CULTELLUS. 



Plate I. 



Genus CULTELLUS, Schumacher. 



Testa transversi' ohlonga, mwquilateralis, aquivalvis, 

 utrinqtie htans, rotunda, wahunihus anticis, inter- 

 dum paulo arcuata ; interdum costd unthonali 

 internd minuta. Denies in imd valvd duo, in 

 altera valvd tres. Li(jamentum externum, ilonga- 

 tum. 



Shell transversely oblong, iiic(|uilatonil, equivalve, 

 gajjing at each end, roumlcd, with anterior um- 

 bones, sometimes a little curved, sometimes pro- 

 vided with an internal umbonal rib. Teeth two 

 in one valve, and three in the other. Ligament 

 external, elongated. 



Sijn. Maeha, Conrad. — Siliqua, Muhlfeldi. — Lcgu- 

 minuni, Chemnitz. 



Uniting tlie group rcpresente<l by Sulcn CulteUus, 

 and that represented by Solen radi<ilus, the latter 

 having an internal umbonal bar or rib, in one genus, 

 we have all the Solenidce, excepting S. legumen, 

 divided into three genera — viz., Solen, including the 

 razor shells, whether straight or curved, with the beaks 

 terminal ; Cultkllus, including Siliqua, or the " radiata' ' 

 group, which, with or without the internal rib, having 

 the beaks near one end, or at least nearer than the 

 middle, and Solecurtus, including Macha, Siliqu.\hia, 

 Novaculina and Pharella, having the beaks centi-alor 

 nearly so. 



Like true Solens, the species of Cultclht.t are found 

 in the sands of nearly all climates. 



Species 1. (Mus. Brit.) 



Cultellus lividus. Cut. testd elongatd, arcuaid, com- 

 pressd, licidi-purpurascenti, maculis fascia aspcrsd, 

 postice attenuatd, suhacmninafd, margine terminali 

 antico perelevato ; ligamento breviitscido. 



The lfvid Cultellus. Shell elongated, curved, com- 

 pressed, livid-purplish, sprinkled with brown spots; 

 posteriorly attenuated, subacuminated, anterior 

 terminal margin much raised ; ligament short. 



DuNKER. Proc. Zool. Soc, 18G1. 



Cultellus marmoratus, Dunker. 



Hal). Isl Luzon, Philippines. 



The small semipellucid shell described as C. mar- 

 moratus, is evidently the same with C. lividus in a 

 young state. 



Species 2. (Mus. Sowerby.) 



Cultellus lacteus. Cul. testa magna, compressd, 

 Imvigatd, albidd, rectiusculd, intus subumbonis costd 

 munitd, extiis epidermide crassd indutd ; latere 

 antico ante umbones producto, rotundatim sub- 

 acuminato ; latere postico elongato, ad terininum 

 rotunda ; margine ventrali recto ; ligamento 

 maximo. 



The milk-white Cultellus. Shell large, compressed, 

 smooth, whitish, rather straight, strengthened with 

 a rib inside, under the umbones, covered with a 

 thick epidermis outside ; anterior side produced 

 in front of the umbones, roundly subacuminated ; 

 posterior side elongated, rounded at the end; 

 ventral margin straight ; ligament very large. 



Spengler. 



Cultellus orientalis, Dunker. 



Hab. Malacca. 



Species 3. (Mus. Brit.) 



Cultellus maximus. Cul. testa tcnui, comi^ressd, paulo 

 arcuata, albd, epidermide fulvd indutd, intus costd 

 munitd ; latere postico brevi, in ared coinplanatd et 

 margine reflexo terminanti, post aream concentrice 

 rugaid ; latere postico elongato, ared dorsali medio 

 arcuatim depresso. 



The veiiy large Cultellus. Shell thin, compressed, 

 a little curved, white, covered with a yellow 

 epidermis, strengthened inside with a rib ; pos- 

 terior side short, ending in a flattened area and 

 reflected margin, concentrically wrinkled behind 

 the area; posterior side elongated, dorsal area 

 depressed by a curve in the middle. 



Gjielin. Linn. Syst. Nat. 



Hab. Malacca. 



August, 1874. 



