340 DONACID^. 



area, which is defined by a very obtuse umbonal ridge, is 

 generally convex (invariably, however, with the lips pout- 

 ing), and perfectly destitute of any sculpture. The inte- 

 rior of the shell is of a violet or purple cast, the lower edge 

 is strongly crenated, but the posterior crenulations do not 

 extend to the ligament. The hino-e is destitute of lateral 

 teeth. The size is about seventeen lines in length, by 

 about eight and a half in breadth, and five and two thirds 

 in depth. It is one of the commonest species of the Medi- 

 terranean, replacing, as it were, the anatinus of the colder 

 shores of Europe. 



SPURIOUS. 

 D. DENTicuLATus, Liunseus. 



Z)oKaa' fZe7i</cM?ate, Lin. Syst. Nat. ed. 12, p. 1127. — Pulteney, in Hutcliins, 



Hist. Dorset, p. 32. — Mont. Test. Brit. p. 104.— Linn. 



Trans, vol. viii. p. 76.— Dorset Catal. p. 34, pi. 5, f. 12.— 



TuRT. Conch. Diction, p. 41. — Turt. Dithyra Brit. p. 



124. — Flem. Brit. Anim. p. 433. — Macgil. Moll. Aberd. 



p. 275. — Brit. Marine Couch, p. 78. — Dillw. Recent Sh. 



vol. i. p. 151. — Lam. Anim. s. Vert. (ed. Desh.) vol. vi. 



p. 246 — Hanl. Recent Sh. p. 82, pi. 6, Donax, f. 8. 

 „ punctata, Chemn. Conch. Cab. vol. vi. p. 262, pi. 26, f. 256. 

 „ crenulata, DoNOV. Brit. Shells, vol. i. pi. 24. 



A West Indian shell first introduced as British by Da Costa, 

 under the name of Cuneus truncatus. As regards the denticulatus 

 of Pennant, (ed. \, vol. iv., j)- 03, j)l- 55,/. iQ,) neither the draw- 

 ing nor the language of thai author sufficiently coincide with the 

 characters of this well-known Donax, to render the identity at all 

 probable. Indeed the elongated form of his engraved figtire, 

 (u'hich bears inoi'e resemblance to the true rugosus of Linnaeus,) 

 suppoHed by his assertion of its exceeding the length of anatinus, 

 must be fatal to such an hypothesis. Several of our British authors 

 have admitted it in their works, hut, we believe, no proof of its indi- 

 genousness has yet been furnished. Mr. Bean informs us that 

 very many years ago he took a valve from a fishing-boat at Scar- 

 borough ; but as, during his many years subsequent residence on 



