5a 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE BEST OUTSIDE. — GENERA AND SPECIES. — PSAMMOBIA, DIODONTA, 

 TELLINA, SYNDOSMYA, SCROBICULARIA. 



TELLINID^. 



The shells of this extensive family are many of them so re- 

 markable for the beauty and brilliancy of their colouring, 

 that one would be led to expect some corresponding bright- 

 ness in the animals which they adorn ; but it unfortunately 

 happens that in their case " beauty is only shell deep/^ for 

 nearly all the animals are of a colour just sufficiently removed 

 from white to make them sordid. Even the Psa7mnolla 

 vespertma, the rich purple tints and rayed markings of 

 which have given it the appropriate name of " the setting 

 sun/' and the splendid pink-rayed Tellina crassa and T. do- 

 nacina, present little of beauty in the animal, and no colour, 

 but sometimes a squalid stain. It is thus we are apt to be 



