SOLEN. Sa 
cimens for the cabinet are difficult to obtain, as the shells 
are generally crushed and broken by the weight of other 
matter brought up along with them in the dredge. 
British distribution.—Throughout our seas ; but generally 
scarce. Dr. M‘Intosh reports it as common in St, Andrews’ 
Bay, and thrown ashore in large numbers after storms. 
Foreign localities.—Norway and Sweden (Lovén and 
others), Brittany (Cailliaud), Spain, Portugal, and the Medi- 
terranean as far as Sicily (W‘Andrew). 
Solen ensis, Linné. 
Solen curvus, Lister. 
Habitat.—The type, a small much curved shell, excellently 
figured by Donovan and Jeffreys, is rare in our firth. I 
have only seen a few specimens thrown up on the Ayrshire 
sands. The variety magna, figured in Forbes and Hanley’s 
British Mollusca (plate xiv. fig. 2), is, however, very 
common. It is much straighter than the type, and reaches 
as great a size as 1} inches by 7 inches, whilst the type 
measures only about 4 inch by 3% inches. This variety 
is exceedingly abundant in Cumbrae, at Fintry Bay and 
Battery Point; and is common in many of the sandy bays 
of Bute and Arran, and on the sands at the mouth of Camp- 
beltown Loch. 
Distribution.—According to Mr. Jeffreys, Solen ensis 
extends throughout all our seas, from 3 to 20 fathoms, in 
sandy bays; and the foreign localities include the whole 
western and northern coasts of Europe, the Mediterranean 
and Black Seas, as well as Canada and the United States 
(presumably the eastern coast). 
Solen siliqua, Linné. 
Habitat—Gregarious and abundant, but somewhat local, 
at lowest ebb of spring tides, in many of our sandy bays. 
The type exists plentifully and of great size in Kames Bay, 
Cumbrae; and Ettrick Bay, Bute; in which localities I have 
taken specimens 13 inches long by 9 inches broad. The 
variety arcuata also occurs throughout the district; it is 
smaller than the type, and resembles the large variety of 
S.ensis. Both forms, as well as 8. ensis, are highly esteemed 
by the residents on our western coasts, and deservedly so, as 
they have an exceedingly rich flavour and make a delicious 
stew, surpassing, in the estimation of most people, the scallop 
