33G DONACIDiE. 



D. POLITUS, Poll. 



Inner margin entire. 



Plate XXI. fig. 7. 



Lister, Hist. Conch, pi. 384, f. 227. 

 Tcllina polita, PoLi, Test. Sicilise, pi. 21, f. 14, 13. 



Donax complatudus, Mont. Test. Brit. p. lOG, pi. 5, f. 4. — Linn. Trans, vol. viii, 

 p. 75. — TuRT. Conch. Diction, p. 42. — Turt. Dithj-ra 

 Brit. p. 125, pi. 7, f. 13, 14.— Flem. Brit. Anini. p. 433. 

 Brit. Marine Conch, p. 78, — Dillw. Recent Shells, vol. i. 

 p. 150. — Lam, Anim. s. Vert. (ed. Desh.) vol. vi. p. 249. 

 — Index Tcstaceolog. pi. 6, Donax, f. G, 

 Psammobia polita, Costa, Catal. Test. Sicilise, p. 20, 



Capsa complaiiata, Sovverby, Genera Shells, Capsa, f, 2. — Brown, 111. Conch, 

 G. B, p. 96, pi. 39, f, 10,— Payraudeau, Cat. Moll, 

 Corse, p. 46. — Reeve, Conchol. Systemat. pi. 61, f. 2. — 

 IIanl. Recent Shells, p. 86, pi, 6, Donax, f. 6. 

 DoncuK longa, Vhilippi, Moll. Sicil. p. 37, pi. 3, f. 13. 



Among our more beautiful shells, must certainly be 

 reckoned the D. complanatus of ISIontagu, its vivid tinting 

 presenting one of the few exceptions to that tameuess of co- 

 louring which characterises the testacea of the less sunny 

 climates of Europe. We have allowed to Poli the meed 

 of priority in nomenclature, although he has erroneously 

 placed it in the genus Tellina ; but his error is excusable, 

 from its being so aberrant a Donax as to justify that posi- 

 tion in a Linnean arrangement. 



The shape is of an elongated subcunoiform oblong, and the 

 texture, although tolerably firm, is by no means typically 

 solid. Its convexity is not great, the inclination being 

 rather to compression than otherwise. The exterior, 

 which is entirely devoid of any sculpture whatsoever, is 

 covered with a delicate yellow highly polished epidermis, 

 beneath Avhich it is angularly mottled with liver-colour or 

 rioli brown, varying nuich in intensity of hue. A single. 



