146 



qucntly white, beautifully variegated with red or purple; 

 rometimes of one colour ; white, yellow, brown, or pur- 

 plifh : the under valve mod highly coloured ; the upper 

 valve is not fo convex as the other : auricles nearly fimi- 

 lar, ftriated, Infide white, in fome parts a little tinged 

 with brown. Diameter about two inches and a half. 



This fpecies is common on many parts of our coaft : 

 in DevonJJiire and Cormoall is frequently taken for culi- 

 nary purpofes ; known by the name of Frills or Oucens. 



4. 

 Varius, Oftrea varia. Lin. SyjL p. llAo.—Gind. Syfi. p. 3321. 48. 



Pttlt. Cat. Dorfct. p. 36. 

 , Tiirt. Li?i. iv. p. 265. 



Don. Br. S/iellsi.t. ] .1". l.—E^vcw.t.5■i. B.3.4.5. 



Lijier Conch, t. 178. f. 17. IS. 



Gualt. t. 73. G.— t. 74. R. 

 Peclen varius. Chem. Conch, vii. t. 66. f. 633. 634. 



Br. Zool. t. 61. f. 64. 

 PeSen Monotis. Da Cofta. p. 151. t. 10. f. 1.2. 4. 5. 7. 9. 



P. with about twenty eight echinated ribs; colour va- 

 rious, fomeiimes like tortoife-fhell, clouded dark choco- 

 latebrown and y^'How ; others plain rufous-brown, or 

 ^ yellowifh : upper valve lefs convex than the other; auri- 



cles very unequal, the longefl; ear on the fuperior valve is 

 much wrinkled, the other Itriated lengthways : the whole 

 (hell is rough with concave fpines, but leaft fo towards the 

 umlo ; fometimes inRead of fpines it is imbricated on the 



ribsj 



