VENUS. 415 



fathoms, at considerable distances from the shores of the 

 Zetland Isles, are remarkable for their deficiency of colour. 

 The species appears to have commenced its existence 

 during the Newer Pliocene epoch, and occurs abundantly in 

 many of the Glacial- drift deposits. 



V. FASciATA, Donovan. 



Triangular ; the adult with broad and flattened ribs ; the 

 young lamellar, the lamellae few and distant. 



Plate XXIII. fig. 3, Plate XXVI. f. 7, and (Animal) Plate L. f. 7. 



Poctimcnlus fasciatus, Da Costa, Brit. Conch, p. 188, pi. 13, f. 3. 



Venus Paplda, Pulteney, (not Linn.) Hutchins, Hist. Dorset, p. 33. — Mont. 

 Test. Brit. p. 110. 



Vcmis fasciaki, Donov. Brit. Shells, vol. v. pi. 170. — Linn. Trans, vol. viii. p. 

 80.— Dorset Catalog, p. 34, pi. 7, f. 3.— Turt. Conch. Dic- 

 tion, p. 234 ; Dithyra Brit. p. 146, pi. 8, f. 9.— Flem. Brit. 

 Anim. p. 447. — Forbes, Malac. Monens. p 52. — Macgiluv. 

 Moll. Aberd. p. 267.— Brit. Marine Conch, p. 88.— Brown, 

 111. Conch. G. B. p. 91, pi. 36, f. 10.— Burrows, Elem. 

 Conchology, pi. 7, f. 2. — Dillw. Recent Shells, vol. i. p. 159. 

 — Desh. in Lam. Anim. s- Vert. (ed. Desh.) vol. vi. p. 371 ; 

 Elem. Conch, pi. 20, f. 4, 5. — Hanl. Recent Shells, vol. i. 

 p. 412.— Phil, Moll. Sicil. vol. ii. p. 34. 



Venus Drogniarli, Payraudeau, Moll. Corse, p. 51, pi. 1, f. 23, 24, 25. — Phi- 

 LiPPi, Moll. Sicil. vol. i. p. 43. 



The V. fasciata is subtriangular, suborbicular, and a 

 little heart-shaped, very strong, solid, and heavy ; opaque, 

 but slightly glossy, and not greatly inequilateral : in con- 

 vexity it varies from compressed (which is the more typical 

 state) to subventricose, the young being the former, the 

 aged not unfrequently the latter. The diversity of its 

 painting, not so much as regards the colours, which are 

 almost invariably orange or roseate-brown on a paler or 

 whitish ground, as their disposition, is almost infinite, but 

 never devoid of gracefulness. Ordinarily there are three 



