FAMILY 3. SOLENACEA. 47 



non prominulis. Dens cardinalis in utraque valva unicus, dilatatus, 

 compressus, perobliquus, superne concavus, ligamentum excipiens. 

 Ligamentum partim externum. 



When Lamarck proposed the genus Solemya, he assigned it, with 

 some indecision, to the family of Mactracea ; Deshayes, however, after a 

 careful examination of the animal, pronounces it to belong to the Sole- 

 nacea on account of its affinity with Glycimeris, an opinion previously 

 given out by Sowerby. 



The shell of Solemya is equivalve, inequilateral, transversely oblong, 

 and obtuse at the extremities ; it is covered with a shining brown epi- 

 dermis, which passes over the edges of the valves, and the umbones are 

 not prominent. There is a cardinal tooth in each valve ; and a callosity 

 running between them receives the ligament, showing it both internally 

 and externally. 



Examples. 



PL XXIX. Fig. 1 and 2. 



Solemya Mediterranea, Lamarck, Anim. sans vert., new edit., vol. vi. 

 p. 124. Enc. Meth., pi. 225. f. 4. 



PI. XXIX. Fig. 3. (fossil.) 

 Solemya parvula, Sowerby, Genera of Shells, No. 7. 



SOLENELLA, Sowerby. 



Testa ovalis, sequivalvis, subsequilateralis, compressa, nitens ; epidermide 

 olivaceo-viridi tenui induta ; dentibus cardinalibus nullis ; laterali- 

 bus anticis in utraque valva tribus ad quatuor ; lateralibus posticis 

 plurimis, seriem rectiusculam efformantibus, omnibus parvis, acutis ; 

 impressionibus muscularibus subdistantibus ; impressione pallii sinu 

 magno ; ligament o externo elongato. 



