2.",G THE ICE AUE IN CANADA. 



Specimens from the Clyde l)e(ls are perfectly identical with ours. 

 It is alijo found in the Post-pliocene of Norway and rarely in the Crag. 

 It is a northern species, meeting on the American coast the closely 

 allied forms ^1. itndota and .1. A'«.s, into which, however, it does not 

 seem to pass. 'Die two latter species, heiiig more southern forms, are 

 nr)t found in the Pleistocene. A snuill form of A. crehricostnta 

 ( — lens) is very abundant in 200 fathoms gulf St. Lawrence, J. 1?. W. 



A. Oina/ii of S. Wood from the Crag, is very near to this species, 

 hut is at least a distinct variety. 



Aslnrtc el/iptica, IJrown, has been shown by Sylvanus Hanley to be 

 the VeiniH cojnjmssd, Linn. Hence it is the true A. rompressa. 

 .1. F. W. 



I regard this as .Is/f/r/c hirtea Broil and Sby. ; an<l A. aemixulcafa, 

 L^ach, but as proI)ai>ly distinct, as Astartes go, fn,ii) A, horecilia, (= A. 

 (I'-clica). (See Figure, Plate I.) 



Astarte arctlcd, Miiller, fvar. htctea.) 



Fossil -Labrador (Packard); St. John (Matthew); Portland, Maine; 

 also Greenland (Moller). 



Recent— (jaspc ; Little Metis; Rivicre-du-Loiip ; also Arctic seas ; 

 Norway (typical). 



This species has been found in the Pleistocene of Canada, only in 

 Librador and New lirunswick ; and is rare in tlic gulf of St. 

 Liwrence. It is our largest Astarte and I Ijelievc it to be identical 

 witli A. larteri, Brod. and Sow., and .1. siinisu/cd/a, (Jray. Fossil 

 specimens from Portland are precisely similar to recent ones from 

 (iaspe dredged by Mr. Whiteaves and referred by him to A. factea. 

 lUit he regards A. honalis as probalily distinct. Specimens from 

 Norway (^1. arrtica) and from Clyde beds (A. horealls) are smoother 

 and less ribbed than ours. British Columbia. (See Figure, Plate I.) 



Other xpecien of Astarte. 



At Murray bay, there occurs very rarely a transversely elongated 

 and regularly striated Astarte with delicately wrinkled epidermis, 

 which seems to be identical with A. likhardnonii from the Arctic seas 

 as described but not as figured by Reeve ; but A. Richardtonii is 

 gsnerally regarded as young A. Idctea. A similar species or variety 

 occurs, but very rarely, fossil at Riviere-du-Loup. Matthew mentions 

 A. comprenaa from Pleistocene at St. John. A. sulcata (undata), 

 .1. rrehricostata (= A. lens), 1. casfanea, and A. qnadrans have not 



