260 SOLECURTIDiE. 



Solen uHijusiior, constrictttg, <^-c. Chemn. Conch. Cab. vol. vi. p. C'2, pi. (i, t. Ij. 



Solen coardaltia, Gmel. (17()i!) p. 3'2-24. — Brit. Marine Conch, p. 30'. — Dii,i.\v. 

 Recent Shells, vol. i. p. G4. — Philippi, Moll. Sicil. vol. i. p. 

 6, and vol.ii. p. 5. — Hanl. Recent Shells, p. 14. 



6We« emarginatus, Spengler, Skrivt. Naturh, Selskab. vol. iii. pt. ii. p. 105. 



Sokn unliquatus, Pultenev (1799), Hutchins Dorset, p. 28, — Donov. Brit. 

 Shells, vol. iv. pi. 114. — Mont. Test. Brit. p. 52. — Linn. 

 Trans, vol. viii. p. 46. — Dorset Catalog, p. 29. — Turt. 

 Conch. Diction, p. 1(52. — Flem. Brit. Anim. p. 460. — 

 Wood, General Conch, p. 125, pi. 29, f. 3. — Lam. Anim. 

 s. Vert. (ed. Desh.) vol. vi. p. 59. — Index Testaceol. pi. 3, 

 Solen, f. 10. — CuENU, lllust. Conchyliolog. Solen, pi. 6, f. 8. 



Psammol/ia antiquata, Turt. Dithyra Brit. p. 91. 



Sokcurlus antiquutus, Desh. Eleni. Conch, pi. 5, f. 8 ; Exp. Scient. Alg^rie, 

 Melius, p. 210. 



Azov nntiqiiatus, Bro^vn, lllus. Conch. G. B. p. 113, pi. 47, f. 6, 7. 



It is with some hesitation that we have substituted tlie 

 more expressive epithet bestowed uj)on this species by 

 Gmehn, for that by which it has been more generally 

 known among British writers ; since, notwithstanding that 

 the law of priority imperiously demands the establishment 

 of the first name correctly given to a species, so inade- 

 quately defined is the S. coarctatus of Gmelin, and so en- 

 tirely dependent for identification upon two somewhat dis- 

 similar figures, that a kind of injustice seems inflicted upon 

 authors who have clearly and comprehensively charac- 

 terized the shell, in denying them the honour of its 

 nomination. Pennant, who first noticed this shell, mistook 

 it for the Linnean .S'. cultellus ; Da Costa used an objec- 

 tionable generic compound ; Chemnitz omitted the designa- 

 tion of it by a single appellation ; consequently, Gmelin, 

 whose sole merit is the attachment of a name to a drawing, 

 obtains the credit of creating the species. 



The shape of this bivalve is more or less obliquely ob- 

 long, and occasionally somewhat elongated ; the texture is 

 opaque, and tolei'ably strong. The valves, without being 

 particularly shallow, are decidedly compressed near the 



