Wedge-shells, Venus-shells, and Cockles 



29 



Enlarged plan of hinge 

 Little Circe-shell 



The 

 almost 



Rayed 

 circular 



like ridges witli sliglit furrows between. It is of 



various tints, — white, yellow, red, brown, purple, — 



sometimes streaked, rayed, or 



spotted with deeper shades. The 



animal is transparent greyish in 



colour, the mantle spotted with 



brown and fringed with short 



cylindrical points. The tubes are 



unequal in length. Its habit is to 



burrow slightly among sand and 



nullipore in from 5 to 85 fathoms 



of water. 



Artemis (Dosinia exoleta) has an 



shell — thick, solid, flattened, and 



covered with ridges, but, unlike 



those of Circe, these are finer, much 



more numerous, and overlap. It is 



cream coloured, marked with several 



faint rays of red-brown, and some 



irregular spots of the same colour 



scattered over the rays. Owing 



probably to the epidermis being 



early life, this shell has the appear- 



been tossed about 



the shore, and it 



doubt, that 



he named it 



The animal 



the mantle 



Rayed Artemis 



worn away in 



ance of having 



a good deal on 



was this aspect, no 



struck Linnasus when 



exoleta — worn away. 



is pale 3^ellowish, 



fringed with white lashes, and the 



siphons short and united. The 



large foot is white and axe-shaped 



these islands it may be found in sandy bays at a 



iterior of Rayed 

 Artennis 



AH around 



