VENUS. 



135 



Fig. 446. 



Venus notata. 



Fig. 5-2. 



Shell ovate-orbicular, inequipartite, posterior end truncated ; surface with con- 

 centric sharp ridges, mostly wanting on the disk ; color yellowish or grayish- 

 white, and with fawn-colored zigzag markings ; interior wholly white. 



Ve7ius notdta, Say, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sc. ii. 271 (1822); Binney's reprint, 94. — 

 Gould, Inv. Mass. 1st cd. 87. — Philippi, Abbild. (Venus) 128, ])1. 2, tig. .'J. — I)e 

 Kay, Nat. Hist. New York, 218, pi. 27, fig. 278. 



Venus mercenaria, var. Sowerby, Thes. 733, j)!. 162, fig. 206. — Rkeve, Conch. Icon. 

 ( Venus) pi. 2, fig. 4 a. 



Mercenaria nofafa, Desiiayes, Br. Mas. Cat. Biv. Shells, 114 (18.53). 



Venus obliqua, Anton, Wiegm. Arcliiv. 1837, and V. Ci/prinoiJes, Anton, Vcrzeieh. (fide 

 Philippi). 



Venus prceparca, Say, Journ. Ac. Nat. Sc. ii. 271 (1822) ; Binney's reprint, 95. — De Kay, 

 Nat. Hist. New York, 219. — Hanley ( V. notata, var.), Dcscr. Cat. 1 17 ; in Wood's 

 Suppl. pi. 13, fig. 41. — Deshayes {Mercenaria notata), Cat. Br. Mus. (Biv.) 11.5. 



Shell very similar to the preceding, and perhaps merely a local 

 variety. The differences 

 which I shall mention 

 appear, however, to be 

 constant. The shell is 

 less heavy and coarse. 

 The hinge slope declines 

 less rapidly, so that the 

 posterior side is broader, 

 and its extremity Ijroad- 

 Iv trnncated ; the area 

 about the ligament is 

 much more smooth, and 

 usually colored brown or 

 purplish. The concen- 

 tric ridges are more reg- 

 ular in their distances, are somewhat undulated, and frequently are 

 lost in each other ; on the centre of the shell the ridges seem to 



a round, thick shell-fish, or, to speak more properly, worm. It does not bury itself l>ut a 

 little way in the sand ; is generally found lying on it, in deep water ; and is gathered up 

 by rakes made for the purpose. After the tide ebbs away, a few are picked up on the 

 .shore below high-water mark. The quahaup: is not mucli inferior in relish to the oyster, 

 but is less digestible. It is not eaten raw ; but is cooked in various modes, beins roasted 

 in the shell, or opened and boiled, fried, or made into soups and pics. About half an 

 inch of the inside of the shell is of a ]nn-ple color. This the Indians broke otl" and con- 

 verted into beads, named by them suckauhork, or black money ; which was twice the value 

 of their wompom, or white money, made of the metaithock, or periwinkle (Pyrula). 



" Poquahock, corrupted into qiiahnnrj or quauhor]. is the word with a plural termina- 

 tion." —i^istor?/ o/ Or/eaHS, in Collections of Mass. Hist. Society, VIII. 192 (1802). 



V. iiotntn. 



