VENUS VENUS. 165 



areola has often the impression of a heart ; the 

 hinge has three approximate cardinal teeth, the 

 middle one is longitudinal, the others diverging ; 

 there is a lateral tooth in a few species ; the 

 beaks are turned towards the areola ; the liga- 

 ment is external. 



OBSERVATIONS ON THE SHELL AND ITS 

 INHABITANT 



The shells of this genus, pre-eminent for the 

 elegance of their form, and the beauty of their 

 colouring, have in consequence, been designated 

 by the name of the fabulous goddess of beauty. 

 The three approximate teeth, and the inclination 

 of the beaks towards the areola, at once determine 

 a shell to be a Yenus, but these marks are some- 

 times wanting ; in a few species there are four 

 cardinal teeth, in others only two ; this variation 

 in the hinge has led to a subdivision of the 

 genus. 



The Venus is diffused over every part of the 

 world, and in many countries affords to animals 

 and birds a nutritious food. It is curious to 

 observe the contrivances by which the sea-fowl 

 endeavour to procure the mollusca of this and 

 other genera; they have been seen to take 

 advantage of a moment, when the valves are 

 open, to drop a pebble between them, which 

 being thus prevented from closing, leave the 

 inmate exposed. When they find the shell so 

 hard as to resist all their efforts to break it with 

 their beaks, they ascend to some lofty eminence, 



