58 Russell's Familiar Notice of some of the 



VENUS. (Jlllusion to the beauty of many species.) 

 MERCENARIA. Saleable, merchantable. 



Quahog. Hard clam. 



A well known shell fish, more esteemed at the South, (New 

 York and New Jersey) than with us. Probably introduced into 

 our estuaries by the Indians; from the purple edges of the valves 

 of which, they procure their wampum. This color is often 

 exceedingly rich, and sometimes entirely wanting. 



VENUS GEMMA. Totten. Latin, gemma, a gem. 



A very small and beautiful species of a bluish purple, inner 

 margin crenated, common size 1-lCth of an inch long. 



Totten in Silliman's Journ,, vol xxvi., p. 367, plate, fig, 2. 



Found among sand and fragments of other shells in the mill 

 pond, near the Eastern Rail Road, Salem. 



My Cabinet. 



CARDIUM, Latin, a heart. 



PINNATULUM. Conrad. Latin, slightly winged, 

 A small yellowish white and delicate shell with about 26 ribs, 

 slightly muricated. 



Found occasionally on Lynn and Ipswich beaches. 



Journ. Acad Nat. Sc. Phil., vol. vi., page 260, pi, XL, fig, 8. 



My Cabinet. 



NUCULA, Latin, a small nut, ' (from a resemblance of some spe- 

 cies.') LIMATULA. Say. 



Shell elongated, green without, pearly white within, margin 

 entire, teeth prominent and numerous. Rare, Found by J. 

 Chadwick, among the Mytilus edulis by J, True among the 

 Ostrea virginica, I have a specimen formerly belonging to Prof. 

 Peck, taken from the gullet of a duck. 



Say's Am. Conchol,, plate 12. 



Cabinet of the Society. 



NUCULA TENUISULCATA. Couthouy. Latin, finely furrowed. 

 A curious rostrated or beaked species, slightly gaping at the 

 extremity of the anterior portion. Minutely described in the 



