1879.] 'LIGHTNING* AND ' FORCUPINE' EXPEDITIONS. 555 



synonym. The opinion that this mollusk is of a poisonous nature 

 when eaten (B. C. ii. p. 32) has heen confirmed by Dr. Hidalgo, 

 who says that at Mahon it is called " ostia borda deveri " for that 

 reason. 



2. Anomia patelliformis, Linne. 



Anomia patelliformis, L. S. N. p. 1 1 51 : B. C. ii. p. 34 ; v. p. 1 65, 

 pi. xx. f. 2. 



' Lightning ' Exp. : off the Faroe I. 



'Porcupine' Exp. 1869: St. 2, 9, Galway B., 23a, The Minch. 

 A specimen is marked like Amussium hoskynsi in an imbricated 

 fashion. 1870 : Atl. 29, Tangier B.; Med., Cartagena 13. 



Distribution. Faroe I. to Mediterranean and Adriatic, N. W. 

 America; 0-420 fms. 



Fossil. Pliocene and Post-tertiary. Scandinavia, Great Britain 

 and Ireland, Belgium, Vienna Basin, and Italy ; 4-130 ft. 



Seventeen synonyms, including Ostreum striatum of Da Costa, and 

 A. striata of Brocchi and Loven. 



Family II. Ostreid^e. 



1. OSTREA EDULIS, LillUe. 



Ostrea edulis, L. S. N. p. 1148 : B. C. ii. p. 38, pi. i. f. 5 ; v. 

 p. 165, pi. xxi. f. 1. 



'Porcupine' Exp. 1869 : St. 6, 9, Galway B. Valves of young 

 shells, one being deeply concave, and resembling O. cochlear. 1870 : 

 Atl. Cadiz ; Var. parasitica, Med., Capo de Gata and Cartagena B. 



Distribution. Iceland to Mogador, Mediterranean and Adriatic, 

 Sea of Azof, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland ; 0-45 fms. 



Fossil. Pliocene and Post-tertiary. Scandinavia, Great Britain 

 and Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Vienna Basin, S. France, 

 Italy, Algeria, Turkey in Europe ; 0-1360 ft. 



The synonyms are numerous, owing to the extreme variability of 

 the shell. 



2. OSTREA COCHLEAR, Poli. 



O. cochlear, Poli, Test. utr. Sic. ii. p. 179, t. xxviii. f. 28. 



« Porcupine ' Exp. 1869 : St. 1, 35. 1870 : Atl. 10, 13, Setubal 

 B., off Cape Sagres, 26, 36 ; Med. Cartagena B., 50, 50a, off Jijeli, 

 55, G. Bona, Benzert Road, Basel Amoush, G. Tunis, and Adventure 

 Bank. Some small and young specimens are intermediate between 

 this species and O. edulis ; and I am by no means satisfied that 

 the two are distinct. O. cochlear inhabits deeper and more still 

 waters than O. edulis ; and it is attached to corals, shells, and other 

 organisms, being often clustered together. 



Distribution. Atlantic coasts of France and Lusitania, the Medi- 

 terranean, Adriatic, iEgean, and Canaries ; 40-205 fms. The depth 

 at which it was affixed to the Cagliari-Bona submarine cable, and 

 noticed hy Professor Alphonsc Milne-Edwards, is doubtful. 



Fossil. Pliocene. Coralline Crag (as O. spectrum), Belgium, 

 Vienna Basin, Biot, Italy, Algeria, and Morea. 



