298 OSTREAD^. 



fillets of dark red angular markings. In the young, this 

 valve is usually orange, pink, or flesh-coloured, not un- 

 frequently, likewise, lineated or variegated with white. 

 The interior of both valves is generally pale, and bor- 

 dered with reddish chocolate colour. 



Six inches in length, and five in breadth, is about 

 the average size of full-grown examples. 



The pendant borders of the mantle in the animal of 

 maximus are variously marbled and mottled with brown, 

 black, and white. Their fixed edges are fringed with a 

 trij^le row of rather long filaments, which are lineated 

 above with brown ; one of the rows is less thickly set 

 and longer than the rest ; similar but rather shorter 

 cirrhi fringe the free edges. The ocelli are of a greenish 

 blue or purplish hue. The branchiee are of an orange 

 fawn colour. The body is pinkish white above, bright 

 red or pink in its free portion. 



This fine species, though generally distributed through 

 our seas, is only locally abundant, and cannot be said to be 

 ever truly gregarious. It has a range of from three to 

 forty fathoms, occurring most frequently in from fifteen to 

 twenty-five fathoms, and most abundantly on the banks of 

 Pecten opercularis. It appears to be most scarce on the 

 east coast of England. Mr. Bean states that he has taken 

 only three alive during very many years at Scarborough. 

 It is much sought after for food, and is a constant visitant 

 of the London markets. Scalloped with bread crumbs in 

 its own shell, or fried with a little vinegar and pepper, it 

 forms a very delicious morsel ; it has the sweet flavour 

 which characterizes all the scallops. The deep valves of 

 the shell are much used to contain scalloped oysters, and, in 

 fishermen's huts, for rude but useful lamps. It ranges all 

 along the Atlantic shores of Europe from Norway (Loven) 



