TAPES. 



Plate I. 



Genus TAPES, Mcgerle. 



T<-s/(i (wata vel subquadrato-oblotiga, sapmiiiii va/dc iii- 

 iTquilateralh, conccntrici snlcula vel striata, lulvrdnni 

 decnssnta vel corrngatu, iiiargiitdi/is iidegris. C/irdo . 

 tridentatus, dentibus nunc divergeiitibus, nunc npproxi- j 

 math. Impresaio pallii postice suhampliler niiinota. 



Shell oviite or somewhat squnrely oblonjj, mostly very 

 inequilateral, concentricnlh' a:rooved or striated, 

 sometimes decussated or wrinkled, margins entire. 

 Hinge three-tootlied, teeth sometimes diverging, 

 sometimes approximating. Impression of tlie mantie 

 rather largely sinnated on the posterior side. 



Tapes is one of the most charactevistic genera of the | 

 I'eneridtB. Not only is the animal distinguished, in its 1 

 typical state, by the presence of a byssal groove in the foot, 

 I'rom which a byssus is often spun for its attaclmient, but ' 

 the shells are marked by considerable uniformity of sculp- 

 ture and colour. Four-fifths of the species are concen- 

 trically grooved and striated, and of a peculiar fulvous- 

 drab, painted with a fine textile or with sharply angled 

 blotches of olive-brown or black. The remaining fifth 

 ronstitute a very distinct section, in which the colouring 

 is of a duller rust-colour, and the sculpture closely de- 

 cussated or wrinkled. 



Topes is essentially an Eastern genus. With the ex- 

 ception of eight species inhabiting the Mediterranean, of 

 which ibur are moderately aljuudant on our own shores, 

 and foin- from Senegal, the Ked Sea, Natal, and Senegam- 

 l)ia, they are all natives of the Islands of the Indian 

 Archipelago, reaching northward to Japan and southwards 

 to Australia and New Zealand. They are most abundant 

 at the Philippines, and several of the species iidiabit the 

 Philippine Islands and Australia in common. A further 

 exception arises from a species believed to be from Guada- 

 loupe. which is now added to the genus. 



luiijustd, valde iiuequdulerali, aiiranlio-spndiceii. cuis- 

 laiieo Uueari-relieulatn el radiaim maculatd, maeulis 

 violaceo-chiereo iindirntis, concentric^ ralide xitlcaid cl 

 latiliratd. 



The liKoovEi) T,\PEs. Shell somewhat s(|unrely oblong, 

 rather narrow, very inequilateral, orange-i'awn, linearly 

 reticulated and radiately blotched with chestnut., 

 blotches shaded with violet-ash, concentrically 

 strongly grooved and l>roadly ridged. 



Venus sutcaria, Lamarck, Aniui. sans vert. vol. vi. 

 p. 354. 



Venus retifera, Hanley. 

 Tapes sulcaria, Sowerby. 

 Tapes sulcaria and rctifern, Deshayes. 



Hab. Indian Ocean. 



This species is characterized not only h\ its strong con- 

 centric groove, but by a peculiar violet-ash clouding of 

 the rays. 



Species 1. (Mus. Cuming.) 

 T-\1'ES SULCARIA. Tu]i. testa suhquadrato-ohlongd, siib- 



Species (Fig. 2, a, i, c, Mus. Cuming.) 



T.vl'Es LITERATA. Tap. testd suhquadrato-oblunyd, pns- 

 tice declivi-truncatd, spadiceo-alba, fusco-nii/ricaiite 

 acute liiieari-reliculutd, iuterdiim tantum puuctatd, 

 iuterdum inqiii)iaio-nehu.lata, concentrice teuuilirata. 



The lettered Tapes. Shell somewhat squarely oblong, 

 posteriorly slopingly truncated, fawn-white, sharply 

 linearly reticulated witli fuscous-black, sometimes 

 only clotted, sometimes smearingly cloiuled, concen- 

 trically finely ridged. 



Venus lUerata, Linuffius, Syst. Nat. p. 113.5. 

 Fullastra literuta, Sowei-by. 

 Ta]ies literalu, Sowerby. 



Rab. Indian Ocean ; Australia. 



Of this fine species the sculpture is comparatively de- 

 licate. In form its chief distinguishing feature is the 

 arched truncated slope of tlii' posterior side. 



March, 1SG4. 



