GALATEA 



Genus GALATEA. 

 Teifa fiwiatilis, himmculoM, sMrigoiia, crassa, lavit/n/n, 

 atd/i, plerumqne radiis violacek, aliquando violaceo 

 mncida/a, rariiis roxeo varieyata, epidermide crassa 

 nlimced Itemyald indiita ; latere poslko amjulato; I'uja- 

 mento maximo super fulcrum callosim posito ; niar- 

 (jiiie cardinnU crasslssimo, detitiljus maynis, pleriinnjiie 

 hiceratk, centralibus maximis, pallii imprcsslo //untice 

 shiuato. 

 Shell Huviatile, biniuscular, subtrigonal, thick, smooth, 

 white, generally with violet rays, sometimes spotted 

 with purple, more rarely variegated with pink, co- 

 vered witii a thick, olive, smooth epidermis; pos- 

 terior side angular ; ligament very large, placed on a 

 callous fulcrum ; hinge-margin very thick, teeth 

 large, generally lacerated, the central ones very large, 

 palleal impressiun sinuated posteriorly. 

 All the species, excepting tlie one named " Tellma 

 ^Hyijptiaca" are inhabitants of the lakes and rivers of 

 West (iuinea, where the blacks resort to the Galateas, which 

 they call " Cokre," for food in times of scarcity, although 

 the animal is bad, both in taste and smell. Although the 

 shell named Fischicria Deksseiiii is rather thin, and has a 

 narrow hinge-margin and simple teeth, it seems hardly 

 worth while to make a separate genus of it. The species 

 of dalalea are difficult to distinguish from each other on 

 account of theii- variations in growth, and the different form 

 (if tlie young shell, as compared with the adult specimen. 



Species 1. (Mus. Sowerby.) 

 liAi.ATEA KADi.YTA. Gul. tntd ek'va/d, dolabriformk. 



triyoiid, polild, poiuh;rom^ intus nlbd, pnrpnmi ra- 

 diatd ; cardiiie friyoiw, may no, laci-rato, dente cpii- 

 tra/i valvtdfe dextrts coiiico, ad apicem. vix bifida, ad 

 basin paulo divergenti ; latere postico loiiyiuscuto. 

 subacuminalo, prope waryiiiem anyiilato ; margine 

 dorsali vatde declivi, excamto ; maryine veidrali ante 

 atiyulnm excavato, medio eoiivcxo ; nmbonibux pcrele- 

 vatin, acidin, atiyulalis. 

 The radiated Galatea. Shell elevated, hatchet-shaped, 

 trigonal, polished, heavy, white within, rayed with 

 purple ; hinge trigonal, large, lacerated, central tooth 

 of right valve coniral, scarcely bifid at the apex, a 

 little divergent at the base ; posterior side rather the 

 longer, subacuminated, angidar near the margin ; 

 dorsal margin much sloped, excavated ; ventral mar- 

 gin excavated in front of the angle, convex in the 

 centre; umboes much elevated, acute, angular. 

 Lamarck, Anim. sans vert. 



Veuies hermaphrodita, (imel. 

 Venus paradnxa, 

 Venus subviridii, Gniel. 

 Venusflumiiica, Botteu. 

 Potamophila radiata, Sowerby. 

 Hab. Rivers in Guinea between Sierra Leone and (.'ape 

 Palma. 

 This shell is distinguishable iVoiu (iaiuku nmauneraia 

 not only by the absence of the internal septum, hut in the 

 less elevated and triangular form of the shell, less rounded 

 ventral margin, and greater prominence and angularity of 

 the umboes. The shell, which I have described as (hda- 

 tea bianyidata, resembles it a little in general form, but is 

 flatter, and has a double posterior angle and truncation. 



September, IS 08. 



