198 CORBULID.E. 



James Gerard, who obtained it from the Frith of Forth 

 (Brown), and of its publication as such, to Captain Brown, 

 who admirably described and figured it (October 1829), in 

 the " Edinburgh Journal of Natural and Geographical 

 Science." The same gentleman states in his " Illustrations 

 of the Conchology of Great Britain and Ireland," that he 

 obtained a specimen also near Port Seaton. It is only 

 within a very few years past that any tolerable supply of 

 specimens has been taken. On the English shores it has 

 occurred only on the coast of Northumberland (Alder). 

 Lieutenant Thomas has taken it thirty miles from land 

 alive in mud, forty-five fathoms water in latitude of Tyne- 

 mouth. The only Irish locality as yet discovered is off 

 Cape Clear, where it was dredged in sixty fathoms water, 

 twelve miles from land, by Mr. M 'Andrew. On the east 

 coast of Scotland, besides the locality mentioned, it has 

 occurred oflp Fedra, Frith of Forth in seventeen fathoms, 

 mud (Thomas). On the western side it is more frequent. 

 In the Clyde district, where it was first noticed by 

 Mr. Smith, it has been taken frequently (Jeffreys, M 'An- 

 drew, Barlee) ; also around Mull and Skye. At Oban it 

 has occurred in fifteen fathoms water. Off the Zetland Isles 

 it has been taken in various depths from twelve to eighty 

 fathoms, and as far as thirty miles from land, living in sand 

 which forms a thick crust around it when it is taken up 

 (M'Andrew & E. F.). 



As a foreign species, this shell occurs throughout the 

 Mediterranean Sea, having a wide range in depth (from 

 12 to 185 fathoms, E. F.). Lovcn records it as an 

 inhabitant of the coasts of Norway and Sweden. It is 

 known as a European fossil in beds of the older pliocene 

 epoch. 



