SOLEN. 



41 



223, figs. 2, 3. — TuRTON, Conch. Diet. 100, t. 61. ; Brit. Biv. 82. —Wood, Gen, 

 Conch, pi. 28, fiss. 1, 2 ; Index, ])1. 3, tig. 6. — Lamarck, An. sans Vert. 2d ed. vi. 

 55. — Conrad, Marine Conch, pi. 5, fig. 1. — Donovan, Brit. Sliells, ii. pi. 50. — 

 Maton, Lin. Trans, viii. 44. — Flem. Br. An. 459. — Brown, 111. Conch. 113, pi. 47, 

 fig. 10. —Adams, Gen.pl. 92, fig. 2 (an.), 2 a,&. — Poli, Test. Sicil. pi. 11, fig. 14.— 

 Burrows, Conch, pi. 4, figs. 3, 4. — Sowis. Conch. Man. fig. 60. — Hanl. Kec.Sh. 11. 

 — Desh. Exp. Sc. Algc'r. Moll. 184, pi. 11, figs. 1-4 (animal). — Forres and IIanl. 

 Br. Moll. i. 250, pi. 14, fig. 2 ; Ipsa Lin. Conch. 30. - Lovi;N, Ind. Moll. Scand. 49. — 

 CiiENU, Elem. 41, fig. 126. — De Kay, Nat. Hist. New York, 242, pi. 33, fig. 313. 



Sulen cnnnts, Lister, Conch, t. 411, fig. 257. 



Ensis major, Ciienu, Man. de Conch, i. 21, figs. 87, 88. 



Ensisfalrata, Gray, Cat. Br. Mus. (Br. Moll.) 59. 



ILjpojaafakata, Poli, ii. 251, t. 10, fig. 7. F>S- 396. 



Shell scabbard-.shapcd ; about six times as 

 long as liig'li, the ends rounded, the front and 

 back nearly parallel, white within, and cov- 

 ered without by a glossy yellowish or brown- 

 ish-green epidermis, which folds over the sharp 

 edge of the shell. On the surface is a triangle 

 of lines, marking the termination of the longer 

 end at the successive stages of growth ; hinge 

 at one end ; on one valve is a single tooth from 

 which a ril) or plate extends to the ligament ; 

 on the other valve are two teeth, and a douljle 

 plate receiving those of the opposite valve be- 

 tween them ; the terminations of the two ribs 

 rise up in a curved manner and cross each 

 other like teeth, when not broken off, as they 

 usually arc. Length of a good specimen, six 

 inches ; height, one inch, A specimen from 

 Halifax, received from Mr, McCuUoch, is eight 

 inches long. 



This well-known shell is found on l)oth shores 

 of the Atlantic. It lives on sandy licaches near 

 low-water mark, as at Chelsea, Nahant, and 

 Nantasket beaches, al;)Out Newl^uryport, Nan- 

 tucket, &Q,. Eastport ( Cooper) ; Sable Island 

 and all Nova Scotia ( WiUis) ; Gulf St. Law- 

 rence {Bell) ; Grand Maiian, rare ( Stimpsou). \ 

 It is displaced by heavy storms, and thrown up \ '^ 



by the tide. It may often be seen at low tide ^^^ 



'^,. I'll iiini '^- ^"^'•5 



projecting a little above the level of the sand, 



but, if touched or disturbed, it descends with astonishing r 



apidity 



