59 

 INOCERAMUS Cuvieri. 

 TAB. CCCCXLl— //^. 1. 



Spec. Ghar. Obovate, curved, convex, with 

 transverse, distant, obtuse waves ; posterior 

 side concave, with a small lobe near the 

 beak ; beaks very short, acute. 



SvN. Inoceramus Cuvieri- Linn. Trans, v. 

 XIII. p. 457. Mantell Geol Sussex, -213 ? 

 Catillus Cuvieri, Cuvier and 3rogniart Geol. 

 de Paris, ed. 1822. p. 386. 



M. HIS gigantic species of Inoceramus is the first that 

 has been defined ; it is supposed to acquire, sometimes, 

 four or five feet in length ; it is very irregular in form, 

 but is generally one third longer than wide, and not 

 very deep ; it is curved towards the posterior side, in 

 which is a small, rounded, nearly smooth lobe ; the 

 beaks are not all raised from the hinge, so they cannot 

 be called reflexed or curved, but they are sharp. Tiie 

 edges of the laminse composing the shell, or lines of 

 growth, are placed at regular distances ; between them 

 the surface is smooth ; it has a long hinge line. 



It is extremely difficult to distinguish the species of 

 the Genus before us ; they are not merely variable in form, 

 but so brittle, that fragments only are commonly found. 

 The general flatness, and nearly circular disposition of 

 the lines of growth will, however, go far towards point- 

 ing out the present species ; the small posterior lobe, 

 and short depressed beaks complete its characters. In 

 consequence of the posterior lobe not being mentioned, 

 and of some other differences in the specific character 



