070 REPORT— 1863. 



loncrer, and in the purple colour. This, however, in the firriired speci- 

 men, has been broiipit-out by the free use of acid, and the markings have 

 been considerably obliterated by the " beautifying'- " proces." 

 4^ Venm simillima, Sby. San Dieoro, Cal. "Resembles I. cornpta in detail of 

 sculpture " [but perfectly distinct, belongiuir to the amathmia proup. 

 It shows the evil of the very brief diafrnoses of tl;e earlier conch()log-i>t3 

 that so discriminatin<r an author as Mr. Conrad should have taken this 

 shell for the V. Cal!fornien!<i<. Brod. ; and, quoting it {lapsu) as V. Culi- 

 forniana, redescribed the true V. Californieiuiis aa V, NuttuUii. It is 

 known by the great closeness of the tine sharp ribs.] 



46. F(?/!M.« = c/w»//rt^?, no. .'W, very distinct var. GulfCJal. ; more globose, interior 



purple rose. [This was sent as " Cape St. Lucas, Xanttu.'^ It appeal's 

 truly distinct from the W. I. cnnulata, and to be the normal t'onu 

 of which pulicaiia, no. 20, is an extreme var. Inside, and outride in 

 the adolescent state, they agree exactly ; ditleiing out>iide, in the adult, 

 in snioothed-ott' ribs and more distinct V-markings. Mr. Reeve, however, 

 still thinks it more like creuifera. It may stand a^ " ? vaj*. lilaciita."] 



47. Venm gihbosuhi, Desh., MS. in Mus. Cmn. Hah. ? — [Guaymfls := V. Cortezij 



Sloat. This is the more rounded and porcellanous form of V.Jlndifraga, 

 = V. Ntittiilli of Jirit. Assoc. Report, and Nuttallian paper in P. Z. S. 

 1850, p. 21 ; but not the true V. NuttalU, Conr., v. infra, no. 49. Interior 

 margin very finely crenated on both sides of the liinee.] 



48. Vetiti^ compta, Brod. Bay of Sechura, Peru, coarse sa:id and mud, 7 fnis., 



Cinniiiy. [This rare species seems to represent V. Ciilifornitttsts in ihe 

 South American fauna. It is well distinguished by its shouldered form, 

 prixiuced ventrally, and by the Circoid pallial line, far removed fri>iii the 

 margin. Guacomayo, Mus. Smiths.] 



49. Venus Nidtalli, Conr. California. [Named from type, teste Conr. ip«., v. 



antea,-^. 52(). This is the northern form of V. succiiicfa, as ////c^'- 



fraga is o( gibbosula, the sp appearing nearly in the same parnllt'ls in 



the Gulf and on the Pacihc i ist, but not found in the '.ivirpool Riigeu 

 Col. ; nor at Cape St. Lucas. In all essential characteis, X«//(;//m though 

 pointed) and Ca/ifonne/isls (though rounded) appear the same ; but Mr. 

 Reeve still thinks otherwise. The figured specimen has been altertd with 

 acid. The V. ercavata is not noticed by Mr. R. j 



51. Venus mtnuhilus, Rve. Hah. ? — [This shell was obtained by Dr. Stimpson 

 in the N. P. Expl. Exp., and bears the Smiths. Cat. number " 1845. San 

 Franci.sco, very conmion at low water," = Jfyx's r/jVpr.sff, Sby. jim. This 

 is the highly painted, finely sculptured state of T. staminen, Conr. (not 

 " T. straminea, Conr." Sby.,= T. grata, var.) The abnormally ridged form 

 is V. ruderafn, Desh. Conch. Ic. sp. 130. By its large pallial sinus and 

 bifid teeth it is a true Tapt's.'\ 



£2. Venus intcrseota, Sby. Puerto Puero [FPortrero], Centr. Am., Cuming. 

 [The shell 'S exactly identical with no. 19, asperrima=.cardioides ; but the 

 figure might mislead, the colour-lines appearing as ribs.] 



M. Venm subrostrata. Lfini.* vi. p. ;{4-"^, = V. ne^flecta, [Gray] Sby. Hah.^l&zntlun 

 and West Indies. " Lam. having cited a figure of the China species, F. irt- 

 tnarckit, the species was lost sight of till Sby. renamed it," [TheLamarck- 

 inn species was probably West Indian. V. neylecta closely resembles 

 the young of V. Califtirnicnsis, but has the ligamental area smooth only 

 on one valve, instead of both.] 



69. Venm Stutchburgi (Gray), Wood, Sandwich Is. Comes very near to the 

 Californian V. callosa, [Sby., non] Conr., of which specimens have been 

 found also at the Sandwich Is. [V. Stutehhurgi is the New Zealand 

 species, which may easily be confounded with the Californian. Althougli 

 both may be obtained at the Sandwich Is., there is no evidence that eitlier 



• In critical species, when it is impossible to be positive which of two or mo-P was 

 intended by an old author, it ai)pe8rs best to retain the name of the first (ii»<'riinitia/or. 

 The old uHnie bt-longs to the general form: the discriminator ought to relaiii it lor k 

 pui'ti but if that lias not bcuu douu, it avoids confusioa to drop it. 



66 



