b TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



Gyprina islandica (L.). — "Thrown up in great numbers on 

 Magilligan Strand during northerly gales " (Praeger). 

 Valves of young specimens were found along the tide- 

 marks, but up amongst the sand dunes very large shells were 

 conspicuous. Indeed, so numerous in some places were 

 these large Cy prince, lying on the surface or half -buried in 

 the loose sands, that one was almost inclined to ask, Have 

 we here the remains of an ancient kjokken-modden'? 

 Venus exoleta, L. — Very scarce indeed. 



V. lincta, Pult. — " Common, dead, thrown up on sandy beaches, 

 from Magilligan in Co. Deny to Newcastle in Co. Down " 

 (Praeger). This Venus is certainly the predominant one of 

 its genus on the Port-Stewart sands, while exoleta is 

 curiously rare. 

 V. ovata, Penn. — A few odd Valves. 



V. gallina, L. — " Found alive from low- water mark to 8 and 10 

 fathoms on the north and north-east sandy coasts. Thrown 

 ashore on the sandy beach of Magilligan in quantity and of 

 large size " (Thompson). The Port-Stewart specimens were 

 living and beautifully marked on the exterior. 



*V. gallina, var. gibba, Jpff. — One valve. Not mentioned in 

 Praeger's list. 

 Tapes virgineus {L.). — Very frequent. 



*T. pullastra {Mont.). — Curiously scarce, perhaps because so little 

 mud (which this species loves) is mingled with the fine 

 firm sand of the Port-Stewart beach. 



*T. pullastra, var. perforans (Mont.). — Four odd valves. 



*Tellina balthica, L. — A single perfect, though dead, specimen. 

 I believe it is the opinion of most conchologists that this 

 species is rapidly dying out, at least on the west coast of 

 Scotland and England. Formerly the shell used to be 

 abundant in many localities, where now only a few stray 

 examples may be obtained. The survivors are nearly all 

 of the well-known pink colour, the j^ellow varieties being 

 much scarcer. Mr. Standen, of the Owens' College, 

 Manchester, informs me that he remembers seeing whole 

 bays of the coast of Lancashire strewn with this shell, 

 whereas now it is by no means a frequently-met-with 

 species. 



