470 CYPRINID^. 



SPURIOUS. 



A representation occurs in tlie eighth volume of the Linnean 

 Transactions, accompanying Maton and Rackett's Descriptive 

 Catalogue of the British Testacea, of a shell previously described 

 by Montagu, but not so characteristically indicated as usual ; 

 hence doubts have arisen as to the species of the two works 

 being actually identical. The following passage in the " Testacea 

 Britannica," has not only satisfied us of this, but enabled us, 

 through the examination of the referred to type, positively to de- 

 clare its identity with one of the varieties of Say's Astarte cas- 

 tanea, " It is marked in Dr. Pulteney's cabinet Venus sulcata, 

 but he did not know it had ever been found in this country, nor 

 did he believe it had ever been described, and therefore named 

 it himself." 



Its claims to be held British, were never of much weight, 

 being merely the assertion of one individual, who had received it 

 from the Duchess of Portland as such, that similar ones (in all 

 probability the valves of co7npi-essa or arctica) had since been 

 found in the North of Scotland ; and that Montagu had himself 

 received it (without specified locality) from Mr. Sowerby as 

 English. It is a common and well-known North American 



species. 



A. Castanea, Say. 



Venus sulcata, Mont, (not Pectunc. sulcatus of Da Costa) Test. Brit. p. 1.'51. — 

 Maton and Rack. Linn. Trans, vol. viii. p. 81, pi. 2, f. 2. — 

 DiLLW. Recent Shells, vol. i. p. 1C6. 

 „ castanea. Say, Jour. Acad. Philad. vol. iv. p. 273. 

 Astarte castanea, Sav, Americ. Conch, pi. 1. — Conr. Araer. Mar. Conch, pi. 17, 

 f. 3. — Gould, Invert. Massach, p. 76, f. 45. — Hanl. Recent 

 Shells, suppl. pi. 9, f. 27. — PiiiL. Neuer Conch, vol. ii. 

 p. 57, Astarte, pi. 1, f. 2.— Dekay, New York Moll. p. 220, 

 pi. 28, f. 280. 

 „ sulcata, Flem. Brit. Anim. p. 439. 

 C'rassina castanea, Desh. in Lam. Anim. s. Vert. (ed. Desh.) vol. vi. p. 258. — 

 Hanl. Recent Shells, vol i. p. 88. 

 „ sulcata. Brown, IUus. Conch. G. B. p. 90', pi. 38, f. 10. 



