TELLINA. 383 



Var. ovata. Shell smaller, of a more oval form in con- 

 sequence of the posterior side not being so much produced, the 

 oblique striaB partially evanescent, and the epidermis of a 

 greenish tint. 



HABITAT : Common in sandy bays and voes, from 

 low-water mark to 15 fathoms, on all our coasts. The 

 variety is from the Hebrides, Lerwick, and Deal Voe. 

 This species is fossil in the Belfast deposit (Grainger), 

 and Mammalian Crag (Searles Wood). Landt has re- 

 corded it from the Faroe Isles (as T. fragilissima) ; 

 Lilljeborg, M' Andrew, and Malm have taken it in the 

 Scandinavian seas, at from 3 to 17 fathoms; North of 

 France (De Gerville and others) -, Carthagena, 7 fathoms 

 (M f Andrew) ; Gulf of Lyons (Martin) ; Nice (Verany) ; 

 Corsica (Requien) ; Algeria (M f Andrew in 35 fathoms, 

 and Weinkauff) ; and Sicily (Scacchi, Maravigna, and 

 Philippi). 



This differs from the last species (T. tennis) in its 

 smaller size, more oblong shape, and attenuated extre- 

 mity, fragile texture, much finer sculpture, and espe- 

 cially in the oblique striation of the right valve. Malm 

 found the present species in the stomachs of Platessa 

 vulgaris and Gadus ceglefinus. Gronovius says that the 

 vernacular name of this shell is " Sny-Boontje." Few 

 would have suspected that the Dutch, as a people, had 

 been nearly a century back such discriminating con- 

 chologists. 



It is the Tellinula fragilissima of Chemnitz, T. vitrea 

 of Gmelin (from the last-named author, who more suo 

 changed the original name without taking any notice of 

 it), T. semistriata of Solander's MS. (according to Dill- 

 wyn), and T. discors of Pulteney. 



