VENEKID^. PULLET. 66 



Messrs. Forbes and Hanley give the following 

 localities /or Gythered chione, viz., Plymouth, and Teigii- 

 mouth, and Dr. Jeffreys mentions Mount's Bay, and 

 other parts of the coast of Cornwall. 



The Neapolitans call it Fasolara, and the Taren tines, 

 Gamadia di luna, while in Spain it is called Saverinas, 

 Conchas, and Mariposas.* 



Poli, in his magnificent work, the ' Testacea utri- 

 usque Siciliae ' (to which more modern writers are so 

 deeply indebted for their anatomical description of 

 molluscous animals), mentioning this fish, under the 



names of Venus chione and Callista coccinea. says it is 



' / 



most excellent, and that though cooked in various 

 ways (common to different shellfish), it is most de- 

 licious when simply cooked in oil, or butter, with 

 breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, and pepper and salt. 



To cook Venus verrucosa. Boil them, after first 

 washing the shells well to free them from sand and 

 mud, then fry them for a few minutes in a frying-pan, 

 with a little butter or lard, adding pepper and salt 

 according to taste. Fry some parsley quite crisp, and 

 serve round the dish. 



Venus Gallina may be mentioned as an edible species 

 also, and is very common everywhere on our coasts, 

 where there is sand, but although it is not used as 

 food with us, it is much eaten in some parts of Italy 

 by the poorer classes ; and the name for it at Venice 

 is Bibarazza. In Spain, too, it is eaten, and at Mahon 

 is called Escupina Maltesa. 



Before leaving the Venus tribe of shells, I must call 

 attention to an American species, which is now 



* ' Moluscos Marines de Espana, Portugal y las Baleares,' por 

 J. G. Hidalgo. 



D 



