348 



Jaffa, on-e whole shell and one valve, both in poor condition. 

 This species would seem to live in water up to 45 fathoms, but 

 not beyond. Its limit in shallow water below 17 fathoms is 

 unknown. 



My examples are 8*2 mm. by 6*7, and 8'1 by 6'9 mm., 

 and are, therefore, proportionately somewhat higher than the 

 type, but otherwise correspond. One is 9*25 mm. by 7'5, a 

 large specimen. 



Venericardia diiecta, E. A. Smith. Var. excelsior, var. nov. 



PL xiv., f. 9. 



It closely resembles C . diiecta, Smith ; but is rather more 

 ventricose, is less equilateral, the umbo being more anterior, 

 the post-dorsal border is longer and less sloping, the umbo- 

 ventral depth is greater, the ribs are not quite so valid, the 

 ventral margin is more curved, it has not the pink tinge 

 about it, it is blotched and articulated with a darker brown. 



Dim. — Length, 7'8 mm.; height, 1'^ mm. 



Hah. — 55 fathoms off Cape Borda, one valve; 100 fathoms 

 off Beachport, six alive, and more than 750 valves quite fresh; 

 130 fathoms off Cape Jaffa, four alive, thirty-three valves 

 quite fresh; 150 fathoms off Beachport, one alive, 750 valves; 

 200 fathoms off Beachport, forty-nine valves, and one alive. 

 The proper habitat of this shell is evidently from 100 to 150- 

 fathoms, only one valve having been found at a less depth. 

 This circumstance, with the hiatus of about 50 fathoms be- 

 tween it and V . d'dtrta, almost suggests its right to be con- 

 sidered a separate species. 



It is much more orbicular than my specimens of V . 

 diiecta, and still more so than the type. Curiously enough 

 Mr. Smith's artist has drawn a figure which, instead of cor- 

 responding with the dimensions in his text, measures exactly 

 26*5 mm. both in height and length, so as to represent an 

 orbicular shell, instead of 26*5 in length and 19*9 in height, 

 which are the proportions of his described type. 



Some of my specimens are quite white, and some have 

 concentric bands of a less opaque v\^hite in them. 



Type in Dr. Verco's collection. 



Venericardia amabilis, Deshayes. 



Cardita amahilis, Deshayes; Proc. Zool. Soc, Lond., 1852, p. 

 102, p]. xvii., f. 8. 9, ffa^.— ''New Zealand"; Tate and May, 

 Proc. Linn. Soc., New South Wales, 1901, part 3, p. 434, "Smith 

 coast of Tasmania" ; Pritchard and Gatliff, Proc. Roy. Soc, Vict., 

 1904. vol. xviii. (N.S.), part 1, p. 232, "Western Port, Victoria. ' 



Dredged alive in Spencer Gulf in 17 fathoms and 20 

 fathoms, about two-thirds full-grown size; in 25 fathoms off 

 Beachport, one small individual alive, also two valves full 



