CONCHACEA.] 



MOLLUSCA. 



purple or reddish-brown, having the appearance of Chinese cha- 

 racters ; inside smooth, glossy, white, frequently tinged with 

 saffron-colour or purple ; margins smooth ; two of the cardinal 

 teeth cleft; sometimes the colour is of a uniform golden-yellow. 

 Length varying from an inch and a half to two inches; breadth 

 from two inches and a quarter to two inches and five-eighths ; 

 and when it attains the latter size, the margins of the valves are 

 much thickened. 



Found on many of the British arid Irish coasts ; but more 

 local than the following. 



2. PULLASTKA VULGARIS, pi. XXXVII, f. 7 • 



Venus pullastra, First Ed., pi. 19, f • 7 ; Montagu, p. 125; 

 Turton, Biv., p. 159; Fleming, p. 451; Forbes, p. 53; Lamarck, 

 V, p. 598 ; Maton and Rackett, Linn. Tr., VIII, p. 88, pi. 2, 

 f. 7. 



Shell transversely subovate; anterior side subtruncated; with 

 fine, longitudinal, and transverse striae, giving a fine reticulated 

 appearance to the surface, which is of a pale yellow, buff, or 

 white, with numerous, brown, zigzag, irregular markings; inside 

 smooth, white, or tinged with pale flesh-colour or purple, par- 

 ticularly towards the subtruncated side ; margins smooth. 



This shell bears a strong resemblance to P. decussata, from 

 which, however, it is distinguished by being smoother, the decus- 

 sated stria? finer, and in the general form being less square. 

 Both the longitudinal and transverse stria? are much coarser in 

 P. decussata on the posterior side, producing a granulated 

 appearance. 



Common on most of the British and Irish coasts. 



3. Pullastra perforans, pi. XXXVII, f. 10. 



Venus perforans, First Ed., pi. 19, f. 10; Montagu, p. 127, 

 pi. 3, f. 6; Maton and Rackett, Linn. Tr., VIII, p. 89; Brown, 

 Wernerian Mem., II, p. 511 ; Venerupus perforans, Lamarck, 

 V, p. 506; Turton, Biv., p. 29, pi. 2, f. 15, 16, 17, 18; Venus 

 pullastra, young, Forbes, p. 53. 



Shell subrhomboidal; with very fine, longitudinal, and strong 

 transverse stria?, which have much the aspect of wrinkles ; um- 

 bones placed near one end, and turned a little obliquely ; stria? 

 of anterior side rough; colour of a dull, dirty yellowish-brown; 

 inside smooth, white. 



This species will easily be distinguished from the young of 

 P. decussata, by its more slender and recurved teeth. It is 

 subject to much variation in form. 



Found burrowing in rocks at Teignmouth, Torbay, and off 

 Plymouth; and in stones at Howth and Portmarnock, Ireland. 



4. Pullastra Irus, pi. XXXVI, f. 9. 



Venus Irus, First Ed., pi. 20, f. 9; Capsa Irus, Leach, MSS., 

 p. 8; Donax Irus, Montagu, p. 108 and 573; Donovan, I, pi. 

 29, f- 2; Maton and Rackett, p. 77; Venerupis Irus, Lamarck, 

 V, p. 507 ; Fleming, p. 451 ; Petricola Irus, Turton, Biv., p. 

 26, pi. 2, f. 14. 



Shell transversely suboval, opaque, dull white, or pale drab, 

 and sometimes dull purple; provided with concentric, membra- 

 naceous, elevated, undulated ridges, reflected upwards, fre- 

 quently interrupted, with their interstices finely striated longi- 

 tudinally ; umbo small, placed near to one side, the beak much 

 turned inwards ; inside white, or pale flesh-colour, generally 

 with a dark purple or lilac spot near the hinge, and placed 

 towards the longer side of the valves ; teeth small, cleft, one 

 excepted. 



This species is extremely liable to vary in its external con- 

 tour. 



Found burrowing in hard Limestone rocks on the Devon- 

 shire coast, and is pretty plentiful in the rocks at Torbay ; and 

 found at Youghal, Ireland, by Robt. Ball, Esq., Dublin Castle. 



5. Pullastra virginea, pi. XXXVI, f. 6, and pi. XXXVII, 

 f. 8, 9. 



Venus virginea, First Ed., pi. 19, f- 8, 9, and pi. 20, f. 6; 

 Montagu, p. 128; Maton and Rackett, Linn. Tr., VIII, p. 89, 

 pi. 2, f. 8 ; Turton, Biv., p. 156, pi. 8, f. 8 ; Forbes, p. 53. 



Shell transversely suboval, strong, smooth, shining; with 

 wide-set, transverse stria?, here and there interrupted by a 

 larger and deeper one; colour various, of a pale chestnut, flesh- 

 colour, or reddish-brown, ornamented with rays, clouds, and 

 spots of various forms and hues, of umber-brown, purple, or 

 rust-colour; a lanceolate, cordiform lunule under the umbones; 

 inside white, frequently tinged with rose-colour, blue, or pur- 

 ple ; margins quite smooth. 



Both sides of this shell are more acuminated than either the 

 P. vulgaris or decussata. 



This beautiful shell inhabits most of the coasts around Great 

 Britain and Ireland, and is liable to some variety in shape. 



6. Pullastra aurea, pi. XXXVI, f. 5, 7, 8. 



Venus aurea, First Ed., pi. 20, f. 5, 7, 8 ; Lamarck, V, p. 

 600; Montagu, p. 129; Turton, Biv., p. 154; Maton and 

 Rackett, p. 90, pi. 2, f.9; Brown, Wernerian Mem.. II, p. 511 ; 

 Fleming, p. 449- 



Shell transversely subovate, subcordiform, rather inflated, 

 moderately strong, rounded ; with fine, transverse stria?, and 

 nearly obsolete, longitudinal stria?, which are not visible without 

 the aid of a lens; umbones nearly central, small, and inflated, 

 beneath which is a short, lanceolate, cordiform lunule ; colour 

 various, sometimes cream-white, pale or golden-yellow, or 

 brownish-yellow, marked with purple, bluish-black, or reddish- 

 brown zigzag lines; inside white, rich golden-yellow, or purple: 

 hinge with three cardinal teeth in each valve, the middle one 

 cleft. Length generally an inch ; breadth an inch and three- 

 eighths : but sometimes exceeds this size. 



This species is liable to some variety in form, as will be 

 noticed from the figures in the plate. 



Found plentifully on the Devonshire, Cornwall, and Dorset- 

 shire coasts ; Dublin Bay, Portmarnock, and Carrickfergus, 

 Ireland. 



Genus 10 Venus. — Linna?us. 



Shell smooth, equivalve, inequilateral, transverse, subglobose, 

 or suboval ; external surface sometimes rugose ; margins close ; 

 three divergent, cardinal teeth in each valve, all approximate ; 

 umbones prominent for the most part, with a cordiform depres- 

 sion immediately under them ; two lateral, remote, somewhat 

 orbicular muscular impressions, united by a pallial impression, 

 which is generally provided with a short, triangular sinus be- 

 hind ; ligament external, although sometimes almost hidden by 

 the extension of the outer edge of the shell. 



1. Venus Gallina, pi. XXXVI, f. 11. 



Venus Gallina, First Ed., pi. 20, f . 1 1 ; Fleming, p. 448 ; 

 Turton, Biv., p. 149, pi- 9, f- 2; Forbes, p. 52; Venus striatida, 

 Montagu, p. 113; Ortygia Gallina, Leach, MSS., p. 8. 



