198 KELLIID^E. 



ing another lively specimen, which, he adds, " on being 

 placed in water, at once unfurled its long and beautiful 

 fringes, and exserted the ample niveous mantle and foot. 

 This is certainly the prince of British bivalves; the 

 snow-white colour of both animal and shell 3heds over 

 this interesting creature the inexpressible charms of 

 purity and elegance." I can fully sympathize with the 

 enthusiasm of my old friend, although I have not been 

 equally fortunate in seeing the paragon he has so well 

 described. But I hope some of my readers will endea- 

 vour to realize the truth of his description by their own 

 experience ; and it will be more satisfactory, for, as our 

 best of poets says, 



" Beauty itself does of itself persuade 

 The eyes of men without an orator." 



Dr. Leach has named this species Eupoleme cancellata. 

 2. L. ni'tidum *, Turton. 



L.nitidum, Turt. Conch. Dith. p. 63. Kellia nitida, F. & H. ii. p. 92, 

 pi. xxxvi. f. 3, 4, and (L. nitidum) App. iv. p. 255. 



Body clear white and gelatinous : mantle having its edges 

 protruded beyond the shell as far in proportion as in L. squa- 

 mosum ; it is closely fringed with cirrous filaments, which are 

 more developed in front than behind, each of them being 

 studded at the point with four or five white cilia, so sharp and 

 minute as to require a high power to see them, and that only 

 in certain lights : tube formed by a fold or projection of the 

 mantle at the anterior end, being contrary to the position of this 

 organ in the last species : foot pale azure, marked with intense, 

 but irregular flake-white minute blotches ; each end from the 

 pedicle or stalk is of equal length and finely pointed. (Clark.) 



Shell subrhomboid-oval, somewhat compressed, not very 

 thin, semitransparent, and glossy: sculpture, a few minute pit- 

 marks near the beaks, which are only perceptible by the aid 

 of a high magnifying power, besides faint and irregular con- 

 centric stride which traverse the whole surface, and are visible 



* Shining. 



