IQO BY THE DEEP SEA. 



the people sought the Cockle on the great expanse of sands at 

 .the northern end of the island. " It was computed that for a 

 couple of summers, at the time alluded to, no less than from 

 one to two hundred horse-loads were taken at low-water, every 

 day of the spring-tides, during the months of May, June, July, 

 and August." 



The Cockles have gained their name of Cardium and Car- 

 diaceae from the fact that if the shell is viewed " end on " the 

 curving beaks, of course, uppermost it will present the conven- 

 tional heart-shape (Kardia, Greek heart). Some nearly allied 

 genera, exhibit a similar form, but narrower, and therefore 

 not so suggestive of hearts; but the Heart Cockle (Isocardia 

 cor) is more truly heart-shaped than the Cockles of the genus 

 Cardium. It is about three inches across its longest diameter, 

 very thick and heavy, and the beaks are so greatly curled that 

 no one will be disposed to quarrel with the name, either of the 

 genus or the species. It is a deep-water species, but in suit- 

 able localities the empty shell may be found washed in by 

 gales. It is chiefly found on the west coast, and it is probable 

 that its headquarters, in British waters, is around the Isle of 

 Man. 



Several of our most familiar bivalves are not very distantly 

 related to the heart shells. There are, for instance, the Venus 

 shells of which we have already given a figure of one species, 

 the Banded Venus (Venus fas a ata). It is a solid, heavy little 

 shell, of some shade of brown, with broad bands of a lighter 

 hue radiating from the beak. A series of strong ridges run 

 parallel with the margins, or, as usually expressed, the ridges 

 are concentric. The various species of the genus inhabit sand 

 and gravel from low-water mark to a hundred and forty 

 fathoms. The animal must be obtained by the dredge, but 

 the empty shells are thrown up freely after storms. A 

 much larger species is : 



The Warted Venus (V. verrucosa), a drab-coloured shell, 

 with very rough and unequal ridges. Jn some specimens these 



