140 



AMERICAN JOURNAL 



MATERIALS FOR A MONOGRAPH OP THE FAMILY 

 LEPETIDiE. 



BY WM. H. BALL. 



I have to thank Dr. Stimpson, of the Chicago Academy of 

 Sciences, for the use of material, and am much indebted to the 

 Smithsonian Institution for the use of the specimens in their 

 cabinet, for the purposes of comparison. 



Any contribution to science, tending to clear up the uncer- 

 tainty which hangs over many shells, supposed to be circumbo- 

 real, or otherwise, is not without value, and perhaps for this 

 family in particular, which has been more or less misunderstood 

 and confused by every author who has mentioned it, principally 

 from the habit of copying from one author to another, without 

 original verification. 



Family LEPETIDM. 

 Syn. Lepetidce, Gray, Guide, p. 172. 

 PatelUa, *** Loven, p. 199. 

 Patellidce, (pars), Auct. 

 Tecturidce, (pars), Jeffreys, Adams. 

 Characters. — Branchiae none. Eyes none. Rostrum provided 

 with labial tentacles. Dental formula -^.Ij. Rhachidian tooth 

 rhomboidal, cuspidate. Laterals slender, cuspidate. Shell pa- 

 telliform. 



Geuus LEPETA, Gray, P. Z. S. 1847, p. 168. 



Syn. Patella (pars), auct. 



Cryptohrancliia (pars), Midd., Sib. Reise, p. 188, 1851. 



Schrenck, R. v. Amurl. p. 291, 1867. 

 Pro2nlidium, Gray, Guide Moll. p. 172. H. and A. Ad., 



Gen. R. Moll. p. 462. (Not Forbes and Hanley.) 

 Pilidium, Stimps., Shells of N. E. (Not Forbes and 



Hanley, nor Middendorf.) 

 Scutellina, Chenu, Manual, p. 375 (pars). 



