VENUS. 419 



Orkney, in sixteen fathoms (Thomas) ; Isle of Man in 

 twenty-five fathoms (E. F.) ; rare on the Northumberland 

 coast (Alder) ; at Scarborough (Bean). Mr Jeffreys has 

 taken it in many localities in the Hebrides, and Mr. 

 Thompson records it from all round the Irish coast. 



As a foreign shell it ranges from the Mediterranean, 

 where it lies as deep as forty fathoms (E. F.), to the 

 shores of Norway. Mr. M 'Andrew has taken it on the 

 Atlantic coast of Spain. It commenced its existence 

 within our area, as far back as the epoch of the coralline 

 crag. 



V. ovATA, Pennant. 



With crowded radiating costellae, which are concentrically 

 decussated by very closely set elevated striulse. 



Plate XXIV. fig. 2, Plate XXVI. f. 1, and (animal) Plate L. f. 6. 



Venus ovata, Penn. Brit. Zool. ed. 4, vol. iv. p. 97, pi. 56, f. 56. — Mont. Test. 



Brit. p. 120. — Linn. Trans, vol. vlii. p. 85, pi. 2, f. 4. — Dorset 



Catalog, p. 35, pi. 1, f. 15.— Turt. Conch. Diction, p. 239 ; 



Dithyra Brit. p. 150, pi. 9, f. 3. — Forbes, Mai. Monensis, p. 



52. — Macgilliv. Moll. Aberd. p. 267. — Brit. Marine Conch. 



p. 90.— Brown, 111. Conch. G. B. p. 91, pi. 37, f. 11.— Dill w. 



Recent Shells, p. 171. — Lam. Anim. s. Vert, (ed, Desh.) vol. 



vi. p. 370, — Index Testaceol. pi, 7, f, 30. — Mawe, Conchology, 



pi. 10, f. 5. — Hanl. Recent Shells, p. 116. 

 Venus peetinula. Lam, Anim. s. Vert, (ed. Desh.) vol. vi. p. 348. 

 C'l/thcrea ovata, Flem, Brit. Anim, p. 445. 



Venus radiata, Philippi, Moll. Sicil. vol. i. p. 44, and vol. ii. p. 34. — Des- 

 HAYES, Elem. Conch, pL 20, f. 17, 18. 



The ordinary outline of the Venus ovata is, as its name 

 implies, egg-shaped, but both the fry and some of the more 

 aged examples, are of a less elongated form. The valves, 

 which are decidedly, but not particularly, inequilateral, 

 are tolerably strong, opaque, lustreless, at most subven- 

 tricose, and much more frequently are still less swollen ; 



