94 tellinidj:. 



Tillina Balthica, Lin. 



Tellina soUdula, IIanlet, in Sowerby, Thcs. Conch. 318, pi. 59, figs. 109, 110. — Mid- 



DEND. Sibcr. Itcise, 100, pi. 22, figs. 3-6. 

 Venus ffatjiUs, O. Fabr. F. Grcenl. 413. 



Shell thin, white, compressed, ovate-orl)iciilar, nearly eqiiipartite, 

 heitiht nearly equal to length, rounded before, somewhat narrowed 

 and pointed behind ; beaks minute ; an imperfect ridge or fold runs 



from the beaks to the posterior termination ; 



Fi". 400. , 



surface finely wrinkled by the lines of growth, 

 covered by a whitish or dusky epidermis ; liga- 

 ment exterior ; two unequal parallel teeth in 

 each valve, the large one opposing the small 

 one in the other valve, and deeply grooved or 

 cleft ; muscular imiiressions distinct. Lena-th, 

 nine tenths of an inch ; height, seven tenths of 

 an inch ; l)readth, seven twentieths of an inch. 



The animal has a triangular foot, and long, separate, slender 

 siphons which may be flexed and contorted in any form ; the upper 

 one is longer and more slender, the lower has the orifice fringed. 

 When buried in the mud the siphons are protruded into the water. 



This is one of our most aljundant bivalve shells. It is thrown up 

 on every l^each, and appears to live everywhere in shallow, still 

 water. Multitudes appear in the mud which is obtained about Bos- 

 ton at low tide for raising wharves, extending the land, &c. 



Eastport, rare ( Cooper^ ; Halifax and Fishing Banks ( Willis') ; 

 up the St. Lawrence to near Quebec (Bell) ; Greenland {MoUer) ; 

 James's Bay, 52° 10' (Drexler) ; coast of Maine {3Iig-hels). 



Its varieties in size, solidity, and color are very great. In muddy 

 bays they grow to a large size, are thick, and of a bluish or some- 

 times a rusty color, and are covered with a firm, dark epidermis. 

 In clean, sandy localities they are very delicate and thin, pure white 

 or sometimes of a delicate rose-color, or lemon-color, and the epi- 

 dermis is very slight. 



All recent authors, except Deshayes, agree in calling this a San- 

 g"innolaria. 



It is undoubtedly identical with TcIIina Grdnhmdica of Beck ; and 

 it certainly is very like, if not identical w^th, Sowerby's T. incon- 

 spicua, published in the " Zoological Journal." The young, deli- 

 cate, white, or rose-tinted ones accord in every respect with T. 

 Balthica. 



[According to subsequent observations T. inconspicua is not this 



