Historical Account of Testaceological Writers. 20.5 



(o divide; and he forms three from the authority of Linnaeus him- 

 self, if Acharius (by whom the information of Linneeus's intentions 

 was communicated to Retzius) be correct. There can be no 

 doubt that the Mm Perm of the Syst. Nat. admits of being made 

 a distinct genus, under which may, very properly, be compre- 

 hended some of the ventricose species of Mytilus. The appella- 

 tion of Verm is accordingly given to this family, and that of 

 Vnio to the two pcrlaceous species of Mya, viz. Margaritifera and 

 Pivtorum. The four last species of the original genus Ostrea ap- 

 pear to have been afterwards intended by Linnajus to form an- 

 other family, to be called Melina. According to our author, the 

 Anomia consists of four very different divisions of shells, which he 

 proposes to designate by the generic terms of Anomia, Crania, Te- 

 rcbratula, and Placenta. By turning to the Anomia as they stand 

 in the 12th edition of the Sijstema, the reader will easily discover 

 what species are meant to be comprehended under each of these 

 geneva; and how partial soever he may be to the original arrange- 

 ment of Linnaeus, he will not be disposed, perhaps, to accuse the 

 Testaceologist of whom we are treating of any rashness of reform. 

 There is a scientific description, with figures, of Venus Uthophaga, 

 published by the Professor in the Mem. de I'Acad. Roy. des Sc. for 



1786. 



In the same work for 1788 we find an author of the name of 



LE GENTIL, 



who describes a Patella (apparently the carulcata) found on an 

 acpiatic plant, which, with the shell, is figured in the 20th plate 



of that volume. 



CORDINER. 



In the plates accompanying Mr. Cordiner's Description of 

 Ruins, &c. iu North Britain are several figures of Tcstacea, which 



are 



