BIVALVE MOLLUSC A. 34 1 



Tapes, Lucinopsis, and Trigona, also belong to the family. These 

 inhabit every sea ; they are found in every region of the globe, more 

 than 150 species being known. In most the shell is elliptic in form, 

 the valves either smooth, warted, striated, spiny, or lamellous, some 

 like those of Cardium and Donax. Like these, too, they bury them- 

 selves in the sand. 



Among the vast number of species, many of them are extremely 

 rare, and much sought after by collectors in consequence of their great 

 beauty. In the principal ports of France, Venus tJerriicosa (Fig. 141), 

 and another species known in the south of France under the name of 

 Clovisse, are eaten there like oysters. Prepared with fine herbs, the 

 Clovisse, we have M. Figuier's authority for saying, is not to be 



Fig. 142. — Cytherea geographica (Chemnitz). 



despised. "We may be believed also," he says, "if we add that 

 nothing is more delicious than to eat the living Clovisse torn from the 

 rock of the Phara of Lake Thau, when the Mediterranean sun of a 

 day in winter is shining down upon us, the heart rejoicing in man- 

 hood's strength." In Plate XIII. some of the principal species 

 are represented, along with some of the more remarkable species of 

 Cytherea. In Fig. 142 we have the elegantly-pencilled shell of Cytherea 

 geographica, together with the animal, both drawn from Nature. 



The sub-section we shall now treat of is without the pallial line 

 sinuated. The Cyprinid^e form the ninth family of our arrangement, 

 and contain the genera Cardita, Cypricardia, Isocardia, Crassatella, 

 Astarte, Circe, and Cyprina, which contain among them some hundred 

 species. 



The Cycladidce are our tenth family, and include Cyrenoides, 

 Cyrena, Pisidium, and Cyclas. 



The Lucinidae is the eleventh family, containing Galeomma, 

 Lepton, Montacuta, Kellia, Diplodonta, Corbis, and Lucina, 



