PATELLA, HELCION. 49 
it is recorded from the Northern and Eastern coasts as far 
south as Dublin. 
Foreign localities—Spitzbergen (Haton), Iceland (Ver- 
krtizen), Norway (Lovén). In America it occurs on the 
Massachusetts coast (Gould), and Gulf of St. Lawrence 
(Whiteaves). 
ORDER PECTINIBRANCHIATA. 
FaMILy PATELLIDA, Guilding. 
PATELLA, Linné. 
* Patella vulgata, Linné. 
Patella vulgaris, Da Costa; the variety athletica= Patella 
depressa, Pennant, and var. ceerulea=Patella ceerulea, 
Linn. 
Habitat—Everywhere throughout the district on rocky 
and stony coasts between tide-marks; both the varieties 
are found on Cumbrae and Bute. The largest specimens of 
the type which I have taken were near the Fallen rocks, 
Arran, and at the base of Moll Dhu, Loch Fyne—one of 
them measures 23 inches by 24. 
The limpet is despised as an article of food in this part of 
the country, but it is (as the dog-whelk and the oyster- 
catcher know) a well flavoured morsel. Our ancestors were 
wiser, and consumed them largely even down to compara- 
tively recent years, for Allan Ramsay (or whoever wrote 
the lines “On the Moneth of May”) includes them in the 
list of things seasonable in that month: 
‘‘Connans, cockles, cruds and whey, 
Lapsters, lempets, mussels in shells.” 
Lister tells us that limpets were known as “ Flithers” and 
“Pap shells” in his day. 
British distribution—kKverywhere on rocks and stones 
between tide-marks. 
Foreign localities. From Norway (Lovén, and others) 
throughout Western Europe to Spain (AZ-Andrew), and both 
sides of the Mediterranean to the Algean (Forbes). 
Hetcton, De Montfort. 
* Helcion pellucidum, Linné. 
Patella pellucida, Linné; Patella ceerulea, Montagu ; the 
variety leevis=Patella leevis, Pennant. 
Habitat—On Laminariz at lowest ebb down to a few 
fathoms—the larger and more solid shells are imbedded in 
D 
