56 THE LINGULIDZ OF THE QUEENSLAND COAST. 
name hians), especially towards the umbonal end, where the 
valves contracted laterally in such a way that-this portion 
of each became higher, narrower and much more pointed 
than under natural conditions. By placing such valves for 
a few minutes in warm water, they resumed their proper 
shape. All our measurements were made from specimens so 
treated and subsequently carefully wiped dry. The beak 
was much more pronounced on the ventral valves. 
The length, breadth and ratio of length to breadth were 
as follows :—ventral valves—43 mm. by 18 mm. (2.38) ; 
39 by 16 (2.43) ; 42 by 17 (2.47) ; 42 by 17 (2.47) ; 47 by 19.5 
(2.41) ; 42 by 17.5 (2.40) ; 42 by 17.5 (2.40) ; dorsal valves— 
45 by 19 (2.37) ; 43 by 18 (2.38) ; 42 by 18 (2.33) ; 42 by 18 
(2.33). Our specimens then ranged from 39 to 47 mm. in 
length and 16 to 19 mm. in breadth ; the smallest ventral 
valve being 39 by 16 mm., 7.e. 1.56 inch by 0.64 inch ; and 
the longest 47 by 19.5 mm., 7.e., 1.88 inch by 0.78 inch. 
Davidson’s sizes are 1 inch 10 lines by 9 lines, #.e., 1.83 by 
0.75 inch, the ratio being 2.44. His ratio falls within the 
limits observed by us for ventral valves, viz. 2.38 to 2.47. 
Most of ours were about 1.7 inches long and 0.72 inch wide. 
In fully relaxed specimens the sides were practically 
parallel for the greater part of their length and were then 
greatly attenuated towards the apex. The lines of growth 
showed up quite distinctly through the very translucent 
shell, if held up to the light. They were wavy and could 
be readily noticed even on the inside of the shell. Davidson’s 
fig. 12, pl. 29, was evidently based on a dried and rather 
distorted specimen. 
Tapparone-Canefri (1873, p. 255) identified as L. 
exusta a shell given by Dr. J. C. Cox as L. murphit. In 
the short,account, kindly transcribed for us by Mr. Chas. 
Hedley, mention is made of the subrostrate apex and of 
its form approaching that of L. hians from the China Seas 
and that there could thus be no doubt that the shell should 
be referred to L. exusta, the Australian representative of 
that species. He noted, however, that the colour differed 
from Reeve’s account, there being concentric zones of a 
fine green colour... From these scanty remarks we think 
