104 



WEST COAST SHELLS 



violet and pink. The animal, as in all species of this genus, 

 protrudes beyond the ends of the shell very much, and is 

 exceeding good food." 



There are several varieties of this species, includ- 

 ing var. alta^ B. & S., which lives in the far north; 

 it is short and broad, with a straight rib. Var. 

 nuttallii^ Conr., is found in Alaska and also in Cali- 

 fornia as far south as Monterey; the shell is very 

 straight, brilliantly polished, and has a very oblique 

 rib. 



Siliqua lucid a^ Conr., the Bright Razor-shell, lives 

 from Monterey to San Diego. According to Dr. 

 Dall it was confounded by Carpenter with the young 

 of the last mentioned variety. The shell is small, 

 fragile, and has a short, narrow, and nearly perpen- 

 dicular rib, or callus. 



Solen sicarius^ 

 Gld., the Blunt 

 Razor - shell, 

 shown in Figure 

 81, is short, 

 slightly curved, 

 and truncated in 

 front as if it had been chopped square off. The 

 white shell is covered with a glossy, yellowish epi- 

 dermis. This species ranges from Vancouver Island 

 to San Pedro, Cal. 



Solen rosaceus^ Cpr., the Rosy Razor-shell, lives 

 only in the south. It is two inches long and less than 

 half an inch wide, and resembles a small flattened 

 tube. The shell is straight, rosy white in color, and 

 is covered with a glossy, horn-colored epidermis. 



Fig. 81 



