4.0 ON THE GEKOGRAPHY OF ANIMALS. 
(55.) The testaceous Mollusca, or shellfish, are in 
great variety, and are much more prized by the catholics, 
as an article of food, than by us. The British oyster, 
muscle, whelk, and cockle are almost unknown ; but, 
in lieu of these, there is an abundance of other species, 
i which we do not possess, peculiar to these 
i seas. The Lithodomus dactylus Cuv. 
(fig. 7.), or date muscle, is found in 
abundance in the rocks of Malta, which it 
perforates as smoothly as if the holes were 
made by an auger. The Pinna nobilis L., 
or great pinna, grows to the extraordinary 
length of two feet, and is much sought 
after by the people of Tarento on account 
of its byssus, or tuft of silky hairs by which the animal 
adheres to the rocks: this, after undergoing a prepar- 
8 ge atory process, is made into gloves and 
Sth stockings ; but the manufacture, as may 
«7 be supposed, is not very extensive. The 
} texture of some of these articles, which 
we have seen, was beautiful and glossy, 
and the colour, natural to the substance, 
i} is either dark cinnamon, or golden yel- 
lI low, inclining to brown. C. Ulysses, the 
only writer, we believe, with the excep- 
tion of Poli, who has given any connected view of the 
conchology of the Italian seas, enumerates 180 species, 
chiefly found in the kingdom of Naples ; 
while we could add about thirty or 
forty more peculiar to Sicily. Ta- 
rento is so singularly rich in shells, that 
its fisheries are under the immediate re- 
gulations of the governor. If the concho- 
logist who may be in Naples visit the 
fish-market, he will observe noble speci- 
mens of the following large and: hand- 
some shells exposed for sale—only to be eaten! Arca 
pilosa, Cardium spinosum and aculeatum, Solen stri- 
gellatus, Pecten maximus, Murex brandanus (fig. 8.), 
