VENUS. 181 



Chemnitz describes this shell to be one inch and eight lines long, 

 and two inches broad ; thin, glabrous, convex, and variegated 

 with alternate unequal white and yellowish brown longitudi- 

 nal rays, and transverse rows of brown dots or angular lines ; 

 hinge with four teeth, and the cartilage cleft oblong, with its 

 lips oblique and tumid. Schroeter has described and figured a 

 shell, which he thought agreed belter with the Linnsean de- 

 scription, and Gmelin has consequently referred to Chem- 

 nitz's figure of V. lata for a separate species, with the name 

 of V. affinis, but has quoted Kuorr's figure for both. Lin- 

 naeus has quoted Gualter, t. 88. f. V., which Schroder's 

 figure rather more resembles, but it does not appear to me 

 to correspond better with the Linnaean description, and if 

 more than a variety of the same species, it may probably be- 

 long to V. pinguis. 



pinguis. 51. Shell somewhat heart-shaped, gla- 

 brous, thick, and tumid ; anterior depression 

 oval, and the posterior rounded and impres- 

 sed ; margin entire. 



Venus pinguis. Chemnitz, vi. p. 355. t. 34. f. 355 to 357. 



Venus opima. Gmelin, p. 3279. 



Venus, No. 22. Schroeter EinL iii. p. 163. 



Inhabits the East Indian Seas. Chemnitz. 



Shell about one inch and a half long, and an inch and three quar- 

 ters broad ; sometimes of a pale whitish brown colour, with 

 a few darker longitudinal rays, or white with bluish spots and 

 clouds, or pale grey variegated with darker clouds ; the hinge 

 is said to have only three teeth, by which this species may be 

 readily distinguished from V. lata which has four. 



triradiata. 52. Shell somewhat heart-shaped ; 

 glabrous, with three blackish rays ; anterior 

 depression oval, and the posterior ovate; 

 margin entire. 



Venus triradiata. Chemnitz, vi. p. 356. t. 34. f. 358. Gme- 

 lin, p. 3279. 

 Venus, No. 23. Schroeter EinL iii. p. 163. 



Inhabits the coasts of Tranquebar. Chemnitz. 



Shell about fourteen lines long, and an inch and a half broad ; 

 of a greyish white colour, with three dark blackish blue lon- 

 gitudinal rays, and the inside white ; the anterior slope is 

 tinged with violet, and somewhat protruded in the middle. 



