TELLINA. 131 



edges; the branchial artery divides it nearly in two equal 

 parts ; it may be considered as a pair of laminae, which, instead 

 of being folded or falling on each other, as in the ordinary 

 bivalves, are thrown open and permanently fixed to the poste- 

 rior area of the body. The colour is brownish drab, with a 

 yellow or fawn-coloured patch in two or three places ; anteally 

 there are on each side two enormous triangular, broad at their 

 bases, pointed palpi, smooth without and well striated within ; 

 they are so large as nearly to have the aspect of small pairs of 

 branchiae ; they are in connection by one of their angles with 

 the branchial plate, and with each other by labia around the 

 mouth. The colour is drab, aspersed with very minute sand- 

 like, pale red-brown points. The liver is brownish-green and 

 united anteriorly with the ovarium. The elastic stylet and 

 corneous stomach attritor, called by most authors the tricuspid 

 membrane, is particularly firm and conspicuous in this species. 

 It thus appears that our present animal differs greatly from 

 the typical Tellina, in the branchial plate and character of the 

 palpi, and thick obtuse foot. 



This species has also a rather close alliance with Scrobicu- 

 laria piper ata, which has like it only one compound branchia 

 on each side. 



T. FRAGILIS, Linn, et Auctorum. 



T. fragilis, Philippi, Moll. Siciliae. 



Diodontafragilis, Brit. Moll. i. p. 284, pi. 21. f. 3 ; (animal) pi. K. f.2. 



We are not aware that any British author has observed 

 this species. The following is a translation from M. Phi- 

 lippi's very insufficient notice of it, in the 'Enum. Moll. 

 Sicilise/ vol. i. p. 28 : "Animal with two siphons, the lower 

 or branchial being nearly double the length of the shell, the 

 upper scarcely so long as the shell; without cirrhi at the 

 orifices ; the foot is small, oblong, lanceolate, with very large 

 oval palpi." 



We can say nothing of M. Deshayes 3 description of the 

 animal organs. In the ' British Mollusca ' we have some 

 further particulars : Mantle fimbriated at the edge ; siphons of 

 unequal lengths, separated from the bases, and, contrary to 



K2 



