336 DONACIDiE. 



D. POLITUS, Poli. 



Inner margin entire. 



Plate XXI. fig. 7. 



Lister, Hist. Conch, pi. 384. f. 227. 

 Tdlina polita, Poli, Test. Siciliae, pi. 21, f. 14, 15. 

 Donax complunatus, Mont. Test. Brit. p. 106, pi. 5, f. 4. — Linn. Trans, vol. viii. 



p. 75. — TuRT, Conch. Diction, p. 42. — Turt. Dithyra 



Brit. p. 125, pi. 7, f. 13, 14.— Flem. Brit. Anim. p. 433. 



Brit. Marine Conch, p. 78. — Dillvv. Recent Shells, vol. i. 



p. 150. — Lam. Anim. s. Vert. (ed. Desh.) vol. yi. p. 249. 



— Index Testaceolog. pi. 6, Donax, f. 6. 

 rsammohia polita, Costa, Catal. Test. Sicilias, p. 20. 

 Ccqna complunata, Sowerbv, Genera Shells, Capsa, f. 2. — Brown, 111. Conch. 



G. B. p. dQ, pi. 39, f. 10.— Payraudeau, Cat. Moll. 



Corse, p. 46. — Reeve, Conchol. Systemat. pi. 61, f. 2. — 

 Hanl. Recent Shells, p. 86, pi. 6, Donax, f. 6. 

 Donax loiuja, Philippi, Moll. Sicil. p. 37, pi. 3, f. 13. 



Among our more beautiful shells, must certainly be 

 reckoned the D. complanatus of Montagu, its vivid tinting 

 presenting one of the few exceptions to that tameness of co- 

 louring which characterises the testacea of the less sunny 

 climates of Europe. We have allowed to Poli the meed 

 of priority in nomenclature, although he has erroneously 

 placed it in the genus Tellina ; but his error is excusable, 

 from its being so aberrant a Donax as to justify that posi- 

 tion in a Linnean arrangement. 



The shape is of an elongated subcuneiform oblong, and the 

 texture, although tolerably firm, is by no means tyjiically 

 solid. Its convexity is not great, the inclination being 

 rather to compression than otherwise. The exterior, 

 which is entirely devoid of any sculpture whatsoever, is 

 covered with a delicate yellow highly polished epidermis, 

 beneath which it is angularly mottled with liver-colour or 

 rich brown, varying much in intensity of hue. A single. 



