very  short: — margin  of  the  mantle  flattened  and 
fringed ;  tubes  rather  long,  united  throughout,  and  cir- 
rous ;  foot  lanceolate.  It  goes  by  the  name  of  '^  Schias" 
at  Granville,  and  is  sold  in  the  fish-market  at  Brest. 

Born  described  this  species  from  a  single  valve,  but 
accurately  and  unmistakeably.  It  was  named  by  Chem- 
nitz ^^  Mactrahelva  seuhelvacea" — scarcely  a  binominal 
appellation.  He  seems  to  have  occasionally  exercised  a 
good  deal  of  useless  ingenuity  in  inventing  new  names, 
even  when  he  was  aware  of  those  given  by  the  disco- 
verers. Thus  we  have  seen  that  the  M.  solida  of  Linne 
became  his  M.  vulgaris.  The  present  species  is  the 
M.  Neapolitana  of  Poli. 

The  M.  fragilis  of  Chemnitz  [M.  dealbata,  Pulteney, 
and  M.  Braziliana,  Lamarck)  is  South  American,  and 
not  British.  Turton's  specimen  (a  single  valve)  is  so 
battered  and  antiquated  that  its  exotic  source  may  be 
safely  taken  for  granted,  with  a  mental  reservation  or 
doubt  as  to  the  correctness  of  his  statement  that  it  was 
"  dredged  in  the  Channel,  near  Guernsea." 

Genus  III.  LUTRA'RIA  ^,  Lamarck.     PI.  VIII.  f.3. 

Body  elongated  and  somewhat  cylindrical,  compressed: 
mantle  thick :  tubes  very  long,  united  almost  to  their  extre- 
mities and  enclosed  in  one  sheath  ;  orifices  fimbriated. 

Shell  oblong,  very  inequilateral,  widely  gaping  at  both 
ends,  especially  on  the  posterior  side,  shghtly  and  concentri- 
cally striated:   beaks  turned  towards  the  anterior  side  and 

*  Associated  with  the  otter. 


428  MACTRIDiE. 

separated :  teeth  as  in  Mactra,  except  that  the  laterals  in  the 
present  genus  are  very  small  or  rudimentary :  pallial  scar 
having  a  deep  sinus. 

In  comparing  this  genus  with  the  last^  we  find  that 
the  siphonal  tubes  in  Lutraria  are  extremely  long ;  that 
the  shell  is  large^  oblong,  very  inequilateral,  and  gapes 
widely  at  each  end ;  and  that  the  lateral  teeth  are  much 
less  developed  than  in  Mactra^  and  in  one  species  alto- 
gether wanting.  The  LutraricB  burrow  deeply  in  mud 
near  the  shore. 

Clark  proposed  to  merge  the  present  genus  in  My  a ; 
and  there  has  been  much  controversy  as  to  its  syste- 
matic position.  It  has  certainly  strong  affinities  both 
with  Mactra  and  Mya.  The  last,  however,  has  its  man- 
tle more  closed,  the  tubes  completely  united,  and  a  dif- 
ferent kind  of  hinge-process. 

y^' A-^-       1.  Lutraria  ellip'tica^,  Lamarck.l5f4-)  f^''- '^^ 

L.  elUptica,  Lam.  An.  sans  Vert.  v.  p.  4G8 ;  F.  &  II.  i.  p.  370,  pi.  xii.,  and 
(animal)  pi.  H.  f.  2. 

Body  white  :  mantle  open  only  for  one-third  of  its  extent, 
margined  by  rather  distant  fine  white  filaments :  tubes  taper- 
ing ;  sheath  between  two  and  three  times  as  long  as  the  shell 
is  broad,  white  towards  its  base,  variegated  in  the  middle  with 
zigzag  purplish-brown  blotches,  which  at  the  top  become  dis- 
tinct dots  of  a  deeper  hue ;  the  surface  of  the  sheath  is  also 
marked  vdth  two  or  three  circular  bro-WTi  lines,  an  inch  apart, 
and  it  is  covered  with  a  transparent  corrugated  skin,  which 
appears  to  be  an  extension  of  the  epidermis  that  clothes  the 
shell ;  orifices  of  the  tubes  encircled  by  numerous  white  cirri 
minutely  spotted  with  dark  purplish-brown  or  red ;  the  cirri  of 
the  alimentary  tube  are  longer  than  the  other  set,  and  minutely 
ciliated  at  their  sides :  gills  pale  brown,  not  deep,  the  upper 
pair  rather  smaller  than  the  lower ;  they  are  hung  transversely, 
and  finely  pectinated  :  palps  of  a  paler  colour,  long,  triangular, 
pointed,  of  fine  texture,  and  delicately  striated:  foot  large, 
thick,  and  extensile. 

*  Elliptical. 


LUTRARIA.  429 

Shell  elliptical,  compressed,  moderately  solid,  and  glossy : 
scidjpture,  irregular  and  slight  concentric  striae  alternating  with 
stronger  lines  of  growth :  colour  yellowish-white  under  the 
epidermis,  which  is  olivaceous,  glossy  and  like  oilskin,  wrinkled 
or  puckered,  delicately  fibrous  at  the  sides  and  in  front,  and 
minutely  striated  on  the  umbonal  part  in  a  longitudinally 
radiating  direction:  margins  nearly  straight  or  slightly  in- 
dented and  flexuous  in  front,  and  sloping  obliquely  to  each 
side,  the  anterior  being  rounded  or  semioval  and  the  posterior 
bluntly  angulated ;  dorsal  margins  scarcely  (if  at  all)  curved, 
inclining  forwards,  and  diverging  from  an  obtuse  angle :  heahs 
small  and  sharp,  incurved;  umbones  not  much  projecting: 
ligament  small  and  short,  greenish-brown  :  cartilage  triangular 
and  thick,  narrower  in  the  middle  and  spreading  out  at  each 
end  in  the  hinge-cavity,  yellowish-homcolour :  hinge-line 
nearly  straight :  hinge-plate  long  and  strong,  projecting  in  the 
middle  to  form  a  support  for  the  cartilage :  teeth,  in  the  right 
valve  two  diverging  cardinals  on  the  anterior  side,  and  a  short 
slight  and  laminar  lateral  on  the  posterior  side  of  the  cartilage; 
in  the  left  valve  an  erect  and  large  double  cardinal  immedi- 
ately below  the  beak,  flanked  by  a  smaller  but  pointed  one 
(like  a  leaf)  on  the  posterior  side,  and  by  a  sharp  triangnlar 
lateral  on  the  anterior  side,  besides  a  slight  laminar  lateral  on 
the  posterior  side,  corresponding  with  that  of  the  opposite 
valve  :  inside  porcelain- white,  polished  and  iridescent  in  the 
scar-marks,  and  microscopically  wrinkled  or  frost-like  in  every 
other  part :  pallial  scar  double,  with  an  oblong  sinus  extend- 
ing about  two-thirds  of  the  distance  across :  muscular  scars 
deep,  placed  high  up  near  the  dorsal  margins,  anterior  pear- 
shaped,  posterior  triangularly  oval.     L.  3.   B.  5*5. 

Yar.  alterutra.  Shell  smaller,  thicker,  and  proportionally 
broader ;  front  and  back  margins  nearly  parallel,  anterior  side 
obhquely  truncate. 

Habitat  :  Every  part  of  our  seas,  from  the  lowest 
verge  of  spring- tides  to  15  fathoms,  in  soft  or  slushy 
sand.  The  reason  of  this  species  being  chiefly  found  in 
estuaries  and  at  the  mouths  of  rivers  appears  to  be 
owing  to  an  accumulation  of  mud  being  washed  down 
from  the  land  and  deposited  outside  the  line  of  mean 
tide-marks,  which  suits  the  Lutraria  as  a  burrowing-bed. 
The  variety  has  been  found  by  Professor  King  on  the 


430  MACTRID^. 

coasts  of  Northumberland  and  Galway.  L.  elliptica  is 
fossil  in  all  our  upper  tertiaries  from  the  Scotch  glacial 
beds  to  the  Coralline  Crag ;  Subapennine  strata  (Broc- 
chi);  neighbourhood  of  Bordeaux  (Lamarck);  Sicily 
(Philippi).  It  is  also  recent  in  Einmark  (Lilljeborg); 
Bergen  (Sars);  north  of  France  (De  Gerville  and  Bou- 
chard-Chantereaux) ;  shores  of  Spain  and  Portugal 
(M ^Andrew);  Algeria  (Weinkauff);  Sicily  (Maravigna 
and  Philippi). 

Our  earliest  conchologist,  Lister,  discovered  this  spe- 
cies. It  is  edible  in  spite  of  its  muddy  habitation ;  for 
we  are  told  by  Mr.  M^Andrew  that  it  is  sold  in  Vigo 
market ;  and  Mr.  Dennis  says,  "  the  Herm  people  eat 
every  kind  of  shell-fish  which  is  big  enough ;  even  Lu- 
traria  elliptica  and  L.  oblong  a — ^  Clumps^  as  they  call 
them."  The  following  observations  by  Montagu  may  be 
useful  to  those  who  are  so  devoted  to  conchology  as  not 
to  object  to  turning  mudlarks  : — "  It  is  rarely  obtained 
alive,  except  by  digging,  and  that  only  when  the  tide  is 
unusually  low  :  their  place  of  concealment  is  generally 
known  by  a  dimple  on  the  surface,  through  which  they 
eject  water  to  a  considerable  height,  though  the  shell  is 
frequently  buried  two  feet  beneath."  The  shell  is  occa- 
sionally distorted,  and  varies  in  the  proportion  of  length 
to  breadth. 

It  is  the  Mactra  lutraria  of  Linne,  Chama  magna  of 
Da  Costa,  and  L.  vulgaris  of  Fleming. 

y^-^H-         2.  L.  OBLON'GA^,(Chemnitz)(sfe:h.)    ivM^t 

Mya  ohlonga,  Chemn.  Conch-Cab.  vi.  p.27,  t.  2.  f.  12.  L.  ohhnga,  F.  &H. 
i.  p.374,pl.xiii.  f.l. 

Body  pale  yellow :  mantle  closed  to  the  same  extent  as  in 
the  last  species :  tuhcs  of  unequal  size ;  the  aHmentary  (or 

*  Oblong. 


LUTRARIA.  431 

"  branchial")  one  is  much  larger  than  the  other,  and  its  orifice 
is  fringed  with  30-40  fine  cirri,  one  half  of  which  are  stronger 
and  longer  than  the  intermediate  cirri  and  fimbriated  on  each 
side ;  the  terminal  cirri  of  the  excretal  tube  are  shorter  and 
equal ;  tubular  sheath  covered  with  a  brown  epidermis :  gills 
narrow,  pale  drab :  j^9rt7^:>5  very  large,  triangular,  pointed,  of  a 
thin  membranous  texture,  pale  brown  elegantly  speckled  with 
minute  red-brown  points :  foot  large,  fleshy,  and  white  with  a 
tinge  of  pale  brown. 

Shell  scimitar- shaped,  smaller  than  that  of  L.  elliptica, 
much  broader  with  respect  to  its  length,  more  convex,  cylin- 
drical, and  soHd,  upturned  at  the  posterior  end,  which  is 
rounded ;  the  anterior  side  is  considerably  shorter  in  propor- 
tion ;  the  cardinal  tooth  on  the  anterior  side  in  the  right  valve 
is  double,  and  there  is  no  posterior  lateral  in  either  valve. 
L.  2.   B.  4. 


Habitat  :  In  similar  situations,  but  not  so  generally 
diffused  as  the  last  species.  It  is  rather  common  in  the 
Channel  Isles,  and  has  been  taken  on  the  coasts  of 
Dorset,  Devon,  Cornwall,  and  Ireland.  It  is  said  that 
the  late  Mr.  Lyons  foimd  it  in  Pembrokeshire ;  and  Mr. 
Maclaurin  included  it  in  his  list  of  sheUs  from  Cold- 
ingham  Bay,  Berwickshire.  Belfast  '^  alluvial  ^^  deposit 
(Hyndman  and  Grainger);  Sussex  tertiaries  (Godwin- 
Austen);  Coralline  Crag  (coll.  S.  Wood  in  Brit.  Mus.); 
Subapennine  strata  (Brocchi) ;  Monte  Mario  near  Rome 
(Lamarck) ;  Sicily  (Philippi).  It  has  not  been  noticed 
anywhere  north  of  Great  Britain ;  but  its  distribution 
southwards  extends  from  Normandy  to  Lisbon,  Nice, 
and  Algeria,  its  depth  ranging  from  low-water  mark  to 
12  fathoms. 

Although  this  species  comes  very  near  the  last,  my 
iconoclastic  propensities  are  not  strong  enough  to  unite 
them  at  present.  If  their  form  is  variable,  and  not  to 
be  relied  upon  as  a  mark  of  distinction,  the  dentition  of 
each  is  somewhat  different.     I  am  not  aware  whether 


432  MACTRID.E. 

they  live  together  and  under  such  circumstances  retain 
their  respective  peculiarities.  M^ Andrew  obtained  both 
at  Malaga — L,  elliptica  on  the  shore,  and  L.  oblong  a  by 
the  dredge,  from  4  fathoms.  In  my  cabinet  is  a  curious 
malformation,  the  specimen  having  an  inner  case  or 
double  shell  on  the  posterior  side. 

The  present  species  is  the  Mactra  Mans  of  Pulteney, 
L.  solenoides  of  Lamarck  (but  not  of  Capt.  King),  M, 
hyans  of  Turton's  ^  Conchological  Dictionary,^  L.  Sole- 
noidea  of  Brown,  and  probably  L.  solida  of  Philippi. 
Leach  separated  it  from  L.  elliptica  under  the  generic 
title  of  Psammophila, 

Genus  IV.  SCROBICULA'HIA  *,  Schumacher. 
PI.  VIII.  f.  4. 

Body  oval,  compressed :  mantle  open  throughout  the  ventral 
range,  somewhat  thickened  at  its  edges :  tubes  very  long,  sepa- 
rate, each  covered  with  a  membranous  sheath  or  outer  case ; 
orifices  usually  plain :  gills  of  equal  size  :  foot  long  and  flexible. 

Shell  triangularly  oval  or  oblong,  nearly  equilateral,  thin, 
of  a  uniform  white  colour,  gaping  at  the  posterior  end,  shghtly 
and  concentrically  striated :  epidermis  sHght  and  iridescent : 
healcs  turned  towards  the  posterior  side,  almost  contiguous: 
cartilage  placed  obhquely:  teeth,  two  small  cardinals  in  the 
right  valve,  and  one  in  the  left  valve,  which  is  clasped  by  the 
opposite  pair ;  laterals  laminar,  not  always  developed  in  both 
valves,  and  sometimes  altogether  wanting. 

It  is  much  more  difficult  to  define  this  genus  by  a 
correct  name  than  by  comprehensive  characters.  Natu- 
ralists are  perhaps  over-fastidious  in  the  former  respect. 
I  should  have  been  glad  to  recognize  the  claim  of  prior- 
ity put  forward  by  Mr.  S carles  Wood  for  Trigonella 
(1778)  if  Da  Costa's  description  would  have  justified  my 
doing  so;    but  it   evidently  applied  to  Mactra  rather 

*  Having  a  little  trench ;  so  called  from  the  shape  of  the  cartilage-pit. 


SCROBICULARIA.  433 

than  to  the  group  in  question.  Out  of  five  species 
which  Da  Costa  assigned  to  Trigonella,  the  first  four 
are  the  only  kinds  of  Madra  that  appear  to  have  been 
known  to  him ;  and  as  to  the  last  (our  S,  piperata),  he 
observes  that  "  the  hinge  of  this  kind  is  of  a  different 
structure  from  the  TrigonellceJ'  Montagu's  genus  Ligula 
(1808)  is  the  next  in  order  of  date;  but  his  diagnosis 
was  principally  intended  for  Thracia ;  and  the  present 
genus  was  indicated  only  in  the  alternative,  and  insuffi- 
ciently,  viz.  ^^in  some  species  a  minute  erect  tooth.'' 
He  enumerated  six  species,  arranged  in  two  equal  divi- 
sions :  the  first  comprised  all  those  of  Cochlodesma  and 
Thracia  which  he  had  discovered;  and  the  second  S. 
piperata,  S.  tenuisj  and  S.  alba,  to  which  he  subsequently 
added  S.  prismatica  and  Montacuta  substriata,  although 
with  some  doubt  as  to  the  generic  position  of  the  last- 
named  species.  But  at  all  events  it  would  be  inconve- 
nient to  have  Ligula  in  the  MoUusca,  because  the  name 
was  preoccupied  by  Bloch  in  1782  for  a  genus  of  Entozoa, 
and  (having  been  adopted  by  Rudolphi  and  others)  is  now 
constantly  used  in  that  department  of  zoology.  Arenaria 
(1811)  of  Megerle  von  Miihlfeldt  succeeds ;  and  although 
it  has  been  lately  revived  by  Gray  and  Morch,  it  is  a 
Linnean  and  familiar  botanical  genus ;  and  the  current 
of  scientific  opinion  seems  to  be  against  the  double  em- 
ployment of  any  such  name  in  natural  history,  if  it  can  be 
avoided.  I  do  not  myself  see  any  objection  to  the  same 
generic  name  being  used  in  marine  zoology  as  well  as  in 
land  botany,  considering  how  vride  apart  are  these  great 
hemispheres  of  Nature,  and  the  remoteness  of  the  pos- 
sibility that  any  practical  inconvenience  would  ensue. 
However,  Schumacher  gives  this  as  the  sole  reason  for 
changing  Arenaria  into  Scrobicularia  (1817);  and  as 
the  alteration  has  been  sanctioned  by  Philippi,  Forbes 


434  MACTRIDiE. 

and  Hanley,  and  (with  a  single  exception)  all  the  Con- 
tinental zoologists,  I  will  not  prolong  the  discussion, 
beyond  remarking  that  Lavignonus  of  Ferussac  (1821), 
Lister  a  of  Turton  (1822),  Abra  of  Risso  from  Leaches 
MS.  (1826),  and  Syndosmya  of  Re'cluz  (1846)  either 
have  never  been  clearly  or  adequately  defined,  or  else 
are  superfluous.  The  last-named  genus  has  indeed  been 
selected  by  Forbes  and  Hanley,  and  separated  from 
Scrobicularia,  without  stating  any  particular  character 
by  which  one  can  be  distinguished  from  the  other. 
Clark  at  first  considered  them  different,  on  the  ground 
that  S.  piperata  has  but  one  gill  or  branchial  plate  on 
each  side,  and  that  the  palps  are  of  a  larger  size  in  this 
than  in  some  other  species.  He  subsequently  modified 
his  opinion  by  suggesting  that  the  single  plate  might 
be  double :  the  relative  magnitude  of  the  labial  palps 
can  only  be  regarded  by  the  mere  malacologist  as  a 
matter  of  any  importance.  The  sole  diversity  between 
the  shells  called  Scrobicularia  and  Syndosmya  consists 
in  the  former  having  no  lateral  teeth,  while  the  latter 
possesses  them  in  one  or  each  valve.  This  character 
notoriously  varies  in  species  of  other  genera,  for  in- 
stance Tellina  and  Donax. 

The  circumstance  of  the  tubes  being  separate  in  the 
present  genus,  and  united  in  Mactra  and  LutraHa, 
might  induce  some  conchologists  to  replace  it  among 
the  TellinidcB :  but  the  hinge  is  essentially  Mactridan ; 
and  in  Amphidesma,  which  has  the  same  internal  struc- 
ture, the  tubes  are  also  disunited.  I  should  distrust 
any  classification  of  families  founded  exclusively  upon 
the  contiguity  or  remoteness  from  each  other  of  these 
outer  folds  or  processes  of  the  mantle  called  "tubes"  or 
"  siphons." 


SCROBICULARIA.  435 

A.  Lateral  teeth  more  or  less  developed, 
f^'^'-t^     1.  ScROBicuLARiA  prisma'tica,^, (Montagu) 

lAgula  prisTnatica,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  Suppl.  p.  23,  t.  26.  f.  3.    Syndosmya 
prismatica,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  321,  pi.  xvii.  f.  15. 

Body  pearl-white  :  mantle  fringed  with  short  and  numerous 
cilia:  ttibes  cylindrical  and  slender,  indistinctly  annular  or 
corrugated  by  the  investing  sheaths ;  they  are  nearly  of  the 
same  length,  the  incurrent  being  the  larger  or  wider  but 
usually  the  shorter  of  the  two ;  excurrent  or  upper  tube  stran- 
gulated or  constricted  at  irregular  intervals ;  both  tubes  are 
clothed  with  a  few  scattered  papillae,  and  the  orifice  of  each 
has  from  5  to  7  short  cirral  points,  which  are  sometimes  obso- 
lete or  imperceptible ;  gills  two  on  each  side,  suboval,  of  equal 
size,  distinctly  pectinated,  faintly  tinted  with  brown :  palj^s 
the  same  in  number,  thin,  short,  broad,  and  angular,  smooth 
without  and  striated  within  :  foot  large  and  pointed. 

Shell  oblong  and  wedge-shaped,  scarcely  convex,  but  not 
flattened  except  towards  the  posterior  end,  very  thin  and  fra- 
gile, semitransparent,  highly  poHshed  and  glossy:  sculpture, 
numerous  slight,  irregular,  and  minute  concentric  striae,  which 
occasionally  are  laminar  or  scratch-like,  and  towards  the  mar- 
gins become  partially  oblique,  as  in  Tellina  fdbula ;  the  lines 
of  growth  are  also  more  or  less  conspicuous:  colour  pea4- 
white :  epidermis  a  mere  film,  reflecting  in  certain  lights  a  pris- 
matic lustre :  margins  curved  in  front,  semioval  or  rounded  on 
the  anterior  side,  and  bluntly  pointed  on  the  posterior  side, 
which  is  flexuous  and  obtusely  angulated;  dorsal  margin  nearly 
straight  on  the  anterior  side,  incurved  below  the  beak,  sloping 
outwards  from  the  posterior  angle,  and  obliquely  truncate  on 
that  side,  the  point  or  terminal  angle  lying  in  the  transverse 
axis  of  the  shell :  heahs  very  small ;  umbones  somewhat  pro- 
jecting: ligament  short,  prominent,  yellowish-brown:  carti- 
lage curved,  homcolour,  proceeding  from  a  narrow  chink  under 
the  beak,  and  expanding  in  a  shelving  and  oblique  direction 
below  the  hinge-plate  on  the  posterior  side:  hinge-line  ob- 
tusely angular  and  flexuous:  hinge-plate  rather  thick,  much 
broader  and  reflected  behind  the  cartilage :  teeth,  in  the  right 
valve  two  minute,  erect,  equal-sized,  parallel,  and  obliquely 
set  cardinals,  besides  a  long  but  slight  lateral  on  each  side, 

*  Having  a  prismatic  lustre. 

Cr2 


436  MACTRID^. 

which  are  bluntly  crested  or  pointed  in  the  middle,  the  an- 
terior lateral  being  longer  than  the  other ;  in  the  left  valve  a 
minute  erect  cardinal  which  fits  into  those  of  the  right  valve ; 
lateral  teeth  in  this  valve  ridge -like  and  obscure :  inside 
nacreous,  minutely  and  irregularly  striated  towards  the  margin : 
pallial  scar  distinct;  sinus  rather  long  and  tongue-shaped: 
mz^cttZar  scars  slight,  of  an  irregular  shape.    L.  0-4.  B.  0*8. 

Habitat  :  Sparingly  distributed  on  all  our  sandy 
coasts,  from  the  Shetland  to  the  Channel  Isles,  in  3-87 
fathoms.  Fossil  in  the  Clyde  beds  and  Coralline  Crag 
(Smith  and  Wood) ;  Sicilian  and  Calabrian  tertiaries 
(Philippi).  It  is  extensively  diffused  both  north  and 
south,  from  Iceland  (Steenstrup)  to  the  Mgesm  (Forbes), 
at  depths  varying  from  8  to  150  fathoms. 

The  animal  is  lively,  and  active  by  fits  and  starts — 
now  and  then  darting  out  and  twisting  about  on  all 
sides  its  long  and  slender  foot,  as  if  for  the  purpose  of 
burrowing.  The  shell,  which  is  of  an  elegant  shape,  is 
frequently  found  in  the  stomachs  of  haddocks,  as  well  as 
of  the  common  plaice  and  other  flat  fish. 

The  Erycina  angulosa  of  Bronn  is  probably  identical 
with  this  species.  ^    • 

\^\- ^^.  2.  S.  Ni'TiDA^,(Miiller)    N?  <4» 

Mya  nitida,  Miill.  Prodr.  Zool.  Dan.  p.  245.      Syndosmya  interTnedia, 
F.  «fcH.  i.  p.  319,  pi.  xvii.  f.  9,  10,  and  (animal)  pi.  K  f.  5. 

Body  clear  white :  mantle  fringed  with  numerous  short 
ciha  :  tubes  very  long,  closely  annulated  or  marked  across  with 
slight  rings  of  a  dusky  hue,  resembling  those  in  certain  species 
of  Tuhularia ;  incurrent  tube  cylindrical ;  excurrent  somewhat 
longer  and  tapering  to  a  fine  point ;  both  are  covered  with  a 
few  scattered  papillae  :  foot  large  and  extensile. 

Shell  similar  in  many  respects  to  that  of  S.  2:>rismat{ca, 
but  longer  in  proportion  to  its  breadth,  so  as  to  be  rather 
oval  than  oblong :  the  surface  has  in  front  and  at  the  sides 

*  Glossy. 


SCROBICULARIA.  437 

very  short  delicate  and  scattered  minute  flocculent  marks,  ap- 
parently caused  by  an  exfoliation  of  the  epidermis :  the  ventral 
nmryin  is  more  evenly  curved ;  and  the  upper  or  dorsal  margin 
on  the  posterior  side  has  the  same  curve  and  angle  of  inci- 
dence as  the  lower  posterior  margin,  both  meeting  halfway  in 
a  rounded  and  upturned  point ;  the  angle  on  this  side  is  very 
indistinct ;  there  is  scarcely  any  depression  below  the  beak  on 
the  posterior  side,  the  dorsal  margin  being  more  expanded : 
the  cartilage  is  golden-yellow  and  longer  than  in  the  other 
species,  and  the  pit  is  larger  and  more  twisted :  the  inside  is 
Imeated  lengthwise,  but  is  also  microscopically  fretted  like 
shagreen :  muscular  scars  conspicuous,  the  anterior  being  ob- 
liquely elliptical  and  the  posterior  triangularly  eval.  L.  0*45. 
B.  0-8. 

Var.  ovata.    Shell  more  oval,  often  eroded  near  the  beaks. 

Habitat  :  More  local  than  S,  prismatica,  in  muddy 
sand,  at  from  3  to  nearly  100  fathoms :  south  coast  of 
Cornwall  (M 'Andrew) ;  Dogger  bank  (Howse  and  Men- 
nell) ;  all  the  coasts  of  Ireland;  west  of  Scotland;  and 
north  and  east  of  Shetland.  The  variety  was  taken  by 
Barlee  and  myself  while  dredging  together  in  Birterbuy 
Bay,  CO.  Galway.  Every  writer  on  the  Scandinavian 
moUusca  has  noticed  its  occurrence  in  those  seas,  at 
depths  varying  from  6  to  110  fathoms.  The  only  south- 
em  locality  recorded  is  Algeria,  on  the  authority  of 
M.  Weinkauff. 

The  animal  is  quite  as  lively  as  its  congener ;  but  the 
shell  gapes  (or,  for  the  sake  of  the  antithesis,  I  may  say, 
yawns)  much  more. 

It  is  the  Amphidesma  intermedia  of  Thompson.  If 
the  recognition  of  the  Mya  nitida  of  Miiller  depended 
on  the  very  obscure  diagnosis  in  his  'Prodromus,^  I 
should  have  felt  the  same  disinclination  as  the  authors 
of  the  '  British  Mollusca '  to  accept  the  last-mentioned 
specific  name ;  but  an  article  by  Fabricius,  in  the  fourth 
volume    of  the  'Skrivter  af  Naturhistorie-Selskabet,^ 


438  MACTRIDiE. 

published  at  Copenhagen  in  1798,  has  removed  all  doubt 
from  my  mind.  It  contains  a  full  description  of  the 
species  in  question,  which  was  communicated  by  Muller 
to  his  friend  Fabricius ;  and  I  now  give  it  with  all  faults. 
"  Mya  nitida.  Long.  6.  Lat.  3  lin.  Testa  extus  in- 
tusque  glaberrima,  pellucida,  Isevis,  nitida,  absque  striis 
Candida,  unicolor,  subelliptica.  Dens  depressus  obscu- 
rior,  quasi  antrorsum  flexus  in  quovis  cardine.  Telli- 
nam  prima  facie  revocat,  at  testa  hiat,  nee  dentes  tres, 
nee  alterum  latus  llexa  est.  In  sinubus  inter  Christian- 
sand  et  Arendal  raro."  The  true  teeth  appear  to  have 
escaped  Miiller^s  observation ;  and  no  wonder,  for  they 
are  exceedingly  minute  :  what  he  called  the  "  dens  ^' 
must  be  the  cartilage-pit.  The  Mya  nitida  of  Fabricius 
is  Lyonsia  Norvegica ;  and  it  was  in  order  to  show  the 
difference  between  his  and  Miiller^s  shells  of  the  same 
name  that  he  introduced  the  description  quoted  above. 
I  examined  authentic  specimens  of  Miiller^s  Mya  nitida 
in  the  collection  of  Fabricius  at  Copenhagen,  and  they 
are  decidedly  the  present  species.  Loven  described  it 
as  Syndosmya  nitida.  It  appears  to  be  the  Scrobicu- 
laria  tenuis  of  Philippi,  a  Panormitan  fossil. 

^\-    ^^-  '  3.    S.  AL'BA^(W00d)      N^.   I^JL' 

Mactra  alha,  Wood,  in  Linn.  Trans,  vi.  p.  165,  t.  xvi.  f.  9-12.    Syndosmm 
alba,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  316,  pi.  xvii.  f.  12-14. 

Body  whitish,  with  a  pale  tint  of  sky-blue  interspersed  with 
flake -white  spots  :  mantle  thickened  at  its  edges  and  fringed 
with  very  small  whitish  papillae  (according  to  Bouchard- 
Chantereaux  these  papillae  are  arranged  in  three  rows) :  tubes 
cyhndrical,  elastic  in  respect  of  both  length  and  width ;  when 
fully  extended  they  are  as  long  as  the  shell  is  broad,  and 
sometimes  distended  to  three  times  their  usual  diameter  ;  each 
is  covered  with  a  hght-brown  epidermis,  and  when  half  ex- 

*  White. 


SCROBICULARIA.  439 

serted  they  are  strongly  wrinkled ;  orifices  plain :  gills  small, 
triangular,  symmetrical,  hanging  obliquely :  palps  of  the  same 
size  and  shape  as  the  gills,  smooth  outside  and  pectinated 
within :  foot  proportionally  large,  muscular,  slightly  angulated 
at  the  heel  and  granular  at  the  point. 

Shell  oval,  rather  convex,  somewhat  inequilateral,  thin, 
opaque,  polished :  sculpture,  numerous  slight,  irregular,  and  mi- 
nute concentric  striae,  crossed  in  some  specimens  (particularly 
towards  the  beaks)  by  fine  longitudinal  lines,  which  appa- 
rently pervade  the  whole  fabric,  as  they  are  equally  visible 
on  the  inside  surface ;  the  concentric  striae  occasionally  di- 
verge obliquely  near  the  margin,  as  in  S.  prismatica ;  lines  of 
growth  distinctly  marked :  colour  snow-white,  with  an  opaline 
hue :  epidermis  fibrous,  pale  yellowish-white :  margins  more 
or  less  curved  in  front,  rounded  on  the  anterior  side,  bluntly 
pointed  on  the  posterior  side,  which  is  sometimes  flexuous 
and  slightly  angulated ;  anterior  dorsal  margin  gently  sloping ; 
posterior  dorsal  margin  inclining  from  the  beak  at  the  same 
angle,  and  expanding  outwards  where  it  meets  the  posterior 
margin,  so  as  to  form  a  wedge-Hke  edge  ;  the  terminal  angle 
on  that  side  is  in  a  line  with  the  transverse  axis  of  the 
shell :  beaks  blunt  and  incurved ;  umbones  projecting :  liga- 
ment  short,  prominent,  reddish -brown  or  homcolour  :  cartilage 
curved,  dark  reddish-brown,  constructed  and  placed  like  that 
of  S.  prismatica:  hinge-line  obtusely  angular:  hinge-plate 
thick  and  strong,  occupying  about  one -fourth  of  the  circumfer- 
ence :  teeth,  in  the  right  valve  two  minute  erect  cardinals  on  the 
anterior  side  of  the  beak,  Jpesides  a  triangular  lateral  on  each 
side,  the  anterior  one  being  double ;  the  left  valve  has  only  a 
single  small  erect  cardinal  and  a  slight  posterior  lateral :  in- 
side nacreous  and  iridescent,  finely  and  closely  striated  length- 
wise and  microscopically  fretted  ;  margin  indistinctly  crenu- 
lated :  pallial  scar  having  a  short  sinus  of  the  same  shape  as 
the  shell,  occasionally  double  in  consequence  of  a  shifting  of 
the  base  of  the  tubular  fold :  muscular  scars  usually  shallow, 
anterior  triangular  and  elongated,  posterior  nearly  circular. 
L.  0-5.     B.  0-8. 

Var.  1.  radiata.  Shell  of  a  thinner  texture ;  posterior  side 
marked  with  one  or  two  clear  rays.  Syndosmya  radiata, 
Loven,  Ind.  Moll.  Scand.  p.  44. 

Var.  2.  curta.  Shell  contracted  at  each  end  and  conse- 
quently more  convex,  rather  solid;  posterior  side  obliquely 
truncate  and  distinctly  angulated. 


440  MACTRTDiE. 

Habitat  :  Estuaries,  creeks,  and  bays,  gregarious  in 
mud,  from  the  low- water  mark  of  spring  tides  to  40 
fathoms.  An  odd  valve  was  dredged  by  Capt.  Beechey 
off  the  Mull  of  Galloway  in  110-140  fathoms.  Var.  1. 
Deal  Voe,  East  Shetland,  in  3  fathoms  (J.  G.  J.). 
Var.  2.  Lough  Strangford  (Waller) ;  Larne,  co.  Antrim 
(J.  G.  J.).  This  species  occurs  in  all  our  upper  ter- 
tiaries,  from  the  Clyde  basin  to  the  Coralline  Crag; 
glacial  beds  at  Uddevalla,  and  upper  miocene  strata  at 
Biot  in  the  south  of  France  (J.  G.  J.) ;  Panormi  in  Sicily 
(Philippi).  It  is  common  on  all  the  Scandinavian  coasts 
in  4-40  fathoms,  and  in  other  parts  of  the  North-Euro- 
pean seas  from  Boulogne  to  Lisbon  in  7-30  fathoms,  as 
well  as  throughout  the  Mediterranean  and  ^gean  in 
3-50  fathoms.  The  variety  radiata  was  found  by  Loven 
in  the  Bohuslan  district,  by  Malm  at  a  depth  of  from 
3  to  6  fathoms  in  the  estuary  of  the  river  Gotha  (where 
the  water  is  brackish),  and  by  Meyer  and  Mobius  in 
Kiel  Bay.  A  third  and  nearly  transparent  variety  was 
taken  alive  by  Forbes  at  the  great  depth  of  80-185 
fathoms  in  the  Gulf  of  Macri,  and  described  by  him  in 
the  Reports  of  the  British  Association  for  1843,  under 
the  name  of  Ligula  profundissima ;  his  typical  speci- 
mens are  preserved  in  the  British  Museum. 

This  little  mollusk,  although  living  in  mud,  takes  care 
not  to  be  smothered  in  it,  but  keeps  up  its  commu- 
nication with  the  sea.  If,  in  dredging  it,  the  contents 
of  the  net,  mud  and  shells,  are  put  into  a  tub  and  left 
for  some  hours  to  settle,  the  S.  alba  will  be  seen  on  the 
surface,  having  worked  its  way  upwards  by  means  of  its 
muscular  and  flexible  foot.  It  reminds  me  of  an  anec- 
dote connected  with  the  British  Association.  During 
the  Southampton  Meeting  in  1847,  Mr.  M ^Andrew 
treated  some  of  the  members  to  a  dredging-cruise  in 


SCROBICULARIA.  441 

his  yacht.  One  haul  yielded  some  of  the  present  species, 
which  is  more  frequently  met  with  on  the  shore,  thrown 
up  by  the  waves,  than  fresh  from  its  native  haunts. 
When  the  dredge  came  up,  the  whole  party  rushed  for- 
ward to  see  the  result ;  and  Baron  Middendorff  (the  great 
Russian  conchologist)  in  his  eagerness  nearly  knocked 
down  one  of  them.  Stopping  suddenly  short,  he  took 
oflP  his  hat  and  made  this  apology  for  his  unintentional 
rudeness — "  Mille  pardons.  Monsieur !  mais  je  suis 
euivre  des  coquilles."  S.  alba  can  not  only  burrow,  but 
walk;  and  Bouchard-Chantereaux  mentions  his  having 
watched  them  crawling  up  the  sides  of  a  phial  filled 
with  sea- water,  in  which  he  kept  some  specimens.  Dr. 
Leach  says  that  it  is  a  favourite  food  of  the  cod.  This 
shell  attains  a  large  size  in  the  Shetland  seas,  being 
about  an  inch  in  breadth  and  of  proportionate  length. 
Its  colour  is  always  pure  white,  and  uncontaminated  by 
the  mud  with  which  it  is  in  contact — the  lustre  being 
perhaps  preserved  by  constant  activity,  as  is  the  case 
with  our  own  moral  virtues  : 

" Perseverance,  dear  my  lord, 

Keeps  honour  bright :  to  have  done,  is  to  hang 
Quite  out  of  fashion,  like  a  rusty  mail 
In  monumental  mockery." 

Its  nearest  ally  is  S.  nitida ;  but  that  species  is  flatter 
and  of  a  more  delicate  and  fragile  texture,  the  posterior 
side  is  elongated  and  produced  to  a  more  acute  point, 
and  the  gape  at  that  end  is  considerably  wider. 

It  is  the  Mactra  Boysii  of  Montagu,  Tellina  pellucida 
of  Brocchi,  T.  opalina  of  Eenier,  Amphidesma  semi- 
dentata  of  Scacchi  (according  to  Philippi),  Erycina 
Renieri  of  Bronn,  Abra  fabalis  of  S.  Wood,  and  Am- 
phidesma Boysiana  of  Leach. 


u5 


442  MACTRIDiE. 

t^^-4-r.  4.  S.  TENUIS*, (Montagu)    N?  H^' 

Mactra  tenuis,  Mont.  Test.  Brit.  Suppl.  p.  572,  t.  17.  f.  7.     Syndosmya 
tenuis,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  323,  pi.  xvii.  f.  11. 

!BoDT  white :  mantle  having  its  edges  delicately  fringed : 
tid)€s  cylindrical  and  narrow ;  the  alimentary  one  capable  of 
being  extended  twice  the  transverse  admeasurement  of  the 
shell,  the  other  usually  recurved  and  shorter  by  one-third; 
orifices  apparently  plain:  foot  semitransparent,  extremely 
flexible. 

Shell  rather  triangular  than  oval,  moderately  convex, 
nearly  equilateral,  thin,  opaque,  generally  not  glossy  although 
iridescent :  sculpture,  fine  and  close-set  concentric  striae,  the 
interstices  of  which  are  traversed  by  twice  as  many  microsco- 
pical longitudinal  striae ;  lines  of  growth  irregular  but  conspi- 
cuous :  colour  ashy-white  :  epidermis  laminar,  light  yellowish- 
brown  :  margins  gently  curved  in  front,  rounded  on  the  anterior 
side,  truncate  and  nearly  straight  on  the  posterior  side,  which 
is  bluntly  angulated  and  gapes  a  little ;  dorsal  margins  straight, 
and  forming  an  angle  of  about  60  degrees  with  the  beak  as 
an  apex,  slightly  excavated  or  depressed  on  both  sides :  heaTcs 
small  and  calyciform,  inclining  a  little  to  the  posterior  side ; 
umbones  projecting :  ligament  minute  and  narrow,  dark  hom- 
colour:  corrifife^e  curved,  yellowish-brown:  Am^e-Zme  more  rect- 
angular than  obtuse-angled:  hinge-plate  of  moderate  strength 
and  thickness,  occupying  in  the  right  valve  about  one-fourth, 
but  in  the  left  not  one-tenth  of  the  circumference  :  teeth,  in 
the  right  valve  two  small  erect  and  parallel  cardinals,  set  (as 
usual)  transversely  to  the  hinge,  besides  one  short  double 
laminar  lateral  on  the  anterior  side  and  a  similar  but  single 
lateral  on  the  posterior  side ;  these  laterals  are  triangular  and 
rather  abruptly  truncate  at  their  further  extremities;  the 
left  valve  has  only  one  cardinal,  similar  to  those  in  the  right 
valve,  and  no  lateral  tooth  (unless  an  obscure  sunken  fold  or 
socket  on  each  side  of  the  hinge  can  be  so  called):  inside 
somewhat  nacreous,  but  not  polished,  indistinctly  striated 
lengthwise,  microscopically  and  closely  freckled  ;  margin  be- 
velled and  sharp :  palUal  scar  well  defined ;  sinus  large  and 
triangular,  with  its  blunt  apex  below  the  beak,  and  its  base 
parallel  with  the  front  margin :  muscular  scars  rather  deep, 
(interior  oval,  posterior  trapezoidal.     L.  0*3.     B.  0'4. 

*  Thin. 


SCROBICULARIA.  443 

Habitat  :  Tidal  estuaries  and  brackish  water  on  the 
coasts  of  Devon,  Dorset,  Hants,  Sussex,  Kent,  Guernsey, 
and  Jersey,  in  mud  at  low  tides ;  Scarborough  (Bean) ; 
from  the  stomach  of  a  wild-duck  shot  on  Holy  Island 
(Adamson) ;  Seaton  (Backhouse) ;  Isle  of  Man,  "  in 
cavities  of  dead  shells  from  deep  water  on  the  north 
coast  ^'  (Forbes) ;  Lough  Lame,  co.  Antrim  (Thompson)  ; 
Portmarnock,  Dublin  Bay  (Rev.  B.W.  Adams).  Per- 
haps some  of  the  above  localities  may  be  questionable. 
Cherbourg  (De  Gerville) ;  Portbail  in  that  vicinity  (Mace) ; 
shore  of  the  lake,  and  living  in  35  fathoms  off  the  Gulf 
of  Tunis  (M^Andrew). 

According  to  the  late  Dr.  Lukis,  who  favoured  me 
with  a  description  and  sketch  in  October  1859,  the  ani- 
mal is  active,  and  not  very  timid.  I  give  his  own  ac- 
count of  it :  "  Amold^s  pond  contains  the  largest  speci- 
mens of  S.  tenuis ;  and  I  discovered  it  in  rather  an  un- 
expected manner,  while  sifting  under  the  water  of  the 
pond  the  ulvce  and  weeds  in  searching  for  a  stock  of 
Rissoa  labiosa.  The  R.  [Hydrobia]  ulvce  also  occurs 
there.  I  sifted  the  weeds  at  the  time  of  nearly  high 
tide,  while  the  sea- water  was  rushing  into  the  pond ;  and 
I  imagine  that  the  active  Syndosmya  was  rising  to  the 
surface  of  the  mud  to  imbibe  the  fresh  stream  from  the 
sea,  and  thus  became  entangled  in  the  weeds  to  be  trans- 
ferred to  my  sieve,  an  easy  prey.  I  am  not  sure  that 
they  do  not  become  the  food  of  the  grey  mullet,  consi- 
derable numbers  of  which  live  in  the  pond ;  for  while  I 
waded  almost  knee-deep,  the  fish  played  actively  about 
me.''  In  the  last  communication  that  I  received  from 
him  (March  1863)  he  says,  as  to  this  species,  "  abun- 
dant in  streams  supplying  the  salt-works  in  Guernsey ; 
also  in  the  mud  on  the  shore,  in  company  with  Cylichna 
obtusa,  where  there  is  an  occasional  afflux  of  brackish 


4i4  MACTRID.E. 

water.  The  former  occur  with  Rissoa  [Hydrobid]  ven- 
trosa,  &c.  In  one  large  pond  eels  and  minnows  are 
associated  with  S.  tenuis.  The  shell  is  apt  to  be  stained 
in  ferruginous  clays/' 

It  is  probably  the  Dorvillea  Anglica  of  Leach.  The 
Erycina  ovata  of  Philippi,  from  Lake  Fusaro  near  Na- 
ples, is  closely  related  to  the  present  species  :  Deshayes 
named  specimens  of  the  former  in  the  British  Museum 
''  Scrobicularia  piperita  Jvlu." 


B.  Lateral  teeth  wanting. 
5.  S.  pipera'ta"^,  Bellonius.    U^.  14-^ 

Mactra  piper ata,  Linn.  Syst.  Nat.  (ed,  Gmelin)  p.  3261.      Scrobicularia 
piperata,  F.  &  H.  i.  p.  326,  pi.  xv.  f.  5,  and  (animal)  pi.  K.  f.  6. 

Body  pale  yellowish-white  :  mantle  bordered  by  a  dark  line, 
and  having  its  edges  irregularly  scoUoped  and  minutely  fringed : 
tabes  cylindrical,  of  nearly  equal  length,  covered  with  a  pale 
dirty-brown  skin,  tapering  to  their  extremities,  which  are 
truncate  and  plain  (but,  according  to  Deshayes,  the  orifice  of 
the  excretal  tube  is  finely  ciliated,  and  that  of  the  alimentary 
tube  is  plain) :  gills,  one  on  each  side,  which  is  divided  diago- 
nally by  a  nearly  central  narrow  groove  into  two  subtriangular 
portions,  so  as  to  constitute  a  double  plate ;  they  are  very 
thick,  pale-yellow,  placed  obliquely,  delicately  pectinated  out- 
side but  more  strongly  within :  palps  large,  thin,  flat,  ver^' 
long,  triangular,  broad  above  and  pointed  at  their  ends ;  these 
are  coloured  and  striated  like  the  gills :  foot  slightly  bent,  and 
white :  liver  dark-green,  as  in  the  other  species. 

Shell  triangularly  oval,  flattened,  usually  nearly  equilateral, 
l)ut  sometimes  more  or  less  produced  or  elongated  towards  the 
posterior  end,  thin,  opaque,  lustreless  except  in  young  and 
fresh  specimens  :  sculpture,  numerous  irregular  concentric  striae 
and  occasional  marks  of  growth :  colour  greyish-white,  often 
stained  with  yellow  or  black  from  the  clayey  or  muddy  habitat: 
epidermis  slight,  laminar  or  fibrous  at  the  edges,  glisten- 
ing and  partially  iridescent :  margins  gently  curved  in  front, 

*  Peppery 


SCEOBICULARIA.  445 

rounded  on  the  anterior  side,  truncate  or  bluntly  angular  on 
the  posterior  side,  which  is  obscurely  angulated  and  has  a  de- 
cided gape,  nearly  straight  on  each  of  the  dorsal  sides,  which 
form  by  their  junction  with  the  beaks  an  angle  of  from  60  to 
70  degrees :  healcs  very  small  and  calyciform,  incKning  a  very 
little,  if  at  all,  towards  the  posterior  side ;  umbones  project- 
ing :  ligament  rather  long  and  continued  between  the  beaks 
to  the  anterior  side,  dark  horncolour:  cartilage  large,  bent 
like  one  of  the  knee-timbers  of  a  ship,  yellowish-brown :  hinges 
line  obtuse-angled :  hinge-plate  thick,  short,  broad  in  the  mid- 
dle and  tapering  gradually  to  each  side:  teeth,  in  the  right 
valve  two  thin,  laminar,  nearly  parallel  cardinals,  the  anterior 
being  mostly  higher  but  shorter  than  the  other ;  in  the  left 
valve  a  straight  laminar  cardinal  which  is  often  double ;  the 
sides  of  the  hinge-plate  are  callous  or  ridge-like,  and  serve  the 
purpose  of  lateral  teeth  in  keeping  the  hinge  more  securely 
closed :  inside  polished  and  somewhat  nacreous,  minutely  and 
indistinctly  striated  lengthwise,  and  microscopically  fretted  like 
seal-skin ;  margin  bevelled  and  sharp-edged :  pallial  scar  dis- 
tinct, with  a  large  triangularly  oval  sinus,  as  in  S.  tenuis,  but 
having  the  upper  angle  more  rounded :  muscular  scars  rather 
deep,  of  an  irregular  shape,  anterior  oblong,  posterior  trape- 
zoidal.    L.  1-5.   B.  2. 


Habitat  :  Beds  of  mud  and  clay,  at  low- water  mark, 
and  as  deep  as  4  fathoms  seawards,  on  all  our  shores 
from  Exmouth  (Clark)  to  Aberdeen  (Macgillivray),  as 
well  as  in  Ireland  and  the  west  of  Scotland :  it  is  gre- 
garious. Fossil  in  a  raised  sea-bed  at  Swansea  disco- 
vered in  the  course  of  excavating  the  South  Docks  (Mog- 
gridge) ;  similar  deposit  at  Belfast  (Hyndman  and  Grain- 
ger) ;  York  and  Forth  beds  (Smith) ;  Sussex  tertiaries 
(God win- Austen).  Scandinavian  coasts  from  Bergen  to 
Kiel  Bay,  France  from  Boulogne  to  Nice,  Vigo  and 
Malaga,  Algeria,  Spezzia,  Naples,  and  Sicily. 

The  name  of  this  species  may  have  been  derived  from 
the  peculiar  flavour  of  the  animal.  Montagu  says  that 
it  has  an  extremely  bitter  taste — although  the  old  pro- 
verb occurs  to  one's  mind  when  we  learn  from  Capel- 


446  MACTRID^. 

lini  that  at  Spezzia  it  is  sought  for  as  an  article  of  food 
and  sold  with  other  shell-fish.  According  to  Clark  this 
kind  is  called  a  "  mud-hen  ^'  by  the  fishermen  at  Ex- 
mouth.  They  burrow  in  stiff  clay,  six  inches  or  more, 
each  individual  making  and  occupying  its  own  hole,  and 
forming  together  a  honeycombing  commonwealth.  The 
breadth  of  the  shell  being  two  inches,  the  length  of  the 
siphons  must  be  at  least  twice  as  great,  in  order  to  keep 
the  hole  clear  and  have  access  to  the  water.  Bouchard- 
Chantereaux  has  remarked  that  S.  piper ata  also  requires 
or  prefers  to  breathe  pure  air ;  for  during  the  recess  of 
the  tide  the  orifice  of  the  lower  tube  is  considerably  di- 
lated, and  when  it  is  placed  in  a  vessel  of  water,  this  tube 
is  gradually  stretched  out  so  as  to  reach  the  surface,  and 
remains  for  some  hours  in  that  position.  Pholas  has  the 
same  habit.  The  earliest  account  we  have  of  the  animal 
of  the  present  species  is  that  by  Reaumur,  published  in 
the  ^Memoires  de  T Academic^  for  1710;  and  it  has 
lately  been  described  by  Bouchard- Chantereaux,  Quoy, 
Philippi,  Deshayes,  Forbes  and  Hanley,  and  Clark.  I 
have  had  the  benefit  of  collating  these  descriptions  with 
my  own  notes  made  in  1836.  Its  anatomy  has  been 
elaborated  by  Deshayes,  and  illustrated  by  twenty-two 
finely-coloured  plates,  in  one  of  the  Appendices  to  the 
'Exploration  scientifique  d^Algerie.'  The  remarkable 
structure  of  the  hinge,  typical  of  this  genus,  did  not 
escape  the  observant  eye  of  Lister.  The  young  of  S.  pi- 
per ata  has  probably  been  mistaken  for  S.  tenuis ;  but  it 
is  much  flatter  and  broader,  and  wants  laminar  teeth. 
Some  distorted  specimens,  which  I  found  in  peat,  are 
contracted,  and  consequently  more  convex  than  usual. 

It  is  "  La  CalcineUe ''  of  Adanson,  Trigonella  plana 
of  Da  Costa,  Venus  borealis  of  Pennant  (but  not  of  Linne) , 
Mya  hispanica  of  Chemnitz,  Mactra  Listeri  and  Mya 


SCROBICULARIA.  447 

gaditana  (as  well  as  Mactra piperata)  of  Gmelin,  Mactra 
compressa  of  Pulteney,  Mya  orbiculata  of  Spengler, 
Solen  callosus  of  Olivi  (according  to  Philippi),  Scrobi- 
cularia  arenaria  of  Schumacher,  Lavigno  calcinella  of 
Recluz,  and  Trigonella  Listeriana  of  Leach.  The  young 
is  the  Amphidesma  tenue  of  Macgillivray. 


Candid  Reader,  contrast  the  superficial  aphorism  of 
Pope, 

"  The  proper  study  of  mankind  is  man," 

with  the  following  lines  by  Wordsworth,  which  embody 
a  far  greater  depth  of  thought  and  acquaintance  with 
Nature,  and  are  strictly  in  unison  with  those  feelings 
which  arise  from  the  prosecution  of  such  studies  as  the 
present : — 

"  Happy  is  he  who  lives  to  vmderstand, 
Not  human  nature  only,  but  explores 
All  natures, — to  the  end  that  he  may  find 
The  law  that  governs  each;  and  where  begins 
The  union,  the  partition  where,  that  makes 
Kind  and  degree,  among  all  visible  beings  ; 
The  constitutions,  powers,  and  faculties 
Which  they  inherit — cannot  step  beyond — 
And  cannot  fall  beneath ;  that  do  assign 
To  every  class  its  station  and  its  office. 
Through  all  the  mighty  commonwealth  of  things ; 
Up  from  the  creeping  plant  to  sovereign  Man. 
Such  converse,  if  directed  by  a  meek, 
Sincere,  and  humble  spirit,  teaches  love : 
For  knowledge  is  delight ;  and  such  delight 
Breeds  love :  yet,  suited  as  it  rather  is 
To  thought  and  to  the  climbing  intellect, 
It  teaches  less  to  love,  than  to  adore ; 
If  that  be  not  indeed  the  highest  love ! " 


448 


TABLE  OF  DISTRIBUTION. 


Table  of  geographical  and  geological  distribution, 
framed  on  the  principles  set  forth  in  the  preceding 
volume,  with  respect  to  the  Land  and  Freshwater 
Mollusca  of  Great  Britain. 


Species. 


Extra-European  localities 


Brachiopoda 

Terebratula  cranium 
caput-serpentis  . 

Argiope  decollata 

cistellula    

capsula  

Crania  anomala     . .  . 


6 


Conchifera, 

Anomia  ephippium 

patelliformis  . . 

Ostrea  edulis 

Pecten  pusio      . .  . . 

varius 

opercularis     . . 

septemradiatus 

tigrinus 

Testae 

striatus 

similis     

maxinms  . .  . . 
Lima  Sarsii   

elliptica      . .  . . 

subauriculata 

Loscombii  . .  . . 

hians 

Avicula  hirimdo    . . 

Pinna  rudis   

Mytilus  edulis  . .  . . 
modiolus    . .  . . 

barbatus 


North  America  and  Japan. 
Madeira  and  the  Canaries. 


Algeria. 


North  America,  Algeria,  and 

Madeira. 
Sitka     Sound,     North-west 

America,  and  Algeria. 
New  York. 
Azores. 
Algeria. 
Madeira  and  Algeria. 


Algeria. 
Canaries. 


Canaries. 

North  Africa. 

Canaries,  Madeira,  and  Azores, 

North  Africa,  Canaries,  Ma- 
deira, and  Azores. 

North  Africa  and  Canaries. 

North  America  and  Morocco. 

Behring's  Straits  and  New 
England. 

Algeria. 


TABLE  OF  DISTRIBUTION. 


449 


Species. 

1 

§3 

It 

Extra-European  localities. 

Concliifera  {continued). 

Mytilus  Adriaticus    

phaseolinus    

Modiolaria  marmorata .... 

z 

_ 

Gulf  of  Tunis. 

Canaries. 
Canaries. 
North  Greenland  and  New 

England. 
North  America. 

Greenland  and  New  England. 

North  Africa. 
Greenland  and  Algiers. 
North  America. 

Massachusetts. 

Madeira  and  Canaries. 
Greenland. 

Canaries. 

Canaries  and  Azores. 

Canaries. 

Gulf  of  California,  Canaries, 
and  South-west  America. 

California  and  Canaries. 

Canaries. 

Madeira  and  Canaries. 

Canaries. 

North  America. 

Greenland,  Massachusetts, 
and  Canaries. 

Greenland. 

Madeira  and  Canaries. 

Greenland. 

Greenland,  Madeira,  and 

Canaries. 
Madeira  and  Canaries. 

Canaries. 

discors      

Crenella  rhombea     

decussata    

nucleus 

nitida 

tenuis     

Leda  pygmsea    

Ijimonsis  aurita 

Pectunculus  glycymeris    . . 
Area  pectunculoides     .... 

lactea    

Galeomma  Turtoni 

Lepton  squamosum 

sulcatulum     

Clarkife 

Montacata  substriata    

ferruginosa    

Lasffia  rubra 

Kellia  suborbicnlaris    

divaricatus     

Lucina  spinifera   

Axinus  flexuosus   

Croulinensis 

ferruginosus 

Diplodonta  rotundata 

Cyamium  minutum 

Cardium  aculeatum 

pphinfttiim 

tuberculatum     

papillosum     

450 


TABLE  OF  DISTKIBUTION. 


Species. 

1 

o 

Extra-European  localities. 

:  Conchifera  {continued). 

Cardium  exiguum 

fasciatum  

nodosum    

edule 

— 

— 

Algeria. 

North  Africa,  Canaries,  and 
Azores. 

Aral  Sea  and  Caspian. 

Madeira  and  Canaries. 

North  America. 

North  A merica,  North  Africa, 

and  Canaries. 
North  America. 
Canaries. 
Madeira  and  Canaries. 

North  Africa. 

North  Africa  and  Azores. 

Algeria,  Madeira,  and  Cana- 
ries. 
Canaries. 

North  Africa. 

Senegal  and  Indian  Ocean  ? 

Mogador. 

North  Africa. 

North  Africa,  Madeira,  and 

Canaries. 
Ghilf  of  Tunis. 
Behring's     Straits,    Kamts- 

chatka,  and  North  America. 
Mogador. 
Algeria. 

Madeira,  Canaries,  and  Azores. 
Madeira. 

North  Africa,  Madeira,  and 

Canaries. 
North  Africa  and  Canaries. 
North  Africa  and  Canaries. 

North  Africa. 
Algiers. 

TTiinimum 

Norvegicum 

Isocardia  cor 

Cyprina  Islandica 

Astarte  sulcata 

compressa 

triangularis    

Circe  minima    

Venus  exoleta    

lincta      

Chione    

fasciata 

Casina    

verrucosa   

ovata 

Gallina 

Tapes  aureus 

virgineus    

pnllastra     

decussatus 

Lucinopsis  undata    

Gastrana  fragilis    

Tellina  balaustina     

crassa 

balthica 

tenuis 

fabula     

SQualida 

B^UttliUi* 

donacina    

pusilla    

Psammobia  tellinella    

costulata    

Ferroensis 

Donax  vittatus 

trunculus    

politus    

TABLE  OF  DISTRIBUTION. 


451 


Species. 

1 

It 

Extra-European  localities. 

Conchifera  {continued). 

Amphidesma  castaneum  . . 
Mactra  solida    

— 

— 

Madeira,Canaries,  and  Azores. 

North  Africa. 

Algeria  and  Canaries. 

Algiers. 

Algeria. 

Algeria. 

Algeria  ? 
North  Africa. 
G-ulf  of  Tunis. 
Algeria. 

subtruncata   

stultorum 

Lutraria  elliptica 

oblonga    

Scrobicularia  prismatica  . . 

alba     

ninerata          .          .    . 

124 

110 

107 

104 

Of  the  above  species  96  are  both  northern  and 
southern,  14  are  exclusively  northern,  and  9  exclusively 
southern — although  all  the  species  described  in  this 
volume  are  in  one  sense  northern,  considering  Great 
Britain  to  be  within  that  line  of  distribution.  Five 
other  species  (viz.  Rhynchonella  psittacea,  Pecten  Islan- 
dicus,  Astarte  crebricostata  or  depr essay  A,  borealis,  and 
Tellina  calcarea)  formerly  existed  within  the  area  of  our 
seas,  and  are  included  in  catalogues  of  the  British  mol- 
lusca ;  but  they  have  never  been  discovered  otherwise 
than  in  a  fossil  state.  These  last  are  arctic,  as  well  as 
the  Leda  limatula  of  Say  and  a  few  more  species  which 
occur  in  glacial  deposits.  The  upper  tertiary  species 
comprise  7  exclusively  northern,  and  the  same  number 
exclusively  southern,  as  well  as  one  species  which  is  not 
known  as  recent  except  in  Shetland ;  the  rest  are  com- 
mon to  both  divisions. 


EREATA. 

Page  133,  line  12  from  top,  for  "  C.  decussatus"  read  "  C.  decussata." 
264,  line  13  from  top,  for  "  trunculus"  read  "vittatus." 
280,  line  6  from  bottom,  for  "  variatal"  read  "  varietal." 
349,  line  11  from  top,  for  "  striatula"  read  "gallina." 
357,  line  13  from  top,  for  "elliptica,  var.  oblonga"  read  '■''  ohlonga,^ 
390,  line  2  from  top,  for  '■^ Hypothyris''''  read  '■'■  Ehynclwnella.^^ 
402,  line  17  from  top,  the  word  "types "  should  not  be  in  italics. 


INDEX  TO  VOL.  11. 


The  synonyms,  as  well  as  the  names  of  spurious  species,  and  of  species, 
genera,  and  other  groups  which  are  not  described  in  this  volume,  are  in 
italics. — The  figures  in  smaller  type  refer  to  the  page  in  which  the  descrip- 
tion of  species,  genera,  and  higher  groups  will  be  found. 


Abra,  Leach,  434. 

fabalis,  S.  Wood,  441. 
Acephala,  8. 

Amphidesma,  Lam.,  235,  4.12,  434. 
Boysiana,  Leach,  441. 
castaneum,  Mont.,  413. 
«ornea,  Lam.,  414. 
corneum,  Poll,  414. 
deauratum,  Turt.,  414. 
donacilla,  Lam.,  414. 
fiexiwsa.  Lam.,  249. 
GoodalHana,  Leach,  215. 
intermedia,  Thomps.,  437. 
Ittcinalis,  Lam.,  235. 
nitens,  Mont.,  414. 
nucleola,  Lam.,  222. 
purpurascens.  Lam.,  212,  215. 
semidentata,  Seacchi,  441. 
tenue,  Macg.,  447. 
Amphidesmata,  412. 
Anatina,  Lam.,  210. 
Ancylus,  92. 

Anomia,  Linn.,  5,  10,  24,  29,  30, 32, 
33,37. 
aculeata,  32. 
aurita,  Gualt.,  16. 
caput-serpentis,  Linn.,  14. 
decollata,  Chemn.,  18. 
detruncata,  Gmel.,  19. 
ephippiimi,  Linn.,  26,  30,  34,  35. 
patelliformis,  Linn.,  34,  35,  36. 
pecfiniformis,  Phil.,  35. 
retusa,  Linn.,  16. 
squamula,  32. 
striata,  Lov.,  35,  36. 
tuhularis,  Turt.,  34. 
Anomiadm,  Gray,  29. 
Anomia,  30. 
ANOMiiDiB,  Gray,  27,  29. 


Arca,  Linn.,  80,  136,  138,  139,  141, 
160, 165, 169, 170, 171, 173, 184, 
187,  265. 

as'pera,  Phil.,  180. 

aurita,  Brocchi,  160,  161. 

barbata,  Linn.,  97,  183. 

barbata,  MUlL,  179. 

bimaculata,  Poll,  169. 

Britannica,  Eeeve,  182. 

cardissa.  Lam.,  182. 

eaudata,  Don.,  158. 

crinita,  Pult.,  180. 

decussata,  Linn.,  169. 

fusca,  Brug.,  182. 

fusca,  Solander,  182. 

Gaimardii,  Payr.,  180. 

glacialis.  Gray,  172, 173, 174,  175. 

glycyTneris,  Linn.,  166,  169. 

imbricata,  Poli,  179,  180,  184. 

Korenii,  Dan.,  177. 

lactea,  Lmn.,  139,  172,  176,  177, 
178,  179,  180. 

margaritacea,  Brug.,  148. 

minima,  Tiu-t.,  169. 

minuta,  Brocchi,  158. 

minuta,  Fabr.,  157,  158. 

minuta,  Mont.,  157. 

minuta,  Miill.,  155,  158. 

modiolus,  Linn.,  179. 

navicularis,  Brug.,  182. 

nitida,  Brocchi,  150. 

No(B,  Linn.,  169,  182. 

nodulosa,  Miill.,  179,  180. 

micleus,  Linn.,  143. 

nummaria,  Linn.,  169. 

obliqua,  Phil.,  175. 

obliqua,  Eeeve,  177. 

pectunculoides,  Seacchi,  170,  171, 
174,  175,  176,  178. 


454 


INDEX. 


Arca  {continued). 
Pennantiana,  Leach,  180. 
perforans,  Turt.,  179. 
pilosa,  Linn.,  169. 
jntsilla,  Nyst,  175. 
Quoyii,  Payr.,  180. 
raridentata,  S.  Wood,  171,  174, 

175. 
reticulata,  Gmel.,  183. 
reticulata,  Turt.,  183. 
rostrata,  Mont.,  158,  184. 
striata,  Eeeve,  180. 
tenuis,  Mont.,  151. 
tetragona,  Poli,  139,  i8o. 
tortuosa,  Linn.,  182. 
undata,  Linn.,  169. 
ArcadcB,  Leach,  141. 
Arcid^,  Lowe,  137,  138,  139,  141. 
Arcopagia,  Leach,  375. 

ovata,  Brown,  375. 
Arctica,  Schum.,  304. 
Arctoe  nitidissima,  Eisso,  332. 
Arenaria,  v.  Miihlf.,  433. 
Argiope,  Deslongch.,  11,  17,  30. 
capsula,  JeflFr.,  21,  22. 
cistellula,  S.  Wood,  2,  14.  19,  21, 

22 
decoUata,  Chemn.,  18,  20,  21,  22. 
Neapolitana,  Scacchi,  21,  22. 
Argus,  Poli,  50. 
Artemis,  Lov.,  325,  327. 
compta,  Lov.,  331. 
exoleta,  Linn.,  327. 
lincta,  F.  &  H.,  330. 
Artkemis,  Poli,  327. 
Asmidia,  304. 
Assiminia,  425. 

Astarte,  J.  Sowerby,  6,  25,  32, 164, 
239,  308,  309,  310,  322. 
arctica,  320. 

borealis,  Chemn.,  320,  390. 
Castanet,  Say,  308,  320. 
compressa,  Macg.,  320. 
compressa,  Mont.,  310,  315,  316, 

317,  319. 
corrugata,  320. 

crebricostata,  Forb.,  319, 320,  390. 
erebrilirata,  S.  Wood,  320. 
cyprinoides,  320. 
Jbanmoniensis,  F.  &  H.,  311. 
elliptica.  Brown,  312,  314. 
Gairensis,  Smith,  315. 
globosa,  Moll.,  316. 
incrassata,  Brocchi,  313,  314. 


Astarte  (continued). 

islandica,  320. 

lactea,  320. 

IcBvigata,  v.  Miinst.,  319. 

latisulca,  Hani.,  315. 

oninutissima,  Mont.,  309. 

multicostata,  Smith,  317. 

propinqua,  Landsb.,  317. 

pulchella,  Jonas,  317. 

pusilla,  Forb.,  319. 

Scotica,  Mat.  &  Kack.,  309. 

semisulcata,  Jeffr.,  315. 

semisulcata.  Leach,  315,  320. 

striata,  Moll,  316. 

sulcata.  Da  Costa,  164.  308,  310, 
311,  312,  314,  317,  319. 

triangularis,  Mont.,  146,  164, 309, 
310,  318. 

Uddevallensis,  Smith,  317. 

undata,  Gould,  315. 

veneriformis,  320. 
Autonoe,  Leach,  218. 
AvicuLA,  Klein,  76,  94,  95,  96,  97, 
98,  141. 

Atlantica.  Lam.,  97. 

Britannica,  Leach,  98. 

hirundo,  Linn.,  95,  96,  97. 

Tmrio,  Leach,  97. 

Tarentina,  Lam.,  95,  97. 
AvicuLiD^,  Swainson,  93. 
Axinaa,  Poli,  165. 
AxiNus,  J.  Sowerby,  28,  229,  231, 
245,  246,  247. 

angulatus,  Sow.,  246. 

CrouHnensis,  Jeffr,,  250,  251. 

ferruginosus,  Forbes,  251. 

flexuosus,  Mont.,  148,  229,  247, 
249,  250,  251,  252. 

obscurzis,  Sow.,  246. 

Sarsii,  Phil,  247,  249,  251. 
sinuattcs,  Pliil.,  249. 

Balanus  Bellonii,  List.,  182. 
Bequania,  Leach,  247. 
Bornia,  PMl.,  224. 

inflafa,  Phil.,  227. 

seminulum,  Phil.,  222. 
BEACHIOPODA,  i,  2,  3,  4,  6, 

7,  8,  9,  10,  24,  326. 
Braciiiopod,  7. 
Brachiopods,  6,  8,  9. 
Buccimim  undatum,  44,  418. 
Bulla,  138. 
Bullida,  230. 


INDEX. 


455 


Byssomya  Chierinii,  Payr.,  263. 

Callista,  Poll,  327. 

coccinea,  Poli,  334. 
Capsa,  Lam.,  308,  402. 

deflorata,  Leach,  352. 
Cardia,  304. 
Cardiacea,  301. 
Cardiacees,  Lam.,  298. 
CARDiiDiE,  Brod.,  264,  297. 
Cardissa,  285,  289. 
Cardita,  Brug.,  298,  308. 

Uthophagella,  Lam.,  263,  264. 
Carditid.e,  Gray,  256. 
Cardium,  Linn.,  256,  265,  266,  268, 
277,  281,  286,  296,  298,  344. 

aculeatum,  Linn.,  268,  270. 

amnicum,  Mont,,  266. 

aquilinum,  Mittre,  280. 

arcuatum,  Mont.,  238,  266. 

arcuatum,  Keeve,  283, 

carneosum.  Da  Costa,  238. 

ciliare,  Don.,  275. 

ciliare,  Linn,,  270. 

ciliare,  Mont.,  270. 

ciliare,  Penn.,  271. 

citrinum,  W.  Wood,  296. 

corneum,  Mont.,  266. 

crassum,  GmeL,  296. 

crenulatum,  Lam,,  287. 

discors,  Mont.,  236,  237,  238, 266. 

echinatum,  Linn.,  268,  270,  272, 
273,  274,  277. 

edentulum,  Mont,,  297. 

edule,  Linn.,  106,  268,  275,  285, 
286,  289,  292,  293. 

elegantulum,  Moll.,  272. 

elongatum,  Brug.,  283. 

elongatum,  Mont.,  282. 

exiguum,   GmeL,  268,  278,  280, 
281,  282,  288. 

exiguum,  Macg.,  283. 

fasciatum,  Gmel.,  283. 

fasciatum,  Mont.,  268,  281,  285, 
289. 

Grrcunlandicum,  Chemn.,  297. 

humanum,  Linn.,  302. 

lacustre,  Mont,,  266. 

IcBvigatum,  Linn,,  296. 

Loveni,  Thomps.,  294. 

medium,  Linn.,  296. 

medium,  Turt.,  296. 

minimum,  Phil.,  268,  292. 

muricatulum,  Mont.,  280. 


Cardium  {continued). 

muricatum,  Linn.,  296,  297. 

nodosum,  Mont.,  275. 

nodosum,  Turt.,  268,  283,  286, 
297. 

Norvegicum,  Spengl.,  294,  296. 

ohlongum.  Brown,  296. 

oblongum,  Chemn.,  296. 

ovale,  Sow.,  283. 

papillosum,  Poli,  263,  268,  275, 
277. 

jparasitum,  Costa,  280. 

'parvum,  Da  Costa,  272. 

parmm,  Phil.,  280. 

Pennantii,  Reeve,  296. 

planatum,  Ren.,  277. 

Polii,  Payr.,  277. 

jpunctatum,  Brocchi,  277. 

;punctatum,  Phil.,  277,  285. 

'pygmceum,  Don,,  278,  280. 

roseum,  Chemn.,  285. 

roseum.  Lam.,  284,  285. 

rubrum,  Mont,,  217,  219,  266. 

ruhrum.  Reeve,  283. 

TU8ticum,  Chemn.,  287. 

rusticum,  Linn.  ?,  273,  274,  275. 

scahrum,  Phil.,  283. 

8cohinatum,  Lam,,  277. 

serratum,  Linn.,  296. 

serratum,  Turt.,  297. 

Siculum,  Sow,,  280. 

spatula,  Sol.,  272. 

spinosum,  3.  Sowerby,  270. 

stellatum,  Reeve,  280. 

striatum.  Walker,  344. 

strigilliferum,  S.  Wood,  272. 

subangulatum,  Seacchi,  280. 

Su£cicum,  Lov.,  292. 

Suediense,  Reeve,  294. 

tuberculatum,  Linn,,  267,268,273, 
274,  275,  278,  285. 

vitellinum.  Reeve,  296. 

zonatum.  Leach,  283. 
Cephalopoda,  326. 
Cerastes,  Poli,  268. 
Chama,  Linn,,  218,  298. 

cor,  Linn,,  298. 

Lazarus,  317. 

magna.  Da  Costa,  430. 
Chimara,  Poli,  99. 
Chione,  v.  Miihlf.,  263. 

coccinea.  Leach,  334. 
Circe,  Schum.,  321,  324,  327,  331. 

minima,  Mont.,  322. 


456 


INDEX. 


Clausina,  Jeffi*.,  247. 

Croulinensis,  Jeffr.,  260. 
Cochlodesma,  433. 

CON  CHI  FEE  A,  1,  4,  8,  27,  326. 
Corbicula  fluminalis,  316. 
Crania,  Eetz,  9,  20,  24,  26. 

anomala,  Miill.,  2,  24. 

Norvegica,  24. 

ringens,  Honingh.,  25. 
CraniadcB,  King,  24. 
Craniid^e,  King,  24. 
Crassina,  Lam.,  308. 

Britannica,  Leach,  315. 

convexiuscula,  Brown,  317. 

depressa,  Brown,  315,  320. 

elliptica,  Brown,  312,  313. 

ohliqua,  Brown,  317. 

ovata,  Brown,  315. 

sulcata,  Nilss.,  315. 
Crenatula  Travisii,  Turt.,  98. 
Crenella,  Brown,  121, 130,132, 134, 
136,  161. 

costulata,  F.  &  H.,  125. 

decussata,  Mont.,  133. 

faba,  Miill.,  135. 

glandula,  Totten,  135. 

marmorata,  F.  &  H.,  122. 

nigra,  F.  &  H.,  128. 

rhombea.  Berk.,  131,  134. 
Criopus  Orcadensis,  Leach,  26. 
Cryptodon,  Turt.,  247. 

bisinuatum,  S.  Wood,  249. 

rotundatum,  S.  Wood,  253. 
Ctenoides,  Klein,  80. 
CwullcBa,  Lam.,  173. 
Cuneus  reticulatus,  Da  Costa,  362. 

truncatus,  Da  Costa,  411. 

vittatiLS,  Da  Costa,  402. 
Cyamia,  263. 
Cyamium,  PhU.,  256,  257,  260. 

antarcticum,  Phil.,  257. 

?  eximium,  S.  Wood,  260. 

minutum,  Fabr.,  260,  264. 
Cycladina  Adansonii,  Cantr.,  222. 
Cyclas,  128. 
Cyclina,  Desh.,  365. 
Cydippe,  Leach,  375. 

lAsteriana,  Leach,  375. 
Cylichna  obtusa,  443. 
Cyprcsa  Europcsa,  147. 
Cypricardia,  Lam.,  256,  263. 

coralliophaga,  Lam.,  264. 
Cyprina,  Lam.,  303,  307,  308,  321, 

324. 


Cyprina  (continued). 

(squalis,  Sow.,  305. 

Islandica,  Linn.,  98,  167,  302, 
303,  304,  305,  306,  307,  333. 

islandicoides,  Lam.,  305. 

Montagui,  Risso,  316. 

vulgaris,  Brown,  308. 
Cyprinice,  G-einitz,,  297. 
CyrackcBa,  Leach,  242. 
Cyrena,  303. 

fluminalis,  316. 
Cytherea,  Lam.,  .'^21,  325,  327. 

albida.  Bolt.,  330. 

apicalis,  Phil.,  324. 

Chione,  F.  &  H.,  332. 

IcBvis,  Ag.,  334. 

lunaris.  Lam.,  331. 

minuta.  Brown,  324. 

nitidula,  Lam.,  334. 

occitanica,  Reel.,  324. 

Daphne,  Poli,  171. 
Davidsonia,  9. 
DIMYARIA,  Lam.,  27,  43. 
Diodonta,  Desh.,  367. 

Barleei,  Jeffr.,  255. 

fragilis,  F.  &  H.,  367. 
DiPLODONTA,  Brown,  229,  253,  255. 

dilatafa,  Phil.,  255. 

rotundata,  Mont.,  254, 

DiPLODONTiE,  253. 

Discinida,  24. 

DONACES,  402. 

Donacida,  402. 

DonaciUa  Lamarckii,  Phil.,  414. 

DoNAx,Linn.,386,4oi,402,412, 434. 

anatina,  406. 

anatinum,  Lam.,  406,  408. 

anatinus,  F.  &  H.,  402. 

castanea,  Mont.,  412. 

complanata,  Mont.,  410. 

crenulata,  Don.,  411. 

denticulatus,  Linn.,  411. 

fabagella.  Lam.,  406. 

glabra,  S.  Wood,  410. 

IcBvigata,  Chemn.,  408. 

Laskeyi,  410. 

hnga,  Bronn,  410. 

plebeia,  Pult,  414. 

politus,  Poli,  402,  408. 

punctata,  Chemn.,  411. 

rubra,  Mont.,  264. 

ruTrra,  Turt.,  264,  405. 

semistriata,  Poli,  406. 


INDEX. 


457 


DoNAx  (continued). 
taninculus,  Linn.,  264,  405,  406, 

407,  408. 
trunculus,  Miill.,  406. 
vittata,  Lam.,  406. 
Tittatus,  Da  Costa,  395,  402,  407, 
409. 
Dorvillea  Anglica,  Leach,  444. 
Dosinia,  Scop,,  327. 

Echion,  Poll,  30. 
Ervilia,  Turt.,  412. 

castanea,  F.  &  H.,  413. 
Erycina,  Lam.,  205. 

angulosa,  Bronn,  436. 

faba,  Nyst,  210. 

Fontenayi,  Mittre,  222. 

Franciscana,  Eecl.,  216. 

nucleola,  E6cl.,  210. 

(yvata,  Phil.,  444. 

pisum,  Scacchi,  227. 

Renieri,  Bronn,  441. 

seminulum,  Reel.,  207. 

violacea,  Scacchi,  222. 
Eujpoleme  cancellata,  Leach,  198. 

Galeomma,  Turton,  184,  185,  187, 
190,  192,  193. 

Turtoni,  Ed.  Zool.  Joum.,173, 178, 
187,  188,  192,  393. 
Galeommid^,  Gray,  184. 
Gari,  Chemn.,  391. 
Gasteropod,  138,  171,  194. 
Gasteropoda.,  8,  326. 
Gasteropodous  Mollusca,  50. 
Gasteropods,  196. 
Gastrana,  Schnm.,  366,  367. 

fragiHs,  Linn.,  367,  368,  369. 
Glaticus,  Poli,  78. 
Glocomene  Montagiumay  Leach, 

255 
Glossus,  Poli,  298. 
Glycymeris  argentea^  Da  Costa,  148. 
GobrcBus,  Leach,  401. 
Goodallia,  Turt.,  319. 
Gouldia,  C.  B.  Adams,  321. 
Crryphcea,  39. 
Gwynia,  King,  22. 

Hiatella  Poliana,  Costa,  192. 

striata,  Delle  Chiaje,  192. 
Hinnites,  Defrance,  52. 
Hydrohia  ulvce,  443. 

ventrosa,  444. 


Isocardia,  Lam.,  265,  297,  298, 300, 
301,  303. 
cor,  Linn.,  298,  302. 
Hibernica,  Reeve,  303. 

Kellia,  Turton,  205,  217,  218,  222, 
223, 224,  230. 
abyssicola,  Forbes,  253. 
Cailliaudi,  R^cl.,  226. 
cycladia,  S.  Wood,  228. 
ferruginosa,  Forbes,  251. 
nitida,  F.  &  H.,  198. 
planulata,  Stimps.,  222. 
rubra,  F.  &  H.,  219. 
rubra,  Gould,  222. 
suborbicularis,  Mont.,   121,    163, 

193,  221,  225,  227. 
Kelliid^,  F.  &H.,  28, 184, 192, 193. 

LcBVicardium,  Swainson,  296. 
LAMELLIBRANCHIATA,  27,  28, 

43. 
Lanistes,  Humphr.,  121. 
Lanistina,  Gray,  121. 
Las^a,  Leach,  217,218,219,223,229. 

rubra,  Mont.,  193,  214,  219,  221, 
263,  283. 
JjKqmm,  218. 
Lasea  rubra.  Leach,  218. 
Lavigno  calcinella.  Reel.,  447. 
Lavignonus,  Fer.,  434. 
Lbda,  Schum.,  136,  139,  140,  141, 
150,  153,  154,  159. 

caudata,  155. 

complanata,  Moll.,  158. 

intermedia,  Orst.,  158. 

minuta,  Miill.,  153,  155, 157, 158. 

pemula,  Miill.,  154,  157,  158. 

pygmsea,  Miinst.,  153,  154. 
Lemhulus,  Leach,  153, 
Lepton,  Turton,  94,  184,  188,  193. 

194,  196,  202. 
Clarkiae,  Clark,  202. 
convexum.  Aid.,  199. 
loripes,  Stimps,,  194. 
nitidum,  Turt.,  198,  200. 
squamosum,  Mont.,  194,  200. 
sulcatulum,  Jeffr.,  201,  203. 

Ligula,  Mont.,  433. 

prismatica,  Mont.,  435. 

profundissima,  Forbes,  440. 

substriata,  Mont.,  205. 
Lima,  Brug,,  77,  78,  79,  86,  89,  90, 
91,  92,  93,  159,  192. 


458 


INDEX. 


Lima  {contimied). 
aperta,  Sow.,  93. 
bullata,  Turt.,  86,  87. 
elUptica,  Jefir.,  8i,  82,  83,  84. 
elongata,  Forbes,  84. 
fragilis,  Flem.,  93. 
Mans,  Gmel.,  82,  86,  87,  89,  90, 

92,  93. 
inflata,  Forbes,  93. 
inflata,  Lam.,  93. 
mfiata,  Phil.,  93. 
Loscombea,  Leach,  87. 
Loscombii,  G.  B.  Sowerby,  80,  84, 

85,  86,  87,  93. 
reticulata,  Leach,  87. 
Sarsii,  Lov.,  78,  80,  84. 
strigilata,  Scacchi,  87. 
subauricula,  Phil.,  84. 
subauriculata,  Mont.,  80,  81,  82, 

84,  85. 
sulcata,  Moll.,  84. 
sulculus,  Lov.,  84. 
tenera,  Turt.,  87,  88. 
tenuis,  Leach,  93. 
unicostata,  Leach,  84. 
vitrina,  Brown,  93. 
lAmatula,  S,  Wood,  80. 
Umea,  Bronn,  78,  79,  80,  87. 

Sarsii,  Lov.,  78. 
Limnopsis,  Gray,  161. 
Limoarca,  Miinst.,  79. 
LiMOPSis,  Sassi,  80,  139,  141,  159, 
160,  163,  164,  165. 
aurita,  Brocchi,  79,  161,  164. 
horealis,  Woodw.,  164. 
pellucida,  Jeffr.,  132. 
pygmaa,  S.  Wood,  164. 
Lingula,  2,  6,  9,  22. 
List&ra,  Turt.,  434. 
Lithodomus  aristatus,  120. 
Littorina  litorea,  106,  135. 
LoRiPES,  Poli,  229,  230,  231,  232, 
237,  259. 
divaricatus,  Linn.,  235,  238,  239, 

283. 
lacteus,  Linn.,  233,  243,  244. 
pisiformis,  Linn.,  239. 
Loripoderma,  Poli,  232. 
LuciNA,  Bnig.,  27,  230,  231,  239, 
240,  246,  253,  259,  362,  363. 
alba,  Turt.,  245. 
borealis,  Linn.,  242, 243, 245, 372, 

391. 
caduca,  Scacchi,  365. 


LuciNA  {continued). 

Childreni,  317. 
commutata,  Phil.,  236. 
Desmarestii,  Payr.,  233. 
digitalis.  Lam.,  238. 
digitaria,  Poli,  236. 
divaricata,  F.  &  H.,  235. 
divaricata,  Lam.,  236. 
ferruginosa,  F.  &  H.,  251. 
filosa,  Stimps.,  244. 
flexuosa,  F.  &  H.,  247. 
fragilis,  Phil.,  234. 

Gouldn,  Phil.,  249. 

lactea,  Lam.,  233. 

lactea,  Macg.,  245. 

lewoma,  Macg.,  245. 

kucoma,  Turt.,  233,  234. 

quadripartita,  D'Orb.,  236. 

sinuata.  Lam.,  249. 

spinifera,  Mont.,  240,  241. 

squamosa,  Lam.,  237. 

strigilla,  Stimps.,  236. 

undularia,  S.  Wood,  236. 
LuciNiDiE,  D'Orb.,  229,  230,  231. 
LuciNOPSis,  Forbes  and  Hanley,  325, 
327,  362,  363. 

undata,  Penn.,  255,  363. 
LuTRARiA,  Lam.,  412,  427,  428,  429, 
434. 

elliptica.  Lam.,  428, 430, 431, 432. 

oblonga,  Chemn.,  357,  430,  432. 

solenoidea,  Brown,  432. 

solenoides,  King,  432. 

solenoides.  Lam.,  432. 

solida,  Phil.,  432. 

vulgaris,  Flem.,  430. 
LuTRARIiE,  428. 

Lux,  Chemn.,  391. 

vespertina,  Chemn.,  398. 
Lyonsia  Norvegica,  438. 

Macandrevia,  King,  11. 
Macroma  tenera,  Leach,  390. 
Macttra,  Linn.,  141,  227,  412,  415, 
424,  428,  433,  434. 

alba.  Wood,  438. 

Boysii,  Mont.,  441. 

Braziliana,  Lam.,  427. 

castanca.  Lam.,  419. 

cinerea,  Mont.,  423. 

compressa,  Pult.,  446. 

corallina,  Buon.,  425. 

cornea,  Poli,  414. 

crassay  GDurt.,  419. 


INDEX. 


459 


Mactra  (continued). 

crassatella,  Lam.,  419. 

cuneata,  Sow.,  422. 

dealbata,  Pult.,  427. 

deltoides,  Lam.,  422. 

elliptica,  Brown,  417,  418,  419. 

Euxinica,  Kryn.,  422. 

fragilis,  Chemn.,  427. 

glauca,  Bom,  425. 

helvacea,  Chemn.,  425. 

hians,  Pult.,  432. 

hyans,  Turt.,  432. 

lactea,  Linn.,  422. 

lactea,  Poli,  422. 

lateralis,  Say,  422. 

Listeri,  Gmel.,  446. 

lutraria,  Linn.,  430. 

minutissima,  Mont.,  319. 

Neapolitana,  Poli,  427. 

ohtruncata,  S.  Wood,  422. 

ovalis,  S.  Wood,  419. 

piper ata,  Gmel.,  444,  446. 

radiata,  Don.,  297. 

Bolida,  Linn.,  415,  418,  419,  420, 
421,  422,  424,  425,  ^7. 

straminea,  Lam.,  425. 

striata,  Brown,  420. 

Btultorum,  Linn.,  420,  42a,  424, 
426. 

stultorum,  Penn.,  422. 

subtnmcata.  Da  Costa,  419,  421. 

suhtruncata,  Don.,  419. 

tenuis,  Mont.,  442. 

triangula,  Ren.,  422. 

triangularis,  Mont.,  318. 

triangulafa,  S.  Wood,  422. 

truncata,  Mont.,  417,  418. 

vulgaris,  Chemn.,  419,  427. 
MactradcB,  Flem.,  411. 
MACTRiDiE,  Flem.,  411, 
Megathyris,  D'Orb.,  17. 

cistellula,  F.  &  H.,  19. 
Megerlea  truncata,  22. 
Meleagrina,  96. 
Mesodesma,  Desh.,  412. 

exiguum,  Lov.,  210. 

Jauresii,  De  Joannis,  414. 
Mitulus,  104. 
Modiola,  Lam.,  90,  103,  104,  120. 

adriatica,  Lam.,  116. 

agglutinans,  Cantr.,  120. 

asperula,  S.  Wood,  133. 

Ballii,  Brown,  120. 

harbata,  F.  &  H.,  114. 


Modiola  (continued). 

harbata,  Macg.,  114. 

cicercula,  Moll.,  135. 

cuprea,  Jeffr.,  136. 

discors,  Leach,  124. 

discrepanSy  Lam.,  124. 

Europcea,  D'Orb.,  124. 

Gibbsii,  Leach,  116. 

glandula,  Totten,  135. 

grandis,  Phil.,  112. 

IcBvigata,  Gray,  127. 

modiolus.  111. 

nigra.  Gray,  128. 

ovalis,  Sow.,  117. 

papuana,  Lam.,  113. 

phaseolina,  Phil.,  118. 

picta.  Lam.,  118. 

Poliana,  Phil.,  124. 

PrideavLx,  Leach,  132. 

Prideauxiana,  Brown,  132. 

radiata.  Brown,  118. 

rhombea.  Berk.,  131. 

tulipa,  F.  &  H.,  116. 

tulipa,  Lam.,  113,  114,  118. 

tumida,  Hanley,  124. 

vestita,  Phil.,  120. 

vulgaris,  Flem.,  114. 
Modiola,  104. 

MoDioLARiA,  Beck,  28,  lao,  121, 130, 
214. 

costulata,  Risso,  125. 

discors,  Linn.,  86,  126,  129,  130. 

impacta,  128. 

marmorata,  Forbes,  121,  122, 123, 
124,  125,  128,  214. 

nigra.  Gray,  128. 

MODIOLARI^,  130. 

Modiolus  costulatus,  Risso,  125. 
MONOMYARIA,  Lam.,  27, 43. 
MoNTAcuTA,  Turt.,   193,  204,  205, 
208,  217,  223. 
bidentata,  Mont.,  208,  210,  216, 

222. 
Dawsoni,  Jeffr.,  216. 
donacina,  S.  Wood,  216. 
elevata,  Stimps.,  210. 
ferruginea,  F.  &  H.,  210. 
ferruginosa,  Mont.,  210,  214,  215, 

225 
oblonga,  Turt.,  212. 
substriata,  Mont.,  168,  193,  205, 

208,  433. 
tenella,  Lov.,  216. 
Murex,  310. 

x2 


460 


INDEX. 


Murex  (continued). 

trunculus,  421. 
MuricidcB,  230,  319. 
Mutulus,  104. 
J%a,  141,210,  228,428. 

arenaria,  106. 

bidentata,  Mont.,  208. 

deeussata,  Mont.,  348. 

ferruginosa,  Mont.,  210. 

nitida,  Fabr.,  438. 

nitida,  MiilL,  436,  437, 438. 

ohlonga,  Chemn.,  430. 

orbiculata,  Spengl.,  446. 

purpurea,  Mont.,  263. 

suhorbicularis,  Mont.,  225. 
Myrtea,  Turt.,  242. 
Mysia,  Leach,  253. 
Mytilid^,  Fleming,  102. 
Mytilus,  Linn.,  90,  98,   103,  104, 
121. 

Adriaticus,  Lam.,  116,  236. 

Jfricanus,  Chemn.,  120. 

aristatus,  Dillw.,  120. 

barbatus,  Linn.,  114,  115, 118. 

barbatus,  MiilL,  116. 

bidens,  Linn.,  120. 

crenattcs,  Lam.,  120. 

curtus,  Penn.,  114, 

decussatus,  Lam.,  135. 

decvssatus,  Mont.,  133. 

discors,  Linn.,  123,  124. 

discrepans,  Mont.,  123,  128,  130. 

edulis,  Linn.,  104,  106,  107,  114, 
126,  135. 

faba,  MiilL,  135. 

Galloprovincialis,  Lara.,  105. 

GarnseicB,  Petiver,  180. 

Gribbsianus,  Leach,  116. 

hesperianus.  Lam.,  106. 

hirundo,  Linn.,  95,  97. 

incurvatus,  Penn.,  105. 

marTTwratus,  Forbes,  122. 

modiolus,  Linn.,  23,  86,  98,  104, 
106,  107,  III,  113,  114,  115, 
116,  117, 118,  119,  120, 179. 

papuanu^,  D'Arg.,  113. 

pellucidus,  Penn.,  105. 

phaseolinus,  Phil.,  104,  118,  120, 
121. 

pictus,  GmeL,  118. 

trossulus,  Gould,  106. 

umbilicattis,  Penn.,  112. 

ungulatus,  Linn.,  105. 
Mytulus,  104. 


Nassa  incrassata,  58. 

neritea,  405. 
NaticidcB,  230. 
Nicania  JBanksii,  Leach,  317. 

striata,  Leach,  316. 
NucuLA,  Lam.,  130,  132,  136,  139, 
140, 141, 143, 146, 153, 196. 

arctica,  Gray,  158. 

argentea.  Brown,  148. 

commutata,  Phil.,  158. 

cuspidata,  Phil.,  157. 

decipiens,  Phil.,  152. 

decussata,  P.  &  H.,  141. 

decussata,  Sow.,  143. 

expansa,  Eeeve,  152. 

gibbosa,  Smith,  155. 

inflata,  Hanc,  151. 

inflata,  Morch,  152. 

lenticula,  Moll.,  155. 

nitida,  Sow.,  143,  146,  148,  149, 
150,  152. 

nucleus,  Linn.,  143,  145, 146, 147, 

•  148,  149,  150,  210. 

oblonga.  Brown,  157. 

Polii,  Phil.,  143. 

Portlandica,  Hitchc,  158, 

proxima,  Say,  150. 

pygmcea,  Miinst.,  154. 

radiata,  F.  &  H.,  144,  145,  146, 
147. 

rostrata,  Macg.,  158. 

rugulosa,  Sow.,  143. 

striata,  Lam.,  158. 

sulcata,  Ad.,  143. 

sulcata,  Bronn,  141, 144, 148, 150. 

tenuis,  Mont.,  151,  152. 

tenuis,  Phil.,  155. 

truncata.  Brown,  158. 

tumidula.  Malm,  144. 
NuculadcB,  Leach,  141. 
Nucule,  140,  146. 
Nuculana,  Link,  153. 
Nuculana,  S.  Wood,  140. 
Nu,culidcB,  D'Orb.,  141. 
Nuculocardia,  D'Orb.,  136. 
Nudibranchs,  85,  355. 
Nympha,  304. 

Oronthea  Montaguana^  Leach,  227. 
OsTREA,  Linn.,  37,  49. 

bullata.  Born,  86. 

deformis,  Lam.,  39. 

depressa,  Phil.,  39. 

edulis,  Linn.,  38. 


INDEX. 


461 


OsTREA  {continued). 

hians,  Gmel.,  87. 

hippopus.  Lam.,  39. 

hybrida,  Gmel.,  64. 

lima,  Linn.,  160. 

maxima,  Linn.,  73. 

nivea,  Renier,  84. 

(ypercularis,  Linn.,  59. 

parasitica,  Turt,  39. 

picsio,  Linn.,  51. 

sinuosa,  Gmel.,  53. 

strigilata,  Brocchi,  80,  87. 

suJbauriculata,  Turt.,  84. 

tenera,  Chemn.,  93. 

tuherculafa,  Olivi,  80. 

tumida,  Turt.,  72, 

varia,  Linn.,  53. 
OsTREiD^,  Brod.,  27,  29,  37,  49. 
Ostreum  striatum,  Da  Costa,  36. 

Palliobranchiata,  5. 
Parthenope  formosa,  Scacchi,  192. 
Pasipha'e  Pennantia,  Leach,  344. 
Patella,  25. 

anomala,  Miill.,  24. 

distorta,  Mont.,  26. 
Pecten,  Pliny,  25, 32,  43,  49,  50, 52, 
75,  77,  80, 93. 

Actoni,  V.  Martens,  72. 

aculeatus,  Jefifr.,  71. 

aratus,  Gmel.,  65. 

Audouinii,  Payr.,  62. 

concentricus,  60. 

Danicus,  Chemn.,  62. 

distortus.  Da  Costa,  53. 

domesticus,  Chemn.,  67. 

Dumasii,  Payr.,  63. 

Foresti,  Martin,  72. 

fragilis,  Chemn.,  86. 

fragilis,  Mont.,  86. 

furtivus,  Lov.,  67. 

Gerardii,  Nyst,  68. 

glaber,  Penn.,  64. 

Grcenlandicus,  Sow.,  72. 

incomparabilis,  Risso,  69. 

Isabellce,  Lam.,  58. 

Isabella,  Macg.,  58. 

Islandicus,  MiilL,  57, 58, 320, 390. 

Jacobceus,  74,  77. 

hevis,  Penn.,  76. 

Landsburgi,  Forbes,  71. 

lineatus,  Da  Costa,  60,  62. 

maximus,  Linn.,  50, 73,75,76,361. 

minimus,  Sars,  72. 


Pecten  {continued). 

mtdtistriatics,  Poli,  53. 

niveus,  Macg.,  54,  56,  57. 

obsoletus,  Penn.,  67. 

opercularis,  Linn.,  33,  59,61,62,74. 

parvus,  Da  Costa,  67. 

polymorphus,  64. 

pusio,  Linn.,  49,  51,  52,  56. 

TpygmcBUs,  v.  Miinst.,  72. 

reticulatus,  Chemn.,  71. 

rimulosus,  Pliil.,  70. 

septemradiatus,  MiiU.,  50,  62,  63, 
64. 

similis,  Laskey,  49,  71,  73,  76. 

striatus,  MiiU.,  68,  69,  70. 

subauriculata,  Mont.,  82. 

subrufus,  Turt.,  62. 

sulcatus.  Born,  65. 

sulcatus,  Lam.,  65. 

sulcatus,  MiilL,  64. 

Testge,  Bivona,  67,  68,  69,  70. 

tigerinus,  MiilL,  65. 

tigrinus.  Mull.,  65,  67^  68,  6a 

varius,  Linn.,  53,  56,  57,  58. 

20-sulcatus,  Miill.,  65. 

vitreus,  Chemn.,  69. 

vitreus.  Gray,  72. 

vitreus,  Risso,  69. 
PECTiNiDiE,  Lam.,  27,  48,  49,  70. 
Pectunculidcs,  Leach,  141. 
Pectunculina,  D'Orb.,  169. 
Pegtunculus,  Lam.,  139,  140,  141, 
159,160,164,165,170,171. 

capiUaceus,  Da  Costa,  329. 

costatus.  Da  Costa,  311. 

crassus,  Da  Costa,  307. 

decussatus,  Turt.,  169. 

depressior,  Da  Costa,  375. 

fasciatus,  Da  Costa,  334. 

fasciatus,  Dale,  355. 

glaber,  Da  Costa,  334. 

glycimeris,  P.  &  H.,  166. 

glycymeris,  Linn.,  21,  i66,167,169. 

lineatus,  Phil.,  169. 

maximus  8fc.,  Lister,  296. 

membranaceus,  Da  Costa,  339. 

minutus,  Phil,,  164. 

nummarius,  Turt.,  169. 

pygmaus,  Phil.,  164. 

stellatus.  Lam,,  169. 

striatulus,  Da  Costa,  347. 

strigatus,  Da  Costa,  341. 

undatus,  Turt.,  169. 

violascescens,  Lam.,  169. 

x3 


462 


INDEX. 


Peloris,  Poli,  38. 
Perna  alata,  98. 
Peroncea,  PoH,  366,  402. 
Petricola,  210. 

lamelhsa,  Lam.,  369. 

lithophaga,  Eetz,  348. 

ochroleuca,  Lam.,  369. 

Ruperella,  Lam.,  348. 
Pholades,  325,  357. 
P^o^os,  13,  27, 446. 

dactylus,  359. 
Piliscus  commodus,  30. 
Pinna,  Lister,  26,  76,  94,  95,  96,  98, 
99,  141. 

borealis,  102. 

elegans,  102. 

fragilis,  102. 

ingens,  102. 

/«ws,  102. 

muricata,  Linn,,  102. 

pajoyracea,  102. 

pectinata,  Linn.,  99. 

rotundata,  102. 

rudis,  Linn.,  99. 
Pisidium,  215,  292. 

fontinale,  192. 

ptmllum,  219,  319. 
(var.  obtmalis),  199. 
Placenta,  37. 
Placuna,  37. 

Placunanomia,  Brod.,  36. 
Plagiastoma,  Sow.,  78. 
Plagiostomus,  Lhwyd,  78. 
Pododesmus,  Phil.,  29. 
Polylejptoginglymi,  Lister,  166. 
Polyodontes,  Lam.,  139. 
Poromya,  229. 

mhtrigona,  Jeffr.,  228. 
Poronia,  R6cl.,  217. 

rw6ra,  F.  &  H.,  219. 
PsAMMOBiA,  Lam.,  185, 388,  391, 401. 

costiilata,  Turt.,  394. 

discors,  Phil.,  395. 

Ferroensis,  Chemn.,  385,  396, 399. 

>re(?a.  Lam.,  394,  401. 

yZonV^a.  Turt.,  394. 

fragilis,  Payr.,  394. 

/M5ca,  Say,  378. 

tellinella.  Lam.,  392,   393,   395, 
396,  398. 

vespertina,  Chemn.,  394,  398. 

vitreay  Quoy,  187. 
Psammophila,  Leach,  432. 
Psammotaa  tarentina,  Lam.,  369. 


Pteropoda,  8,  326. 
Ptychina,  Phil.,  247. 

biplicata,  Phil.,  249. 
Pullastra,  Sow.,  349. 
Pulmonobranchous  MoUusca,  378. 

Rhynchonella  psittaeea,  4,  22, 390. 
Rissoa  labiosa,  443. 

parva,  56. 

w^vtg,  443. 

ventrosa,  444. 

Sanguinolaria  dejlorata,  401. 
Saxicava,  263. 

arctica,  357. 
SaxicavcB,  325. 
Scacchia  ovata,  Phil.,  229. 
Schizodiis,  King,  246. 
Scintilla,  Desh.,  194. 
ScROBicuLARiA,  Schum.,  432,  433, 
434. 

alba,  Wood,  433, 438, 440, 441. 

arenaria,  Schum.,  446. 

nitida,  Miill.,  436,  441. 

piperata,  BeUon.,  433,  444,  445, 
446. 

piperita,  Desh.,  444. 

prismatica,  Mont.,  433,  435,  437, 
438. 

tenuis,  Mont.,  433,  442,  444, 446. 

tenuis,  PhH.,  438. 
Serrula,  Chemn,,  402. 

IcBvigata,  Chemn.,  408. 
Solen,  141. 

callosus,  Olivi,  447. 

pictm,  Spengl.,  401. 

r',mosus,  Mont.,  194. 
ella,  Conrad,  253. 
Spharitda,  193,  224. 
Sphcenum,  134,  223. 

lactcstre,  163. 
Spisula,  Gray,  415. 
Spondyltis,  78. 
Syndom,ya,  E6cl.,  433,  434,  443. 

alba,  F.  &  H.,  438. 

intermedia,  F.  &  H.,  436. 

nitida,  Lov.,  438. 

prismatica,  F.  &  H.,  436. 

radiata,  Lov,,  439. 

tenuis,  F.  &  H.,  442, 443, 444. 

Tapes,  Miihlf.,  290,  325,  327,  349, 
367. 
aurea,  F.  &  H.,  349. 


INDEX. 


463 


Tapes  (continued). 
.     aureus,  Gmel.,  349,  351,  353, 354, 

368. 
decussata,  F.  &  H.,  359. 
decussatus,  Linn.,  327,  359,361. 
Indica,  Sow..  362. 
pullastra,  Mont.,  325,  327,  355, 

357,  358,  359,  360,  361,  362, 

391. 
virginea,  F.  &  H.,  352. 
virgineus,  Linn.,  349,  351,  352, 

354,  358. 
TelUmya  elliptica,  Brown,  215. 
glabra,  Brown,  215. 
l/ictea,  Brown,  226. 
ovata,  S.  Wood,  215. 
tenuis,  Brown,  228. 
Tellina,  Linn.,  27,  362,  366,  367, 

370,378,391,402,406,434. 
alhida,  DiUw.,  401. 
albida,  Linn.,  401. 
angulata,  Bom,  398. 
angulata,  Linn.,  398. 
balaustina,  Linn.,  75, 236, 367, 371, 

374. 
balthica,  Linn.,  238, 367,  375, 378, 

380. 
himacuUta,  Linn.,  375,  380,  390. 
Bm-nii,  GmeL,  398. 
Braziliana,  Lam.,  390. 
calcarea,  Chemn.,  389,  390. 
carnaria,  Linn.,  237,  238,  378. 
camaria,  Penn.,  378. 
crassa,  GmeL,  370,  373, 374. 
depressa,  Gmel.,  385. 
depressa,  Penn.,  401. 
digitaria,  GmeL,  238. 
discors,  Pult.,  383. 
distorta,  Poli,  387. 
divaricata,  Linn.,  235. 
donacina,  Linn.,   386,  388,  389, 

392,  402,  406. 
elliptica,  Brown,  391. 
exigua,  Poli,  381. 
fabula,  Gron.,  382,  384, 435. 
fausta,  Pult.,  390. 
Ferroensis^  Chemn.,  396. 
fervensis,  Gmel.,  398. 
flexuosa,  Mont.,  247. 
fragUissima,  Landt,  383. 
fusca,  Poli  314. 
gari,  Linn.,  401. 
gari,  Poli,  401. 
inaquistriata,  Don.,  391. 


Tellina  (continued), 
incamata,  Chemn.,  381. 
in^arnata,  Linn.,  380,  385,  398. 
incamata,  Penn.,  398. 
incamata,  Poli,  384. 
inconspicua,  Brod.  &  Sow.,  389. 
jugosa,  Brown,  369. 
lactea,  Linn.,  233, 234. 
lata,  Pult.,  391. 
Lantivyi,  Payr.,  387. 
Laskeyi,  Mont.,  410. 
lata,  Gmel.,  389. 
lineata,  Turt.,  390. 
maculata,  Turt.,  375. 
muricata,  Een.,  398. 
opalina,  Een.,  441. 
orbiculata,  Ren.,  373. 
pellucida,  Brocchi,  441. 
pellucida,  Brown,  391. 
pidformis,  Linn.,  238. 
planata,  Linn.,  381,  385. 
planMa,  Penn.,  381. 
polita,  Linn.,  381. 
polita,  Poli,  408. 
polita,  Pult.,  381. 
proficua,  Pult.,  390. 
proxima.  Brown,  390. 
punicea,  Gmel.,  391. 
pusilla,  Phil.,  388,  389. 
pygmcea,  Lov.,  388, 389. 
radiata,  Da  Costa,  398. 
radiata,  Linn.,  398,  400. 
radula,  Mont.,  245. 
remies,  Linn.,  390. 
reticulata,  Linn.,  390. 
rigida,  Pult,,  375. 
rotundata,  Mont.,  254. 
rvhra,  Da  Costa,  378. 
sabulosa,  Spengl.,  389. 
semistriata,  Sol.,  383. 
serratula,  Chier.,  373. 
similis,  J.  Sow.,  390. 
solidula,  Pult.,   238,  375,  377, 

378. 
sordida,  Couth.,  390. 
squalida,  Pult.,  367, 370,  384. 
striatula,  Olivi,  369. 
subcarinata,  Brocchi,  388. 
subrotunda,  Desh.,  375. 
tenuis,  Chemn.,  381. 
tenuis,  Da  Costa,  370,  380,  383, 

385. 
trifasciata,  Linn.,  388,  398. 
trifasoiata^  Penn.,  388. 


464 


INDEX. 


Tellina  (continued). 

(runcata,  Linn.,  398. 

truncafa,  Spengl.,  398. 

variabilis,  Pult.,  401. 

variegata  (3,  Gmel.,  410. 

variegata,  Poli,  388. 

vinacea,  Gmel.,  410. 

vitrea,  Gmel.,  383. 
Telling,  378. 
Tellinid^,  Latr.,  362,  365, 401, 402, 

412  434. 
Tellinides,  Lam.,  380. 
Tellinula,  Chemn.,  380. 

fragilissima,  Chemn.,  383. 
Terebratella  Spitzbergensis,  2,  30. 

truncata,  22. 
Tbrbbratula,  Lhwyd,  4, 5, 8, 10, 1 1, 
17,29. 

aperta,  Blainv.,  19. 

aicstralis,  13. 

capsula,  Jefifr.,  21. 

caput-serpentie,  Linn.,  2,  4,  5,  9, 
13,  14,  22. 

eardita,  Risso,  19. 

chrysalis,  Schloth.,  17. 

eistellula,  S.  Wood,  19. 

cordattty  Risso,  22. 

costata,  Lowe,  17. 

cranium,  Mull.,  2, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 
15,  22. 

emarginata,  Risso,  17. 

euthyra,  Phil.,  12. 

glabra,  Leach,  13. 

Jayonica,  16. 

nucleus,  MuU.,  16. 

jmbescens,  Mull.,  16. 

septata,  Phil.,  3,  14. 

septentrionalis,  Couth.,  15,  17. 

septigera,  Lov.,  3,  14. 

Soldaniana,  Risso,  19. 

striata,  Leach,  17. 

uma  antigtia,  Risso,  19. 

vitrea,  Linn.,  13. 
Terebratul^e,  6,  8,  9. 
Terebratulid.e,  Gray,  9,  10. 
Terebratulina,  14. 
Teredo,  13,  27. 
Thecidia,  6,  7. 
Thecidium,  7. 

Mediterraneum,  7. 
Thiatira,  Leach,  247. 
Thiatisa,  Leach,  247. 
Thracia,  27,  205,  433. 

distorta,  249. 


Thyasira,  Leach,  247. 
Timoclea,  Leach,  327,  344. 
Tridonta,  Schum.,  308. 
Trigonella,  Da  Costa,  432, 433. 

gallina.  Da  Costa,  419. 

Listeriana,  Leach,  446. 

^^awa.  Da  Costa,  446. 

radiata.  Da  Costa,  425. 

subtruncata,  Da  Costa,  419. 

zonaria,  Da  Costa,  419. 
Trigonella,  Da  Costa,  433. 
Trigonia  pectinata,  190. 
Trigonoccelia,  Nyst,  160. 
Trigonoccelius,  Nyst  &  GJal.,  160. 
Trimya,  Leach,  29. 
Turtonia,  P.  &  H.,  257,  258. 

wmwzfa,  Fabr.,  258,  260. 
Tyatira  hyalirha,  Beck,;249. 

Ungulina,  Daudin,  132,  205,  232. 
Unio,  146. 

Valvata,  92. 

Venerid^,  Leach,  218,  224,  297, 

303,  324,  362,  363,  366,  387. 
Venerirupis,  263. 
Venenipis,  Lam.,  349. 

nucleus.  Lam.,  359. 
Venus,  Hnn.,  141,  256,  308,  310, 
322,  324,  325,  326,  327,  360, 
362,  367. 

cenea,  Turt.,  351. 

aurea,  Linn.,  349. 

Beudantii,  Payr.,  355. 

bicolor,  Lam.,  359. 

biradiata,  Risso.  337. 

borealis,  Linn.,  242,  245. 

borealis,  Penn.,  446. 

Brongniarti,  Payr.,  337. 

Busschaerdi,  Req.,  337. 

canceUata,  Don.,  339. 

cancellata,  Turt.,  341. 

Casina,  Linn.,  337,  339,  341,  347- 

casinuia,  Desh.,  339. 

catenifera,  Lam.,  359. 

Chione,  Linn.,  327,  332, 334. 

cingenda,  Dillw.,  348. 

circinata,  Born,  348. 

circinnata,  Brocchi,  245. 

compressa,  Linn.,  315,  317- 

compressa,  Mont.,  315. 

crassa,  Linn.,  373. 

crenulata,  Sol.,  344. 

Cyrilli,  Scacchi,  324. 


INDEX. 


465 


Venus  (continued). 
DanTTumia,  Mont.,  315. 
decussata,  Linn.,  354,  359, 362. 
Dione,  Linn.,  2^. 
discina,  Lam,,  339. 
Duminyi,  Req.,  337. 
dysera,  Born,  348. 
dysera,  Brocchi,  337. 
dysera,  Linn.,  337. 
edulis,  Chemn.,  355. 
eremita,  Brocchi,  359. 
erycina,  Linn.,  339. 
erycina,  Penn.,  339. 
exoleta,  Linn.,  327,331,  332,  335. 
fesciata.  Da  Costa,  308,  310,  327, 

334,  338,  339. 
gallina,  Linn.,  325,  327,  336,  344, 

346,  347,  418. 
geographica,  Chemn.,  357,  359. 
granulata,  Gmel.,  348. 
Chiineensis,  Mont.,  348. 
hiatelloides,  Delle  Chiaje,  242. 
incompta,  Phil.,  365. 
incrassata,  Brocchi,  312. 
inquinata,  Lam.,  365. 
Islandiea,  Linn.,  304. 
lactea,  Don.,  339. 
Iceta^  Linn.,  355. 
laminosa,  Mont.,  346. 
Lemanii,  Payr.,  341. 
lentiformis,  J.  Sowerby,  330. 
Hncta,  Pult.,  330,  331,  335. 
literata,  Linn.,  352,  359. 
lujyimts,  Brocchi,  332. 
Iwpinus,  Linn.,  331. 
lusitanica,  Qmel.,  344. 
mercenaria,  Linn.,  307. 
minima,  Mont.,  321,  322. 
minuta,  Fabr.,  260. 
Montacuti,  Turt.;317. 
nebulosa,  SoL,  352. 
nitens,  Turt.,  351. 
nitens,  Scacchi,  355. 
occitanica,  R6cl.,  324. 
orbiculata,  Mont.,  237. 
ovata,  Peun.,  342,  343,  344. 
pallida,  Turt.,  348. 


Venus  (continued). 

Paphia,  Linn.,  308,  337, 341, 348. 
pectinula,  Lam.,  344. 
perforans,  Mont.,  357, 358. 
perovalis,  S.  Wood,  357. 
PetagncB,  Costa,  315. 
Philippiee,  Eeq.,  337. 
plagia,  Jeifr.,  357. 
pullastra,  Mont.,  355. 
pumila,  Lam.,  324. 
radiata,  Brocchi,  344. 
radiafa,  Chemn.,  344. 
radiata,  Sow.,  344. 
reflexa,  Mont.,  339. 
retifera,  Lam.,  359. 
rhomhoides,  Perm.,  355. 
Rustericii,  Payr.,  339. 
Sarniensis,  Turt.,  353. 
Scotica,  Mat.  &  Rack.,  312. 
seripta,  Linn.,  322. 
sinuata,  Gmel.,  332. 
sinuata,  Turt.,  331,  332. 
sinuosa,  Penn.,  249. 
spadicea,  Ren.,  344. 
spinifera,  Mont.,  240. 
spuria,  Gmel.,  245. 
striatula,  F.  &  H.,  344,  346,  349. 
subcordata,  Mont.,  308,  341. 
subrhomboidea,  Mont.,  348. 
sulcata,  Mont.,  320. 
Tenorii,  Costa,  359. 
tigerina,  Linn.,  237. 
triangularis,  Mont.,  321,  323. 
undata,  Penn.,  363. 
verrucosa,  Linn.,  339,  341,400. 
virago,  Lov.,  355. 
virginea,  Linn.,  352,  354. 
Vola,  Klein,  76. 

Waldheimia,  Zing,  IJ. 
Woodia,  Desh.,  239. 

Yoldia,  M6U.,  153, 154. 
abyssicola.  Tor.,  155. 
liicida,  Lov.,  155. 

Zenatia,  Gray,  216. 


EXPIANATION  OF  PLATES. 


•'-■    ■  ^      . 

Fbontispiece. 

Pinna  rudis. 

Plate  I. 

Fig.  1.  Terehratula  caput-serpentis. 
1'.  T.  cranium. 
2.  Argiope  cisteUula. 

Fig.  8.  Crania  anomala. 

4.  Anomia  ephippium. 

5.  Ostrea  edulis. 

Plate  II. 

Fig.  1.  Pectm  opercularis. 
1\  P.  similis. 
2.  Lima  Loscombii. 

Fig.  2".  Lima  hians. 

3.  Avicula  hirundo. 

Plate  HT. 

Fig.  1.  Pinna  rudis. 

2.  Mytilus  edulis. 

3.  Modiolaria  marmorata. 

Fig.  3*.  Modiolaria  nigra. 
4.  Crenella  decussata. 

Plate  IV. 

Fig.  1.  Nucula  nuchas. 

2.  Leda  minuta. 

3.  Limopsis  aurita. 

4.  Pectunculus  glycymeris. 

Fig.  6.  Area  lactea. 
6*.  A.  tetragona. 

6.  Galeomma  Turtoni. 

7.  Lepton  squamosum. 

Plate  V. 

Fig.  1.  Montacuta  hidentata 

2.  Lascea  rubra. 

3.  Kellia  mborhicularis 

4.  Loripes  lacteus. 

5.  Ludna  horealis. 

Fig.  6.  Axinus^xuosus. 

7.  Diplodonta  rotundata 

8.  Cyamium  minutum. 

9.  Cardtum  edule. 

Plate  VI. 

Fig.  1.  Isocardia  cor. 

2.  Cyjyrina  Islandica. 

3.  Astarte  sulcata. 

Fig.  4.   QVce  minima. 

5.  Venus  fasciafa. 

6.  Ttt^s  virgineus. 

Plate  VH. 

Fig.  1.  Ludnopsis  undata. 

2.  Gastrana  fragilis. 

3.  TeUina  bdlthica. 

Fig.  4.  PsammoUa  tellinella. 
t5.  Donax  vittatus. 

Plate  VIII. 

Fig.  1.  Amphidesma  castaneum.         Fig.  3.  Lutraria  elliptica. 
2.  Mactra  solida.                                4.  ScroUcularia  piperata 

THE  END. 

PRINTED  BY  TAYLOR  AND  FRANCIS,  RED  LION  COURT,  FLEET  STREET. 


Plate   1 


Vol.^. 


/   Trrf'/)/'(y////( 


/  ;y/ope . 


'/.  Af/<i  7/v  /// .  5  Ostrea. . 

Tu'b.'byVa.n  Vi.orsi     18  6  4. 


P-late   II. 


A 


Vol.2. 


7.  J^erten. 


2.  LinuL. 


3.  A.vi(^ulu. 


Fui.bj-  Va.B  Voorst  1864*., 


Plate   III 


Aol.2. 


I  fii 


2.  Mytilus. 
4.    Cren.e-Ua  . 


3.  ModiolaTi/j . 


Pub.  by  Vka  Voorst  1861:. 


Plate  IV 

1 


'  '  ''L 


^-*— .***' 


:> 


\o\::>. 


.Vucula.  2.   Led  a,.  3.  Lt.  mops  is. 

/'/-rfa nr// ///s.       />  Alrra  .        /?.   /ra Leo na^rtia. .  7.  Ziepton. 

KSotrar-ii/   SC. 

(   Pu.b.bj'Vaji Voorst    1864. 


Flare  V. 


Vol, 


4.  L,rrf/,e,s: 

7.  /Jipludtrntu 


2.  L  as  tea 
.-?.  L7J,(-if/a 
8.^'vo/ii/  iJ  //I 


3.  K,'U/a 
f>.  ././■•/////,*' 


Pub.  by  Viui  Vnovst,  1804. 


Pul).b\'^  V:a±  Voorst,  1864. 


Flate  VII 


Vol.2. 


I.  Luriyi opsis  ^.  /7-astra7i  /z  o.  J'ellntci 

■I  Fsiii?ifiiohia  5.  Dona. r 


H^StXferii/  ^c  ■ 


Pub. by  Van  Voorst,  1864. 


/   /I //I /'h /  f/r.s- ///// , 


4.  Sr/'^)/'/r//  ////yV/ 


Tub.  \.v  \';.u  \' 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


RENEWED  BOOKS  ARE  SUBJECT  TO  IMMEDIATE 
RECALL 


LIBRARY,  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  DAVIS 

Book  Slip-25m-6,'66(G3855s4)458  J 


N2  473400 

» 

Jeffreys,  J.G. 

British  conchology. 

QIii25 

G7 

JU6 

V.2 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

DAVIS