176 VENUS. 



Venus Chinensis. Chemnitz, xi. p. 227. t. 202. f. 1976. 



Inhabits the South Seas, and the coasts of China. Chemnitz. 



From Chemnitz's description and figure, this shell appears to 

 be very nearly allied to V. Erycina, from which it princi- 

 pally differs in being only faintly ribbed transversely ; the 

 colour is greyish, variegated with crowded longitudinal violet 

 rays, and a violet border at the margin. Chemnitz in his 

 Tenth Volume, had before given the name of V. Chinensis 

 to another species. 



mercenaria. 41. Shell somewhat heart-shaped, 

 ponderous, slightly striated transversely ; 

 posterior depression cordiform ; inner margin 

 crenated and violet. 



Venus mercenaria. Linncsus Syst. Nat. p. 1131. Speng- 

 ler in Berlin Natwf. vi. p. 307. t. 6. f. 1 to 3. Schroe- 

 ter Einl. iii. p. 122. Chemnitz, x. p. 352. t. 171. f. 

 1659 and 1660. Gmelin, p. 3271. 

 Lister Conch, t. 271. f. 107. Enc. Method, t. 263. 

 Inhabits the coasts of Pennsylvania, and about the mouths of 

 Rivers on the coasts of Norway. Linnaus. Connecticut 

 Solander. North America. Humphreys. 

 Shell about two inches and three-quarters long, and three 

 inches and a half broad, and slightly marked transversely 

 with irregular striae ; the outside is greyish white, and the in- 

 side white, bordered with dark violet ; the outer margin is 

 entire, but it is crenated on the inside. Pennant mistook 

 V. Islandica for this species, and Linnaeus has obviously 

 committed the same error in his Fauna Suecica, so that it 

 may be doubted whether this shell has been found on the 

 coasts of Norway. It is used by the Indians of North 

 America, to form the purple and white beads with which 

 their Wampum, or Treaty-belts are made. 



islandica. 42. Shell somewhat heart-shaped, 

 slightly striated transversely, and the poste- 

 rior depression obliterated ; margin very en- 

 tire. 



Venus Islandica. Linnaus Syst. Nat. p. 1131. Chemnitz, 

 vi. p. 340. t. 32. f. 341 and 342. Midler Zool. Danica, 

 \. p. 29. t. 28. f. 1 to 5. Fabricius Fauna Grant, p. 

 411. Schroeter Einl. iii. p. 123. Gmelin, p. 3271. 

 Donovan, iii. t. 77. Montagu Test. p. 114. Matonand 

 Racket, in Lin. Trans, viii. p. 83. Dorset Cat. p. 35. 

 t. 6. f. 5. 



