71 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Inhabits the Indian and American seas. — Lam. 



On the American coast it does not occur north of 

 the peninsula of Florida. It is a pretty shell, gene- 

 rally violaceous, with broad yellowish rays, but very 

 variable in its tints. 



ASTARTE. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Shell suborbicular, equivalve, inequilateral ; hinge 

 with two strong diverging teeth on one valve, and on 

 the other two very unequal teeth ; ligament exterior ; 

 palleal impression entire. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Sowerby instituted this genus by the name of t^s- 

 tarte, which was subsequently published by Lamarck, 

 who termed it Crassina, and referred it to his JVym- 

 phacees Tellinaires. Its ti'ue place, we think, would 

 be between Venus and Cardita, as it approaches the 

 former by its hinge, and the latter by the entire im- 

 pression of the mantle. 



The recent species are few in number ; but the 



