35 



the fpines on one fide always more or lefs concave, and 

 fpreadiiif^ at their points. That fliell wliich has been deno- 

 minated/paiula (a fpeci men of which is now before us, that 

 was taken in Scotland), differs in nothing from feveral of 

 tlie echinatum of the fame fize in our cabinet, but in the 

 fpines being ratlier longer, and more diftant than they ufualiy 

 are in that fliell ; but we do not think fufficient to conftitute 

 a reparation. 



"When our opinion was offered to the public in the 

 Addenda to Tejlacea Britaimica refpe6ling Cardium tubercu- ■ 

 latum, we had never found that fhell alive ; but fmce that 

 period a fliell has been taken on the coafl of Devon equally 

 thick and ponderous, and exactly fimilar in fhape, but with 

 fpines like thofe of echinatum, but more numerous. With 

 all thefe little variations fo clofely uniting each other, it is 

 utterly impolfible to chara6lerize the feveral fuppofed fpe- 

 cies : every conchological colIe(5tor mufi therefore divide, or 

 connect them according to his own opinion. As far as our 

 obfervations go we have great realon for believing that Car- 

 dium aculeatum,fpinofum, and ciliare, conftitute one fpecies ; 

 and we are inclined to confider that, ( from the fpecimens now 

 before us ) the tuberculatum and the Scoti/Jj fliell ailhd/patula 

 muft be brought together as varieties of echinatum ; but as we 

 have only examined one of the fpatula from the cabinet of 

 Mr. L.'\sKEY, future opportunity mull fully determine whe- 

 ther or not that is actually difiin6l. The iize of that fliell is 

 about an inch and a half in diameter, 



E MACTRA. 



