202 OSTREIDiE. 



of the abimdance of fish, and especially of oysters, found there ; 

 that they conthiued to be abundant until about the year 1780, when 

 from some cause they all died ; and, to this day, immense beds are 

 shown there of shells of native oysters which perished at that time. 

 They say that, before that time, no such thing- was thought of as 

 bringing oysters from the South. 



Ostrea Virginiana.* 



Shell elontrated, narrow ; beaks pointed, not much curved ; ligamentary emi- 

 nence of the upper valve extending back to the apex. 



Ostrea Virginiana, Lister, Conch, t. 200, fig. 34. — Favanne, Conch, pi. 41, fig. C, 2. — 

 Klein, Tentam 122. — Sowerby, Genera of Shells, fig. 2. — Gould, Inv. 1st ed. 136. 



Ostrea Vircfinica, Gmelin, Syst. 3336, No. 113. — Dillwyn, Catal. i. 277. — Lam. An. 

 sans Vert. vii. 22.5. — Wood, Index, pi. 11, fig. 68. — Deshayes, Encve. Me'tli. 

 Vers, iii. 296, pi. 179, 1 and 2. 



Grand Huitre de la Virginie, Davila, Catal. 290, No. G13. 



Virginia Rock-oyster, Petiver, Gazophyl. t. 10.5, fig. 3. 



Ostrea rostrata maxima, Chemv. Conch, viii. 38, t. 73, fig. 677. 



Ostrea elongata, Solander, MSS. 



Ostrea Canadensis, Lam. An. sans Vert. vii. 226. 



Shell narrow, elongated, gradually widening, moderately curved, 

 for the most part with a long and pointed l)cak at the apex, and 

 rounded at the other extremity. Upper valve the smaller, flatter, 

 and smoother ; surface, when not worn, presenting everywhere leaf- 

 like scales, of a somewhat leaden-color. The hinge presents the 

 usual channel in the beak of the lower valve, longer or shorter ac- 

 cording to the age of the shell, and marked with lines exhibiting the 

 successive removes of the cartilage ; and in the ui)per valve we have 

 the corresponding elevation, which is also continued l)ack to the 

 point of the shell. The nniscular impression is nearly central, of a 

 dark chestnut, or sometimes dark violet color. It often measures 

 twelve or fifteen inches in length, but seldom more than three inches 

 in breadth. 



This is the common oyster of the Chesapeake Bay. It is occa- 

 sionally found in the vicinity of Boston, and also about Prince 

 Edward's Island, at the mouth of the St. Lawrence. Tatamagouche, 

 &c. (Willis^. Its distinctive characters are its narrow, elongated 

 form, and the lengthened, pyramidal hinge ridge, alcng the beak of 

 the upper valve. The O. Canadensis is either a variety of this, or 

 the next species, most likely of this. 



* It would be impossible to figure all the forms of this and the following variable shells. 

 Had Dr. Gould lived to finish his work, I believe he would have referred ail the New 

 England oysters to one species. — W. G. B. 



