FAMILY 7. NYMPHACEA. 75 



rous assemblage of species, partaking somewhat of the characters of the 

 Sotenacea. They present, however, a diversity of form, and considerable 

 difficulty arises in arranging them. Several alterations have been pro- 

 posed for improving the subdivision of the Nymphacea, one of which, 

 the setting apart of the genera Corbis and Lucina in a separate and 

 distinct family, might perhaps have been done without injury to the 

 general classification ; we do not, however, consider it necessary. The 

 genus Astarte, which Lamarck included in this family under the title of 

 Crassina, most assuredly belongs to that of the Conchacea, and is removed 

 accordingly ; and his genera Psammotaa and Tellinides are altogether 

 abandoned. By these alterations and the addition of the genus Galeom- 

 ma, we enumerate eight genera as belonging to this family : 



SANGUINOLARIA, Bruguiere. 



Testa aequivalvis, inaequilateralis, transversa, subelliptica, compressa, 

 tenuis, utroque latere subhians ; marginibus arcuatis, non parallelis. 

 Dentibus cardinalibus duobus approximatis, interdum bifidis, in 

 utraque valva ; fulcro prominente. Impressio muscularis pallii 

 sinu magno. 



Lamarck includes with his Sanguinolarire certain species, which are 

 now by common consent removed to the genus Psammobia ; and Sow- 

 erby has introduced two species that Lamarck had arranged with his 

 Solenes. These alterations fully show that the Nymphacea might almost 

 with equal propriety have been placed immediately after the Solenacea, 



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