TELLINA. 131 
edges; the branchial artery divides it nearly m two equal 
parts ; it may be considered as a pair of laminz, which, instead 
of being folded or fallmg on each other, as in the ordinary 
bivalves, are thrown open and permanently fixed to the poste- 
rior area of the body. The colour is brownish drab, with a 
yellow or fawn-coloured patch in two or three places ; anteally 
there are on each side two enormous triangular, broad at their 
bases, pointed palpi, smooth without and well striated within ; 
they are so large as nearly to have the aspect of small pairs of 
branchiz ; they are in connection by one of their angles with 
the branchial plate, and with each other by labia around the 
mouth. The colour is drab, aspersed with very minute sand- 
like, pale red-brown points. The liver is brownish-green and 
united anteriorly with the ovarium. The elastic stylet and 
corneous stomach attritor, called by most authors the tricuspid 
membrane, is particularly firm and conspicuous in this species. 
It thus appears that our present animal differs greatly from 
the typical Te/line, in the branchial plate and character of the 
palpi, and thick obtuse foot. 
This species has also a rather close alliance with Scrobicu- 
laria piperata, which has like it only one compound branchia 
on each side. 
T. rracitis, Linn. et Auctorum. 
T. fragilis, Philippi, Moll. Siciliz. 
Diodonta fragilis, Brit. Moll. i. p. 284, pl. 21. f. 3; (animal) pl. K. f.2. 
We are not aware that any British author has observed 
this species. The following is a translation from M. Phi- 
lippi’s very insufficient notice of it, in the ‘Enum. Moll. 
Sicili,’ vol.i. p. 28: “Animal with two siphons, the lower 
or branchial bemg nearly double the length of the shell, the 
upper scarcely so long as the shell; without cirrhi at the 
orifices ; the foot is small, oblong, lanceolate, with very large 
oval palpi.” 
We can say nothing of M. Deshayes’ description of the 
animal organs. In the ‘ British Mollusca’ we have some 
further particulars: Mantle fimbriated at the edge ; siphons of 
wnequal lengths, separated from the bases, and, contrary to 
K 2 
