SOLECURTUS. 



close-set oblique strise, which appear to be impressed by the 

 persistent epidermis : colour chalkj^'-white : epidermis yellow- 

 ish-brown, wrinlded at the sides and composed partly of 

 delicate fibres, which are obliquely arranged : marc/ins and all 

 other characters as in S. candidus, except that the hinge-plate 

 is not so much reflected, the principal or larger cardinal teeth 

 are jagged at their crowns, and the pallial sinus is broader 

 and not so long. L. 1. B. 2-25. 



Habitat : Sand in 4 to 50 f., on all our coasts^ al- 

 though sparingly. Fossil in the raised sea-bed at Belfast 

 (Grainger), and in the Coralline Crag, as well as the 

 Italian upper tertiaries. Bohuslan appears to be its 

 most northern limit, and the Canary Isles the most 

 southern. It also inhabits the intermediate district 

 and both sides of the Mediterranean, the Adriatic, and 

 ^gean, at various depths ranging from 4 to 40 f. 



" We have seen it break up its tubes voluntarily into 

 fragments, in the manner of the Mediterranean Bole- 

 curtus strigilatiis'^ (F. & H.). Clark says that the 

 animal, when in confinement, exserts the belly of the 

 mantle, inflated by water, beyond the margin of the 

 shell ; but the instant it is irritated, it can place every 

 organ a I'abri. The shell differs from that of S. can- 

 didus in being flatter and wanting the divaricating striae 

 or ridges. 



The Solen coardatus of Gmelin (from a figure in 

 Chemnitz) is described as inhabiting the Nicobar Isles, 

 and does not appear to be the present species. Our 

 shell is the S. ailtellus of Pennant, but not of Linne. 



I do not believe that SiUquaria bidens, Chemnitz, is 

 a native of our seas, the only testimony in favour of it 

 being that of Pulteney, Boys, Laskey, and Turton. It 

 is the Solen frarjilis of the three first-named authorities, 

 and Psammobia tceniata of the last, as well as the Solen 

 divisus of Spengler. The locality given by Chemnitz is 



