Wedge-sliells^ Venus-shells^ and Cockles i 3 3 



Warty Venus — interior 



It is a dull, I'ougli-luoking hIicII of drab or pale brown 



colour, sometimes with a few darker rays, and its 



distribution is restricted to the 



south and west coasts, where 



it occurs in hne gravel and 



sand at depths between 7 and 



20 fathoms ; in the Channel 



Islands it may be found at 



low water. The Oval Venus 



{V. ovata) has a dull shell of 



triangular-oval shape, whose 



longest diameter is little more than half an inch. 



From 40 to 50 ribs radiate from the beaks, and are 



crossed by half that number of concentric thread-like 



ribs, a scale or wart arising where the lines cross. 



The colour is yellow tinged with pink or red, and 



occasionally blotched or spotted with red -brown. 



The inner margin is milled all round. The short 



siphons are of equal length, and connected almost to 



the mouths. It lives among sand and nullipores 



from extreme low water to deep water. 



The Striped Venus (V. gallina) is of somewhat 



triangular form, the shell solid, of a pale yellow hue, 



with three obscure ra3's of red-brown spots. Its 

 sculpture consists of overlapping con- 

 centric ribs. The inner maro^ins are 

 milled. The animal is white, and the 

 white filaments which fringe the 

 mantle are disposed in tufts. The 

 long slender siphons are united 



almost throughout. It is generally distributed and 



common in sand, from low water to 85 fathoms. 



The Clam (V. mercenaria), an American species, has 



striped Venus 

 (one-third nat. size) 



