396 VENERIDiE. 



gance of form and brilliancy of colour. The majority of 

 the more ancient fossil Venerida appear to belong to Ci/the- 



rea. 



C. cHioNE, Linnaeus. 



Plate XXVII., and animal, Plate L. fig. 8. 



Venus Chione, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 1131. — Pultenf.y, Hutchins, Dorset, p. 33. 

 — DoNOV. Brit. Sliells, vol. i. pi. 17.— Mont. Test. Brit. p. 11,5. 

 — Linn. Trans, vol. viii. p. 84.— Dorset Catalog, p. 35, pi. 6, f. 7. 

 — TuRT. Conch. Diction, p. 239. — Chemn. Conch. Cab. vol. vi. 

 p. 344, pi. 32, f. 343.— PoLi, Test. Sicil. pi. 20, f. 1, 2.— 

 DiLLW. Recent Shells, vol. i. p. 176. — Inde-^c Testaceolog. pi. 

 7, f. 44.— Blainv. Man. Malacol. pi. 74, f. 5. 

 Pectunculus glabcr. Da Costa, Brit. Conchology, p. 184, pi. 14, f. 7. 

 Cytherea Chione, Lam. Anim. s. Vert. (ed. Desh.) vol. vi. p. 305. — Turt. Conch. 

 Dithyra, p. 160, pi. 8, f. II.— Flem. Brit. Anim. p. 444. — 

 Brit. Marine Conch, p. 83. — Brown, 111. Conch. G. B. p. 91, 

 pi. 37, f. 2.— Desh. Elem. Conch, pi. 19, f. 4, 5.— Philippi, 

 Moll. Sicil. vol. i. p. 40, and vol. ii. p. 31. — Hanl. Recent 

 Shells, p. 98, pi. 7, f. 44. 

 CytliMe fauve, Chenu, Traite Elem. pi. 3, f. 10. 

 Cytherea nitidula, (Young) Lam. Anim. s. Vert. (ed. Desh.) vol. vi. p. 305 (fide 



Recluz, and Philippi). 

 Regenfuss, Choix Coqiiil. pi. 8, f. 17. — Encyclop. Method. Vers. pi. 266, f. I. 



This magnificent bivalve has a somewhat heart-shaped 

 ovate contour, is strong, solid, opaque, glossy, and de- 

 cidedly inequilateral, but yet for its genus not particularly 

 so. Although, for a Cytherea., it may be termed com- 

 pressed, it is often somewhat ventricose, though never in- 

 flated ; the profundity is manifestly greater behind than in 

 front. The exterior, which is smooth, or merely marked 

 in a concentric direction with obsolete shallow indented 

 folds (and these are confined to the vicinity of the sides 

 and lower margin), is of a pale but warm chestnut tint 

 (which varies in intensity) copiously adorned with broader 

 and narrower rays of a more livid cast. These rays, from 

 the colouring matter being deposited in paler and darker 



