180 VENUS. 



Inhabits the Indian Seas. LinncEus. Coasts of Ceylon, the 

 Molucca and Nicobar Islands, chiefly about the mouths ot 

 rivers. Chemnitz. China. Humphreys. 



Shell generally about an inch and a quarter long, and an inch 

 and a half broad, thick, and more glossy on the out than in 

 the inside ; the colour is white, or pale greenish, yellowish, or 

 yellowish brown, and variously marked with darker obsolete 

 rays, transverse rows of dots, or small angular streaks ; the 

 cartilage slope becomes abruptly flattened, and is protruded 

 in the middle ; the hinge has a distant tooth under the pos- 

 terior depression in one valve, and a hollow for its reception 

 in the other ; the inside is white, and tinged with purple on 

 the anterior slope. Chemnitz, in Vol. xi. p. 228., under the 

 name of V. brunnea, has described what appears to be only 

 a variety of this species, of an uniform chestnut colour. 



paradoxa. 49. Shell somewhat heart-shaped, solid, 

 compressed at both ends, and the cartilage 

 slope protruded in the middle. 



Venus paradoxa. Born Mm. p. 66. t. 4. f. 12 and 13. 



Callow's Cat. p. 47. No. 873. 

 Venus Meretrix, Var. £. Gmelin, p. 3273. 



i Venus, No. 131. Schroeter Einl. iii. p. 193. 



Inhabits the coast of Peru ? Humphreys. 



Shell two inches and a half long, and three inches and four lines 

 broad ; white, with violet longitudinal rays, and the sides 

 tinged with violet ; hinge with two primary teeth, besides a 

 short solid lateral one on each side. Born has described this 

 species from a single valve, and Mr. Humphreys, in his Ca- 

 talogue of Callone's Museum, says, " we presume that this is 

 the only specimen of this rare and beautiful species in this 

 country." 



LjETA. 50. Shell somewhat heart-shaped, globose, 

 glabrous, tumid, and radiated ; posterior de- 

 pression ovate ; margin entire. 



Venus laeta. Linnaus Syst. Nat. p. 1132. Schroeter Einl. 

 iii. p. 127. t. 8. f. 7. ? Chemnitz, vi. p. 354. t. 34. f. 353 

 and 354. Gmelin, p. 3273.? 

 Venus affinis. Gmelin, p. 3278. 

 Venus, No. 21. Schroeter Einl. iii. p. 162. 

 Knorr, iv. t. 24. f. 2. 

 Inhabits the Mediterranean and Indian Seas. Linncew. 

 Coasts of the Mauritius. Chemnitz. 



