2 THE NAUTILUS. 



every case more deeply seated. However, both Mr. C. W. Johnson 

 and Dr. W. H. Dall assured me that the smaller form was young 

 and the larger " typical." 



Iphigenia braziliensis Lam. My specimens, with the exception 

 of a few dead shells, were found at or near the mouth of the Wawa 

 river, where it is plentiful. It is a dweller of estuaries. 



Donax denticulatus L. This is by far the most abundant bivalve 

 on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. All the native children, 

 Indian, Creole, as well as the Spanish speaking ones gather it in 

 large basketfuls for the family larder. At low tide these beautiful 

 " wedges " are to be seen all over the beach in favorable places, sit- 

 ting up in the sand, thin end (posterior) down, with about one-third 

 of the broad anterior exposed, the shell a little open and the siphons 

 at work with every rush of the water as the waves come in and roll 

 out. Donax is either stupid or without fear, for it seldom trys to 

 escape by digging, on being approached, as do the Solens. The shell 

 is very variable in color and radiations. I have a series of about 25, 

 all different. Wounta Haulover. 



Donax cayennensis Lam. Inhabits the same localities and the 

 same sandy stations between tides as the former, but it is not any- 

 thing like as numerous. It is a larger shell than denticulatus, with a 

 more angular anterior ridge, and is more uniform in color, not vary- 

 ing much from pure white, although some specimens tend to bluish, 

 yellow, or purple. Prinzapolka was the first locality at which I 

 found this shell, but one always find them wherever D. denticulatus 

 is to be had. A very good authority wrote me some time ago : " In 

 going over the Donacidce in the museum, I find no characters to 

 separate Lamark's Donax cayennensis from the Donax striata L." 

 I have never seen the latter form. Can these names be synonyms ? 

 Both D. cayennensis and D. denticulatus are called ahi by the native 

 Indian population. The former they regard as the male and the 

 latter as the female. Ahi means dimple. Is not that more beauti- 

 ful than wedge f 



Pitar (Hysteroconcha) dione L. Very abundant. I shall never 

 forget finding my first specimen of this beautiful, sulcate, spinose 

 shell. The Indian boy who was with me further increased the 

 pleasure of the find by telling me that they were nianas, without 

 number. I soon found that he was not far from the truth. Wounta 

 Haulover seems an ideal place for this species, the shore and bottom 



