SOLECURTUS. 5 



variety of S. strigilatus for this shell. Its foreign 

 distribution comprises the coasts of France, Spain, 

 Portugal, Italy, Algeria, the Canary Isles, and Madeira. 

 All that is known of the habits of this pretty species, 

 we owe to the Rev. R. N. Dennis, who informs me that 

 he was greatly surprised, when at Herm, with its 

 activity — adding, ^' A couple of specimens which I had 

 in a milk-pan of salt water were on the crawl whenever 

 I looked at them, really travelling at a great rate for 

 moUusks, and, without the least respect for their neigh- 

 bours^ comforts, walking over, and upsetting all the 

 weaker shell-fish which were with them." 



I have retained the specific name candidus because it 

 is now generally accepted; but the Solen candidus of 

 Renier may have been only a white variety of Solecurtus 

 strigilatus, a rather common Mediterranean shell. His 

 description is too scanty for identification, and he does 

 not even give the last-named species as an Adriatic 

 shell. This variety was noticed by Linne in his ^ Mus. 

 Ulr. Reg.^ Olivi was at first inclined to consider it a 

 distinct species, but after finding intermediate specimens 

 he reduced it to the rank of a variety ; it was enume- 

 rated by Chiereghini also from the Adriatic under the 

 name of Solen albicans. The present species is the 

 Psammobia scopula of Turton, and Adasius Loscombeus 

 of Leach. I have been asked why I notice any of the 

 bizarre names given in Leach's ^ Synopsis of the Mol- 

 lusca of Great Britain,^ since they are quite disregarded 

 by British naturalists. I cannot, however, forget that 

 it is a published work, and has been circulated on the 

 Continent. There I know that these volumes have also 

 found a place; and if I were to ignore the works of 

 Leach, Brown, and other authors on the subject of 

 which I treat, I feel that I should stand justly accused 



