LAMELLIBRANCHIATA. 39 



The largest of these shells (from the last-mentioned locality) measures 17 """. 



Its distribution extends from Lofoten along Europe and Africa as far as the west coast of 

 Soudan, also into the Mediterranean to the Aegean. From the Skager Rak it goes into the south- 

 eastern Kattegat. 



G. O.Sars gives its vertical distribution as from 5 — 100 fni., Jeffreys from 5—205 fm. Yet it 

 is stated, that the "Porcupine" has taken it at great depths (4, 5 and 6 hundred fm. on the line Fal- 

 mouth-Gibraltar, in the Mediterranean even at 1456 fm.). 



Lima excavata Fabricius. 



Ostrca excavata Fabricius, in Schroter's Naturgeschichte, II, 1780, p. 117. — Excavata Fabricii Chem- 

 nitz, Conch. Cab., VII, 1784, p. 355, PI. 68, fig. 654. — Lima excavata Jeffreys, Proc. Zool. 

 Soc, 1879, P- 564; Sars, Moll. Reg. Arct. Nor v. 1878, p. 24, PI. 3, fig. i; Locard, Exped. scient. 

 du Travailleur et du Talisman, Moll. Test. II, 1898, p. 409. — Radiila (Accsta) excavata 

 Dautzenberg& Fischer, Mem. Soc. Zool. de France, X, 1897, p. 186. 



This beautiful species has been taken by the "Thor" at 3 places S. of Iceland, namely at: 

 63'^05' N. L., 20°7' W. L 293 fm. i valve and some fragments. 



63°i2.5' N.L., 20°o6' W. L 268 - 4 spec, and 7 valves (height 27.5 — 87""^.), along 



with a quantity of Oculina. 



63°2i'N. L., i6°22'W. Iv 263 — 295 - I spec, (height 56 ™™.), along with living 



Oculina (Lophelia) prolifera. 



Although these specimens attain to a very considerable size (87"""'.) they are yet far from the 

 maximum size of the species; Sars gives the size of Norwegian specimens as "almost equal to a 

 palm of the hand", and our Zoological Museum possesses specimens from the Trondhjems Fjord up 

 to a size of 160 """. 



Distribution. Lima excavata is best known from Norway, especially from Hardanger Fjord. 

 G. O.Sars (I.e.) ascribes to it the following distribution: West Finmarken, Lofoten and West Norway, 

 150— 400 fm.; to this O.Nordgaard adds the following remark: "On our coast the species is limited 

 to the great fiord depths with their particularly constant temperature and salinity (6 — 7° C, about 

 35 °/oo)- As the Vest Fiord is the most northern of the principal fiords where these physical condit- 

 ions prevail, I am inclined to think that the mention of this species from Finmark nuist be a 

 mistake. The northern limit should be looked upon as Lofoten, until there is definite information 

 that it is distributed still further northwards."') 



Loven^) records it from Bohuslan, without stating however whether living specimens were 

 obtained. 



Further information regarding this species is given by Jeffreys (I.e.); the "Lightning" took 

 it N. of the Hebrides, 189 fm. ("A hinge and a part of the valves, quite fresh and united b\' the cart- 

 ilage. Perhaps taken by a fish on the Norwegian coast, and carried out to sea" (!), and the "Porcupine" 



1) Nordgaard: Hydrogr. and biolog. investig. Norwegian Fiords, 1905, p. 175. 



2) Ofvers. Kgl. Vetensk.-Akad. Forh. 3, 1846, p. 186. 



