S L E C U R T U S. 



Genus SOLECURTUS, Blainville. 



Testa transverse oblonga, bimuscuhsa, utrinque truncata, 

 hians ; medio planulato, umhonibus ceiitralibus vet 

 subcentralibus. Impressio pallii late sinuata, tiga- 

 mentum externum. Denies cardinnles uncinnati. 



Shell transversely oblong, bimuacular, truncated and 

 gaping at each end ; lluttened in the middle, with 

 central or subcentral umboes. Palleal impression 

 broadly sinuous. Ligament external, cardinal 

 teeth hooked. 



Our Solecu7-ti will be found to include the genera 

 Macha,Pharella, Siliquarki, and Novaculina of modern 

 authors; so that, with the exception oi' Plianis, all the 

 Solenida; are divided into, first, Solen proper, with the 

 umboes terminal ; .second, Cultellus, with the um- 

 boes much one-sided, although not terminal ; and 

 third, SoLECfRTUS, with umboes central, or nearly 

 central. And this distribution by the position of the 

 hinge is pretty generally concurrent with other charac- 

 ters of the shells. The geographical distribution of 

 these, like that of other Soknidce, does not appear to 

 be guided by any general rule. We have a couple of 

 species on our own coast ; Novaculina is found in the 

 mud of Indian and Chinese rivers. North and South 

 America, Africa and Australia, contribute each a few 

 species. 



Species 1. (Mus. Brit.) 



SoLECURTUS EXARATi-s. S"l. tcstd rkomboided, alba, 

 snli'is di.-itantihus, obh-juis, diearicatis sculptd ; 

 margine dursali redo, nmbonibus hand prominenti- 

 hus ; latere antico breviilsculo, ad tei-minum 

 dorsnlem amratn ; latere postico elongato, ad 

 terminum oblique tniiiento ; margine ventrali sub- 

 convexo. 



The pLOConED Soleclrtus. Shell rhomboidal, white, 

 sculptured with distant, oblique, diverging 



grooves; dorsal margin straight, umboes not 

 prominent; anterior side rather short, cornered at 

 the end; posterior side elongated, obliquely trun- 

 cated at the end ; ventral margin a little convex. 



Philipm. Abbildungeu, &c. 



Hab. China. 



A white sliell of more angular form than .S'. strii/i- 

 lalus. 



Species 2. (Mus. Brit.) 



SoLECURTUS OBLoxous. Sol. tcita transverse elongatd, 

 alba, concentrice rngatd, antice obscure sulcis 

 numerosis oblit^tiis, diniricatis sculptd, medio planu- 

 lato, sulco comp/aiiato inipresso ; latere anliro 

 breviilsculo, subai-uiiiiiial'i ; laltre posfico elongato, 

 ad terniinum snbrotiindo, margine dursali sub- 

 e.rcacato, margine ventrali recto. 

 The oblong Solecuhtus. Shell transversely elongated, 

 white, concentrically wrinkled, anteriorly ob- 

 scurely sculptured with numerous oblique 

 diverging sulci, flattened in the middle, impressed 

 with a flattened sulcus ; anterior side rather short, 

 rather acuminated ; posterior side elongated, 

 rather rounded at the end, with dorsal margin a 

 little hollowed, ventral margin straight. 

 DoRux. Proc. Zool. Soc, ISCl. 

 Ilab. Isl. Luzon. 



Mui'h narrower th.an S'llrcurtiis Schcepmacheri, with 

 dorsal margin excavated, and posterior side more pro- 

 duced. 



Species 3. (Mus. Brit.) 

 SoLECURTUS soLiDus. Sol. tcstd subrhoialjoided, oblonga, 

 alba, epidermide fused, rngatd indutd ; latere antien 

 breviilsculo, subnttemiato, margine dorsal t dernei, 

 margine ventrali arrliri ; medio planulato, snh- 

 coutracto, sulco iinj)refsn ; latere poslico ri'gat", 



Novembsr, 1874. 



