227 



Venus alocata, Conrad. Jmirn. Acad. Nat Sci., vol. 6, p. 

 264,i>?. 11, /^. 14,15. 



Venus pa^ihia ? Lam. Anim. Sans. Vcrf., vol. 5, p. 608. 



Obs. For an opportunity of examining this interesting species I 

 am indebted to Dr. Ravenel, who informs me that he obtained it 

 on Sullivan's Island, near Charleston, S. C It diiFcrs from V. 

 papilla, Linn., in not having the ribs abruptly smaller before they 

 reach the anterior slope ; and it does not agree with the figure in 

 the Encyc. Meth. of V. fasciata. Although probably recent, the 

 specimen has very much the appearance of a fossil, and this cir- 

 cumstance, combined with its character, leads me to believe that 

 it is the V. papMa, Lam., but certainly not thatof Linne. PI. 63. 



Having examined the specimens sent to Mr. Say, I find tliem to be 

 fossil sliells. The species is characteristic of the Older Pliocene forma- 

 tion, and occurs at Wilmington, N. C. ; St, Mary's rivei', Maryland ; and 

 City Point, Virginia. — Ed.* 



Tellina brevifrons. — Specific clmracter. Ovate, white, 

 tinged with yellowish ; anterior side veiy short. 



Desc. Shell thin and fragile, not very convex, white, tinged, 

 particularly on the umbo, with pale dull fulvous ; with transverse 

 slender stria), and, in a particular light, obsolete longitudinal strise 

 are visible ; beaks much anterior to the middle, forming an angle 

 in consequence of the anterior and posterior hinge margins being 

 rectilinear to a considerable distance, the latter parallel to the 

 base ; anterior side short and abrupt, rounded at tip, and with a 

 submarginal undulation ; posterior side more than as long again as 

 the anterior, rounded at tip ; within much more deeply colored 

 with fulvous ; cardinal teeth, two in the left valve and one in the 

 right valve ; lateral teeth none. 



Ohs. Inhabits the coast of South Carolina. 



The outline of this shell corresponds with T. donacina, Lin., 

 but is more convex, and not radiated with reddish. Dr. Ravenel 

 informs me that it is very rare. He obtained but a single speci- 

 men, which he obligingly sent to me for examination. It also re- 

 sembles T. decora, Say, and may readily be mistaken for it, but is 

 altogether destitute of oblique strise and rosaceous radiations. PI. 

 (M, fig. 1. 



*[T. A. Conrad.] 



