EAST COAST MARINE SHELLS 



65 



V-shaped; lateral teeth long, thin, stri- 

 ated on receiving surfaces; spoon shaped 

 cavity large, broad, housing internal lig- 

 ament which is dark colored. 



This Spisula is easily found uDon 

 the northern beaches. It is esteemed as 

 food and is the largest bivalve upon the 

 Atlantic northeast coast. 



PI. 57, Fig. 7 



Labrador to Cape Hatteras, North 



Carolina 



SPISULA SOLIDISSIMA SIMILIS Say. Less 

 heavy than the preceding and smaller, also 

 brighter although not glossy. Length 4.5 

 inches. 



The most abundant bivalve mollusk 

 of large size upon the west coast of Flor- 

 ida. From Cape Hatteras southward it re- 

 places the typical form. 



PI. S4, Fig. 4 



Massachusetts to Florida and Gulf 



of Mexico 



SPISULA POLYNYMA Stimpson (M. ovalis Gld.). 

 Shell large; a little shorter in front of 

 the umbones which are slightly elevated; 

 lateral teeth short and not striated; V 

 tooth strong; pallial sinus deep; epider- 

 mis tough, yellowish brown or dusky; in- 

 terior bluish white. Length 3.5 inches. 



At Eastport, Maine, and Grand 

 Menan these clams have been found plenti- 

 ful at low water mark. It also occurs on 

 Georges Bank. 



PI. 25, Fig. 15 



Hudson Bay to Massachusetts 



GENUS MULINIA Gray 1837 



MULINIA LATERALIS Say. Shell small, tri- 

 angular, distinctly convex, apparently 

 smooth but with minute wrinkles; base 

 white, covered with brown epidermis; um- 

 bones nearly central, prominent; hinge 

 strong, V-shaped marginal tooth. Length 

 12-18 mm. 



An extremely common form living 

 on salt marshes and near the mouths of 

 rivers. Southern examples are the smooth- 

 est. 



PI. 24, Fig. 5 



New Brunswick to Texas; West Indies 



MULINIA LATERALIS NUCLEUS Conrad. 

 PI. 3, Fig. 9 

 New England 



12 mm. 



MULINIA LATERALIS CORBULOIDES Desh. 

 PI. 3, Fig. 10 

 Beaufort, North Carolina to Texas 



GENUS RANGIA Desmoulins 1832 

 (GNATHODON GRAY) 



Shell equivalve; epidermis promi- 

 nent; umbones far apart; two small car- 

 dinal and two lateral teeth in right valve; 

 one cardinal and two lateral teeth in left 

 valve; ligament in trigonal internal pit. 



RANGIA CUNEATA Gray. Wedge Rangia. Shell 

 thick and heavy; epidermis olive green and 

 thick; anterior end short; umbones ele- 

 vated; posterior end angular, beaked at 

 end. Length 2 inches or more. 



In 1870 this was first taken in 

 Lake Ponchartrain, New Orleans, and de- 

 scribed at that time. The city of Mobile 

 is said to be built upon soil containing 

 the "bones" of countless Rangia. More re- 

 cently it has been collected near Jackson- 

 ville, Florida and in Georgia. It usually 

 lives in the mud banks of brackish water 

 streams. 



PI. 24, Fig. 1 



Georgia; Florida; Gulf of Mexico 



RANGIA CUNEATA ROSTRATA Petit. Beaked 

 Rangia. In this variety the point at the 

 posterior end is very pronounced. 



Texas; Gulf of Mexico 



GENUS ANATINA Schumacher 1817 

 (LABIOSA MULLER 1832) 



Marginal teeth feeble; no lateral 



teeth. 



ANATINA CANALICULATA Say. Channeled Duck. 

 Shell pure white, thin and fragile; orna- 

 mented with beautiful raised concentric 

 ribs; inflated and slightly gaping; shining 

 white inside. Length 2.5 inches. 



Single valves are common upon wind- 

 swept beaches from Cape Hatteras to Mexico. 

 The author has never seen or heard of a 

 living example. 



PI. 26, Fig. 3 



New Jersey to Gxilf of Mexico 



ANATINA LINEATA Say. Lined Duck. Surface 

 with fine regular growth lines, white -or 



