334 INTRODUCTION TO CONCHOLOGR. 



Neither painting nor description can do justice to the 

 beautiful Serrated Cypricardia [C. serrata), on account of 

 its delicately pink serrated laminae ; nor yet to the Oblong 

 Cypricardia {C. ohlonga), vividly marked with interrupted 

 purple lines on the posterior angle of the shell, while the 

 anterior angle is white, more or less stained with pink. The 

 habitat of the first is unknown ; that of the other is coarse 

 coral sand at low water. 



Family XI. Conchacea. 



Beneath the waters, dwelling in bright shells 

 Their skill hath wrought, — perchance in coral caves, 

 Or 'neath the shelter of those beauteous groves, 

 That wave and sparkle, as the waters heave, — - 

 Conchacea fix their homes : obedient they 

 To Natui-e's laws. 



This is a numerous family, and distinguished by the ele- 

 gance and beauty of the shells. These pass through consi- 

 derable variety of form, and their gradual modification has 

 given rise to much speculation on their distribution into 

 genera. In the subdivision of this family, the whole of 

 which is included in the genus Venus of Linnoeus, the first 

 object has been to separate such as inhabit rivers from those 

 that are decidedly marine. 



