594 



Ophiiira be I lis. 



kinds. The second (Jig. 

 64.), of the animal of which 

 I have sent a drawing, as 

 it appeared when alive 

 and healthy, in sea water 

 (a), differs, so far as re- 

 gards its shell, only in this 

 being more compressed, 

 and the gape narrower ; but 

 the filaments of the animal 

 are of a pale yellow tipped 

 with red, and much shorter 

 than in either of the others. 

 The comparative length of 

 the filaments is, however, 

 I suspect, a very unsatis- 

 factory character, depend- 

 ing much on the will of 

 the animal. The third 

 (Lima fragilis ?) is a much 

 smaller shell (Jig. 65.), translucent, very fragile, finely striated, 

 and closed, or nearly closed, on all sides. The filaments are 

 long, and of a diluted crimson tint. 

 This species is the most frequent of 

 the three, occurring in the cavities of 

 old shells, in twenty fathoms of water. 

 Of the first of these shells I have 

 seen, besides my Manx specimens, 

 several from the coast of the Isle of 

 Arran. When taken out of the water, they snap their shells 

 violently, at intervals, in the manner of the pectens ; but when 

 in the water, they remain quiet, with heir shells wide open, 

 in the manner represented in the drawing (Jig. 64. a), present- 

 ing a very beautiful appearance. 

 Edinburgh, December 5. 1834. 



(To be continued.) 



65 



Art. III. Illustrations in British Zoology. By George John- 

 ston, M.D., Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edin 

 burgh. 



47. Ophiiira be'llis. (fig. 66.) 



SPECIFIC Character. — Body covered dorsally with se- 

 parate round scales, the interstices roughened with small 

 blunt tubercles ; no scales over the base of the rays. 



