138 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



to disappear below with a degree of celerity tjiat astonishes one 

 who observes it for the first time. 



This species is very appropriatel3^ named. In looking at some 

 hundreds, I have found very few alike in color. After death the 

 valves, like those of Dosinia, long remain joined. 



Cumingia tellinoides, Conr. 



Dredged ; apparently not common. 

 Semele orbiculata, Say. 



A few specimens, dredged in the channel. 

 Amphidesma constricta ? Philippi. 



Dredged ? (Label misplaced.) 

 Abra sequalis, Say. 



Common : valves on beach and elsewhere ; and dredired. 

 Tellina alternata, Say. , 



The largest and most conspicuous, if not also the most abun- 

 dant, species of the genus noticed. Valves everywhere; and 

 dredged. 



Tellina tenera, Say. 

 Tellina tenta, Say. 

 Tellina iris, Say. 



These three species are common; teiita apparently less so than 

 the two others ; the specimens of it were all, I think, picked up 

 on the beach, where both tenera and i7'is also occur. The two 

 last, however, are more abundant on the sand-shoals, and in 

 shallow dredging-ground ; and, in particular, numbers of them 

 were taken among eel-grass with Bittium sp., which see. Some 

 of the several other species of the genus given by Stimpson ma}^ 

 also have been taken; but if so, were not identified. 



Tellina polita, Say. 

 Strigilla flexuosa, Say. 

 Dredged. 



Strigilla, sp. indet. 

 Soleu ensis, Linn. 



Abundant. Younger shells, living, are ver}' numerous on Bird 

 Shoals. S. viridis was )iot obtained. 



^iliquaria gibba, Spengl. {Solecnrtits carribaiis, Lam.) 



Very common ; dead valves are plentiful on the beach, but still 



[July 25, 



