< IIAMACEA. 



'HAM H. \UCIArK.K. 





.tfyf i/w in the British Munum : and to come at once to the cue 

 before MM, the same specie* of Chama is sometimes attached by the 

 right, sometime* by the left valve ; or, in other words, in one indi- 

 viilual of the specie* the umbone* will turn from left to right, while 

 in another individual they will turn from right to left." The same 

 author observes, that the distinction of the apeciea appears to him to 

 be difficult, the variety Ix-ing infinite. The number of recent species 

 given in Deahayes's edition of Lamarck (1835) is seventeen, inrlu.lin _ 

 Chama aibida (Camostroe of De Roissy ; Vtculo'hirriu of Stutclil.ury >. 

 Broderip, in the paper above alluded to, deaoribes eleven additional 

 specie* with varieties not noticed by Deshayes, who has however some 

 observation* on the following species, C. latartu, C. grypholda, C. 

 tutitornit, C. tuperclia (the living analogue 

 of C. echinalata in Lamarck's fossil list), 

 and C. aibida, well worthy the attention 

 of the student We elect as au example 

 C. grypholdet (C. gigat, Linn.), which is 

 famous for its enormous size. Individuals 

 hare been known to weigh above three 

 hundred pounds. Tho bysaua l>y 

 it adheres to rocks is go tough that in 



ordi r ' pro< UH khl -ii- ''. ''' '.:-' bt cut 

 with an axe. The animal may be eaten, 



large specimens are to be seen in the 

 Gardens of the Zoological Society, Regent's 

 Park. One of the valves is sometimes 

 used as a font for baptism in country 

 churches. 



The species are apparently confined to 

 the warmer seas, the Mediterranean being 

 the locality of the lowest temperature where 

 tiny of them have been hitherto found. 



Fuuil Chamicbr. 



The fowl species of Chama are numerous, and occur in the supra- 

 cretaceous groups, particularly in the subappenine beds, and those of 

 Bordeaux and Dax ; in the Cretaceous group ; and also in that of the 

 Oolite. According to O. B. Sowerby, they are found in the London 

 Clay, and Calcaire drossier, also in the Chalk and Greeusand. Deshayes, 

 in his tables, gives fifteen living species, and twenty fossil (tertiary), 

 occurring in the Pliocene, Miocene, and Eocene periods. Of these he 

 makes four, namely, C. gryphoidei, C. crmulata, C. tiniilrorta, and n 

 new species, both living and fossil ; the localities for the living (with 

 the exception of crenttlata, from Senegal) being the Mediterranean 

 Sea. The species found in more than one Tertiary formation he 

 makes 6'. echinulata, C. ruttica, and C. lamcllota ; and gives the follow- 

 ing number of species in the localities here mentioned : Four in 

 Sicily, four in Italy (subappenine beds), one at Bordeaux, three at 

 Dax, three in Touraine, two at Vienna, two at Anders, uine at Paris, 

 one at London, and two at Valognes. In the fossil list of his edition 

 of Lamarck (1835), Deshayeg enumerates only thirteen fossil species, 

 and of these he makes C. gryphina include C. tinutrorta as a synonym, 

 observing in a note that he knows the living analogue as existing in 

 the Sicilian seas, and that the species No. 3 (C. lactrnata) is a variety 

 of this, while the valves cited as belonging to the environs of Angers 

 belong to another species. C. echinulata he identifies with O. atpcrtlla 

 now living in the Mediterranean. C. unicornaria, he observes, was 

 formed for a variety of C. gryjiliina, with very huge umbones ; and be 

 suggests the necessity of uniting C. gryphina, C. laccrnata, and C. 

 mironuirut in one species. Nilsson names C. cornu A rictit (IHcerat 

 arietina I ), Kjuge ; Morby, Sweden; and C. laciniata, Kjuge; Bals- 

 berg ; Morby, Sweden ; and Mantel!, an undetermined species from 

 the Chalk, Sussex. Phillips names Chama mima, or Gryphaa mima 

 (the genera are sufficiently different, by the way), from the Coral 

 Oolite and Calcareous Qrita of Yorkshire. Smith, Chama (I) cratta 

 from the Bradford Clay. Thurman, C. Bernojurentu, from the Calca- 

 reous Urit, Bernese Jura ; and Lonsdale, an undetermined species 

 from the Cornbrash Forest Marble, and Bradford Clay, Wilts. 



t'uvier says that the LHcrrata do not appear to differ from tin- 

 Chama in anything essential ; only their cardinal tooth is very tliii-k, 

 aud the spirals (umbuncs) of their valves are sufficiently projecting to 

 remind the observer of two horns. G. B. Sowerby thus writes : " On 

 account of the similarity between this genus (Chama) and Jiiferai we 

 shall be expected to explain the characters by which this latter is 

 distinguished from Chama, with which indeed it is arranged by Bru- 

 guiere ; these, according to Lamarck, are the large, conical, diverging, 

 spiral umbones, and the large, concave, subauriculato, prominent 

 tooth in the large valve of Direrui. Not having ourselves seen the 

 hinge of IHterat, we will not venture to ofler an opinion ; but, judg- 

 ing from the specimens we possess, we see in Duxrat a sort 

 necting link between /tocaniia and Chama, having both the umbonos 

 free and involute, and being moreover a nearly equivalve shell, like 

 JforarJia ; but being attached by one valve, and not quite equi- 

 valve, in these raspecU resembling Chama." Rang observes : " Thin 

 genus is very imperfectly known, without doubt, but nevertheless one 

 may well believe that it is very near to Chama." Defrance enumerates 

 fire species. Deshayes doe* not give it as a genus in his tables, and 



ntictiaa. 



in bis last edition of Lamarck only two specie* are recorded, Dictra* 

 arictuta (Lam.), the type from Mont Saleve aud the neighbourhood of 



St Mihiel, and JHcrrai linittra 

 (Desh.), from the superior Oolite 

 in the vicinity of the lout-named 

 ]'. .- --. 



:; would place next to Dictrtu 

 nis l'n/,rinil .if ll'Orbiguy 

 f "pinion that if 



that zoologist would publish bin 

 discoveries on these interesting 

 . the genus would be gene- 

 r.illy a-l-'ptc.l. The gunus /chlhyo- 



classed with the Cephalopoda, 

 might, he thinks belong to a 

 bivalve approximating to C" 

 Deshnyes, he says, communicated to him the same idea. But the last- 

 named author does not notice the genus when treating of IHcrrat in 

 the last edition of Lamarck. 



OHAM.KDO'KKA, a genus of Palms, also called ffvnnaharia and 

 .Vunnnia. They are small reeil-like plants, with ringed shoots. Their 

 leaves are either cleft or pitm:it< !. The inflorescence is senile within 

 the sheaths of the leaves, ami In .nn-hf.1 in an irregular manner ; the 

 spathes are membranous. The flowers are yellow an. I iliuviou*. with- 

 out bracts, which is a remarkalilc circumstance. In the males the 

 calyx is cup-shaped and S-juiitc.!, thr pi-tain 3, and the stamens 6. 

 In the females the calyx ninl \ !io same ; the ovary 3-celled ; 



the berry 1 -seeded ; the albumen even ; aud the embryo lateral. 

 These are palms of humble growth, receding in that respect from tin- 

 general character of the order, and approximating to Herbaceous 

 Endogena, or to Bamboos. C'. fragrant, the Chutofuilmni of the 

 Peruvians, is a plant with a stem about a man's height, and so fra- 

 grant as to fill the groves with its perfume in the mouths of August, 

 September, and October. 



1, Cftftmtrdorra pnur ijiura ,- 2 f C.frngranx. 



rHAM.KI.AtVIArK.K, l-Vingu Myrtle-*, n Mnall natural <-r<l.-r of 



':J"iiH Kxogi-noii.-< I'liint,-". Tlu-y :ir<- rh 

 1 -celled ovary, anci-nduig ovules, dottoa leaves, .-in. I th.- 

 into a solid niotw. They aronin:ill Im-hf.- with c\. i K i-,'m l r ,iv, 

 in external appearance have a close resemblance to heaths. All t.h-ir 

 parts abound in glandular oily cavities. Tin \ led as 



belonging to Myrlatea; and there in no doubt of their altinity ' 

 order. iliar aspect, abortive stamens, simple .,v:u . 



pappose calyx sufficiently distinguish them. They I, 

 of Myrlaceie. Fifteen genera aud fifty species oru inchuled m this 

 order, all natives of Australia. Their position, according to Lindl<-y , 



