428 PATELLID^. 



lighter, and has the general substitution of the various 

 shades of orange-yellow for the lead or pale smoke-brown 

 of its congener. The mantle is edged with flaky- white 

 jointed filaments of only two lengths, twice as short and 

 twice as thick as those of mdgata. The branchial plates 

 are in proportion longer, thinner, paler, and more roimd at 

 the points. The foot is of various hues of orange-yellow, 

 with scarcely any anastomosing lines,* and its margin is 

 more fleshy. The head is of the palest purple ; the ten- 

 tacula are pale yellow, shorter, and more slender in pro- 

 portion than in mdgata. This species has been long known 

 on the Devon coast as the China Limpet, from the rich 

 Chinaware-like hue of the inside of the shell ; whereas its 

 congener has a far commoner and poorer aspect. These 

 characters of the two are undeviating. They inhabit dif- 

 ferent levels, the vulgata being always in the higher zone. 

 The athletica is very partially distributed hereabouts, being 

 only found about four miles from Exmouth, in a very 

 small area of an acre or two, where it is tolerably plentiful 

 and exceedingly beautiful ; very few of the common species 

 are found along with it." We have sought in vain for 

 differences between the structure of the tongue in this and 

 the common species. 



The species is probably generally, though locally, dis- 

 tributed round our coasts. Captain Brown noticed it on 

 the Northumberland coast in 1810, and Mr. Alder remarks 

 that it is there rather rare, living on rocks close to low- 

 water-mark, scarcely to be gathered but at spring tides. 

 He adds that in some parts of England he has seen this 

 Limpet range much higher up between tide-marks, and has 



* Dr. Knapp, however, has sent us specimens of the China Limpet from both 

 Guernsey and Jersej', with the note that the animal is " alwaj's black or dark- 

 coloured," and ou the Dorsetshire coast we find both dusky and yellow-footed 

 individuals (E. F.). 



