PLEISTOCENE FOSSILS. 235 



much less generally distributed in the Pleistocene. Western 

 America as far south as Catalina Island, P. P. C. British Columbia. 



Astarte Laurentiana. Lyell. 



Fossil— Leda clay, Montreal, abundant ; Beauport and Riviere-du 

 Loup, rare. 



Recent— Greenland (Morch) ; Labrador (Packard) ; Murray Bay. 



This shell may be a variety of the next species ; but it is at least 

 a very distinct varietal form. It is distinguished by its very fine and 

 uniform concentric striation, passing to the ends of the valves and to 

 the ventral margin. There are two varieties, a flatter, and a more 

 tumid. I have the former from Greenland named by Morch A. 

 Banksii, and the latter named A. striata ; but they are different from 

 shells indicated by these names in Gould aud elsewhere. The only 

 recent specimens that I have seen from the gulf of St. Lawrence, which 

 can be referred to this species, are a few I dredged at Murray Bay. 

 A. Laurentiana is very abundant at Montreal, but much more rare 

 nearer the coast. It is evidently an arctic form. (See Figure, Plate I.) 



Astarte {Nicania) Banksii. Leach. 



Fossil— Leda clay, Riviere-du-Loup ; Anticosti ; Little Metis ; 

 Kamouraska, abundant ; Quebec, not infrequent ; Montreal, very rare ; 

 Labrador (Packard) ; St. John (Matthew) ; Portland, Maine, also 

 Uddevalla, Clyde beds and Crag. 



Recent— Abundant at Gaspe and elsewhere in Gulf of St. Lawrence, 

 and also Arctic seas and coast of Nova Scotia. 



This shell is that named A. Banksii, in Gould's last edition, 

 also in Beechey's voyages. It is easily distinguished from the last 

 species by its coarser striation, fading toward the ends and also toward 

 the margin of the shell. It is, however, about the same size, but less 

 delicate and symmetrical in form. It is the common small Astarte of 

 the gulf of St. Lawrence, and also of the Post-pliocene of Rivi^re-du- 

 Loup ; but becomes very rare at Montreal, where it is replaced by 

 A. Laurentiana. This species was named A. compressa in my former 

 lists, and it is certainly very near to European specimens of that 

 species, especially to the fossils from the Clyde beds and the Crag. 

 (See Figure, Plate I. ) 



Astarte elliptica. Brown. 



Fossil— Labrador ; Saguenay ; Portland, Maine. 



Recent— Labrador ; Murray Bay ; Riviere-du-Loup ; Little Metis ; 

 Kamouraska ; Gasp^ ; coast of Nova Scotia, &c. Also Greenland ; 

 Norway (typical) ; Scotland. 



