ZOOLOGY. 383 



exhibiting brown zig-zag marks, after the manner of the young Venus mercenaria (V. notata, 

 Say.) Others from San Francisco, where they are sold in the markets as food, sometimes 

 exhibit brown undulating cross lines, at others broad longitudinal bands. In size and outline 

 they vary more or less, but in the characters of the teeth and hinge there is no material 

 difference. 



" T. Straminea, CONRAD?" of Sowerby, Thes. 72, fig. 151, is a different shell, which I have 

 received from Panama, and consider it a variety of V. histrionica. Conrad has not used the 

 name straminea. His name staminea is dropped by Carpenter in his general catalogue, straminea 

 only being quoted. (See Rep. 306.) 



SAXIDOMUS NUTTALLI. 



Saitdamus Nuttalli, CONR. Jour. Acad. Phila. VII, p. 249, pi. 19, fig. 13, 1837. 



Venerupis gigantea, DESH. Rev. Zool. p. 359, 1839. IDEM, Mag. de Zool. ; pi. 43, (fossil?) 1841. MIDDEN. Beit. HI, 



p. 52, pi. xviii, f. 1-3. 



Venus maxima, PHILIPPI, Abbild. II, t. 6, f. 1. 1846. Sowb. Thes., 46, f. 127. 

 Saxidomus gigantea, and S. Nuttalli, CARP. Eep. p. 299. 



jETcei. Shoal water bay and Puget Sound, Dr. Cooper; Bodega, California, Dr. Trask ; Sitka, Middendorff; Kamschatka, 

 Pot. & Mich., (Middendorff.) 



' ' This, which somewhat resembles the quahog of the Atlantic coast, and is called by that 

 name, is, however, much superior to it as food. It is found in the south part of Shoalwater 

 bay only, and near the mouth of the Copalux. I have found it, also, common in Puget Sound. 

 Its station is in somewhat hard sand, near low-water mark." C. 



There is also a variety of this shell found fossil in coast banks elevated ten feet above the 

 sea level, which is very correctly represented in Deshayes' plate. The circumstance mentioned 

 by Deshayes, of the encroachment of the ligament, destroying the teeth, is frequently observ- 

 able, even in young shells. This species varies much in different localities, but chiefly in the 

 exterior marking of the shell, the disk being sometimes brown, with rough concentric stride, 

 as described by Conrad; others, from Oregon, are much smoother, without regular strias. But 

 the most aberrant appearance is found in another variety that occurs fossil at Shoalwater bay, 

 where it was collected by Dr. Cooper. This is well figured in Middendorff' s work, as above 

 cited, and less distinctly appears in Deshayes' figure. The specimen described by the latter 

 (from California) appears to be fossil, as he suspected. Middendorff gives no such intimation 

 regarding his. 



A specimen from California measures 4. 8 inches in breadth. A somewhat large, and very 

 perfect specimen is most accurately figured and described by Anton, in the work of Philippi, 

 above quoted, whence it is also copied by Sowerby. 



VENUS CAMELLIFERA. 



Venus camellifera, CONR. Jour. Acad. Phila. VII, p. 251, pi. 19, f. 19. 1837. 

 Venerupis cordieri, var. /? DESH. Cat. Varn. p. 191, No. 1. 

 Petricola cordieri, DESH. Rev. Guv. p. 358. 1839. 

 Rupdlaria camellifera, CARP. Rep. p. 299. 

 Hob. San Diego; Mr. Cassidy. 



Several entire specimens, but none smooth, and one with perfect camellse, were sent by 

 Mr. Cassidy to the Smithsonian Institution. 



