26 THE NAUTILUS. 



pretty deep, and sometimes weighs over a ])()und, wliicli considering 

 that the shells are usually rather thin and consequently light in 

 weight, shows that the soft parts or edible portion is a jolly good 

 junk of nutritious aliment, fit for the best conchologists on earth, 

 and their friends also, without regard to age, sex or condition. Un- 

 like Mya arenaria and Panopcea generosa, the end of the double 

 siphon tube or sleeve is protected by two .hard, valvular pieces. The 

 siphons are not as long in proportion as in Mya arenaria nor does 

 it ever reach the dimensions of Panopcea ; the latter sometimes attains 

 the weight o^ fifteen or sixteen pounds, and from tip of extended 

 siphons to the opposite end, measures three feet. It will easily be 

 seen, that it is no small job to dig out one of these deep burrowing 

 fellows. The " meat," is very nice when parboiled and fried in 

 batter, and as tender as a humbird's eye. Bathymetrically their 

 station is so Ioav or deep, that is to say usually that they are not 

 to be procured except at very low tides. Around Puget Sound they 

 are called " Geoducks," and they are really a delicious article of 

 food, and a truly noble bivalve. 



Tivela crassatelloides makes a good chowder or soup and is justly 

 held in high esteem, being highly estimable and of good character 

 among its fellows of the edible raollusca, but it is more of a "mus- 

 cular Christian " than the others, and not so well adapted for frying 

 or for pies. It is abundant at many places along the southerly 

 coast of California, and at low tide can be plowed up in great 

 numbers. 



Washington, June 9, 1891, 



ON A NEW SUBGENUS OF MERETRIX, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO 

 NEW SPECIES FROM BRAZIL. 



BY W. H. DALL. 



The shells which have passed under the name of Sunetta Link 

 {1807, type Donax scripta Ij.) and Tivela Link (type Ve)ius corbi- 

 cula Li.), — otherwise Meroe of Schumacher (1817) and Trigona 

 Megerle (or Pachydesma Conrad), so far as the hinge is concerned 

 occupy in the Meretricince much such a place as Venus (inercenaria 

 and its allies) occupies in the sub-family Venerince. of the Veneridce. 

 In both the subligamentary area is elevated and corrugated or trans- 

 versely striated so that in some cases it is hardly to be termed a 

 tooth. In both Sunetta and Tivela the shell is nearly equilateral as 



