128 



CLAVAGELLA coronata. 

 TAB. CCCCLXXX. 



Spec. Char. Vagina elongated, crowned with 

 dichotomously branched tubes, around a sul- 

 cated disk ; free. 



Syn. Clavagella coronata, Deshayes, Coquilles Fos- 

 siles de Paris. 8, t. 5. Jig. 9 S^ 10. 



Tube or Vagina very gradually attenuated, at its larger 

 extremity suddenly contracted, and then expanded into 

 about eight regularly branched lesser tubes, arranged 

 in two sets on the sides of a small disk that is divided 

 in the middle by a farrow : the branches are at least 

 thrice dichotomous ; the sulcus that divides the two sets 

 has a branch that descends the side of the vagina in 

 which the free valve lies : the valves are oblong, widely 

 gaping, with large pointed beaks, waved by lines of 

 growth, and both pearly within, thus differing from the 

 tube which is in no other part pearly. 



Casts of this shell in a soft sand-stone, brought to 

 Eno-land in ballast from the Tagus, were exhibited to 

 the^Linnean Society, by the late Mr. Sowerby, before 

 the Genus to which Deshayes has referred it was known : 

 thev were accompanied by several other unknown shells, 

 and by some known in the London Clay. Two views 

 ifis;. 2 and 3), one showing the beaks of both valves 

 (%. 3.), are added for illustration to this plate. The 

 principal figure is taken from a specimen certainly En- 

 glish, but as the label is lost, I am unable to ascertain 

 whether from Hordwell, Barton, or Muddiford : the 

 branches were until lately much concealed by the clay, 

 and the specimen jiot much valued. 



Both this and the Tagus examples serve to show that 

 the tube was not attached, (except possibly by the 

 branches), for they are closely surrounded by other loose 

 fossils : the shells about this are Corbula Pisum, Strom- 

 bus Bartonensis (Murex M. C), Voluts, and many 

 others common in the London Clay. There are uo re- 

 mains of wood about it, by which the tubes of Tere- 

 dines are generally surrounded. 



