PHOLAS. 119 



only obtained of by far smaller dimensions. Although 

 common, its range does not appear so extended as that of 

 dactylus^ in whose company, however, it is often taken. It is 

 met with towards low- water mark, embedded in chalk, lime- 

 stone, red sandstone, hard clay, decayed wood. Sec, in many 

 parts of England, and is peculiarly plentiful at Margate and 

 other parts of the Kentish coast (S. H.), is found also at 

 Weymouth (S. H.), Liverpool (M'Andrew), Torquay 

 (S. H.), Exmouth, in pure sand (Clark), Salcombe, Has- 

 tings (S. H.), Lyme Eegis, in lias (E. F,), Scarborough 

 (Bean), in the shale-rocks of Northumberland and Durham 

 (Alder). In Wales, at Oxwich Bay, in Glamorganshire 

 (Jeffreys). In Ireland, Dublin Bay (Thompson), You- 

 ghal (R. Ball), Ballycotton (Jeff, cab.), Waterford, Bel- 

 fast, and Birterbie Bay (Dr. Farran). In .Scotland, it 

 occurs plentifully boring in the coal-shales of the Frith of 

 Forth (E. F.), Aberdeenshire (M'Gillivray), Loch Ryan 

 (Smith). 



This species made its first apjiearance in the British seas 

 during the epoch of the red crag. It is now distributed 

 throughout the seas of Europe. 



Under the manuscript name of P. Nana of Solander, Dr. 

 Pulteney, in 1799, first introduced this species to us as 

 British, in his catalogue of the birds and shells of Dorset- 

 shire, defining it, however, rather by his synonymy than by 

 his very bald diagnosis. At that period a less strict regard 

 was paid to the necessity of confining the term indigenous 

 to such species as actually propagate upon our coast, and of 

 not bestowing it alike upon all such as may be discovered, 

 however manifestly of casual foreign importation, in a living- 

 state within our waters. Nevertheless, the doctor cau- 

 tiously modifies his introduction with, " I doubt whether 

 they breed upon the English coast. I have seen it in the 



