290 SHELLS AND SHELL-FISH. PART I. 



Analogies of the Genera of the ALASMODONTINJE. 



jt nn1na - fn1 Sub-families Genera Sub-genera 

 Genera. Analogical fth f f 



Characters. Unionida .. Unionin*. Unto. 



f Inequilateral ;^ 

 the cardinal 



Uniopsis. <, l^g from the f UNIONIN ^- UNI - Un *- 



1 anterior I 



L margin. J 



TCuneate, andT 

 Alasmodon. < nearly equi- J-HYRIN.E. ^EGLIA. Cunicula. 



C lateral. 3 

 Calceola. ? ALASMODONINJS. POTOMIDA. Megadomus. 



r Winged ; the"! 

 Complanaria. -| ^d^ much f AN D ONTINJE. LYMNADIA. Theliderma 



(, compressed. J 



r Oblong oval, 7 

 Margaritana. < greatly J-IRIDINJB. MYSCA. Ligumia. 



C lengthened. 3 



(27 1.) Having brought our rapid exposition of this 

 family to a close, we may now offer a few general re- 

 marks upon the whole. The Unionidte, of all the groups 

 of the DITHYRA, is that which contains the greatest 

 modifications of form ; insomuch that it becomes 

 almost impossible, in some of its minor divisions, to 

 determine which are species, and which varieties. 

 Hence has originated the idea, entertained by several 

 conchologists, that they constitute but a single genus ; 

 while others have gone so far as to suspect that there 

 is in reality but one species of Unio, and f( perhaps of 

 the whole family : " such, at least, were the sentiments 

 entertained some years ago, although we believe they 

 no longer exist. Upon this principle, the equally ex- 

 tensive and varied family of HelicidfB should form but 

 one genus, or rather but one species, which might be 

 called Helix or Limax terrestris, because, it lived upon 

 land.* It is useless to prove, that by this false and 

 vicious sort of generalisation, we should return back to 



* The naked slugs and the land snails pass into each other by such gra- 

 duated shades, that no " well-marked and absolute characters" can be 

 .found to separate them. 



