much the character of Modiola ; but it is probable, judg- 

 ing by their mode of life that the characters of the animal, 

 will justify the arrangement of Cuvier. 



The byssus is a fascicle of filiform fibres, each of which 

 is suddenly enlarged at tip so as to form a little disk, that is 

 applied by the foot of the animal to the supporting object. 



Lamarck described twenty three recent and several fos^ 

 sil species. 



MODIOLA PAPUANA. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 



Shell oblong, epidermis reddish-brown, shell violaceous. 



SYNONYMS. 



MuscuLUs PAPUANus, D'^rgeuv. Conch. (Lam.) 

 MoDioLA PAPUANA, Lam. Jin. sans Vert. Sfc. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Shell oblong subovate, very narrow behind and widely 

 rounded before; umbonial slope obtusely rounded and 

 prominent ; surface rather deeply wrinkled ; epidermis 

 reddish-brown, beneath which the surface of the shell is 

 more or less violaceous; within dull whitish, somewhat 

 iridescent. 



