64 POPULAR BRITISH CONCHOLOGY. 



and exposed to light and the action of the sea, they are of 



regular form, often beautifully coloured, with smoother strise 



and decussations. In the former case they are the Venus 

 perforans, in the latter the Venus PuUastra of authors/' 



T. virginea: generally regular, oval, rather pinkish, only 

 ridged concentrically, prettily marked with brown 

 zigzag lines, a delicate pink blush within. 



T. aurea : hke T. virginea, but shorter, yellowish within, and 

 more swelled at the lower edge. 



T. decussata is a favourite article of food in many parts of 

 the Continent. The specimens taken in the Mediter- 

 ranean are of considerable size. The shell is strongly 

 and coarsely striated in both directions. 



II. CYTHERiEA. — C. Cliione \^ the only representative of this 

 genus in British seas, and it really is a magnificent 

 creature. The shell is large, smooth, oval, of a deli- 

 cate white within, of a pinkish colour without, finely 

 rayed with rich brown ; the hinge has the small lateral 

 tooth near the two cardinal teeth, but at a different 

 angle, which distinguishes the shells of this genus from 

 those of Venus. The animal is of a reddish- orange co- 

 lour, with open mantle, beautifully scalloped ; it has a 

 large, thick, pointed, tongue-shaped foot, and siphons 



