262 SOLECURTID^. 



gin ; the hinder of the right valve is slightly cloven. The 

 palleal sinus is very large. The full average length of ex- 

 amples may be estimated at an inch and three-quarters ; 

 their breadth at about seven-eighths of an inch. 



The animal is oblong, rather compressed, entirely white. 

 The mantle is closed centrally in front, widely open ante- 

 riorly, for the thick, oblong, rather compressed linguiform 

 foot. The lips of the opening are fringed with short 

 cirrhi. The tubes are united for a considerable distance at 

 their bases, thick and fleshy, separated at their extremities, 

 the anal one with a plain orifice, the branchial slightly fim- 

 briated or rather scalloped. Mr. Clark observes, that " the 

 surface of the tubes is clothed with fine white hairs ;" this 

 appearance we have not noticed. He further remarks, 

 that " the animal is continually dilating both tubes to 

 sometimes thrice their ordinary diameter, and then sud- 

 denly contracting them." We have seen it break up its 

 tubes voluntarily into fragments in the manner of the 

 Mediterranean Solecurtus strigilatus. The branchiee are 

 long, linear, narrow ; the upper much shorter than the 

 lower. The labial tentacles are rather long. 



Though rather widely distributed, this is a scarce shell, 

 and never occurs in any abundance, even locally. It in- 

 habits moderately deep water, usually in the coralline 

 region. In England it has been dredged alive at Exmouth 

 (Clark) ; in fifteen fathoms, west bay of Portland, and 

 twenty-five fathoms off Plymouth (M'Andrew and E. F.). 

 Mr. Jeffreys has it from Dawlish, Torbay, and Falmouth. 

 It occurs in the Irish sea off Anglesey, and the Isle 

 of Man. In Scotland it inhabits the Frith of Clyde 

 (Smith) ; and the Hebrides (Jeffreys) ; off Armadale, 

 Sound of Skye, alive in twenty-five fathoms (M'Andrew 

 and E. F.). 



