1881.] 'lightning' and 'porcupine' expeditions. 711 



i^\. AsTARTE SULCATA, DaCosta. 



Pectunculus sulcatus, DaCosta, Brit. Conch, p. 192. 

 A. sulcata, B.C. ii, p. 311, pi. vi. f . 3 ; v. p. 183, pi. xxxvii. 

 f. 1,2. 



'Lightniug' Exp. : St. 1, 2, 5. 



' Porcupine ' Exp. 1869 : St. 1, 3 (var. minor), 6, 9, 13, 14 (var. 

 minor), 23a, 25, 33, 45, 45«, 455, 62, 65, Little Minch. 1870 : Atl. 

 l-3a, 8-10, 13, 22, 24, Setubal B., C. Sagres, 25-30 (and var. levis, 

 which is squarish, convex, and ribless or smooth), Tangier B. ; 

 Med. Capo de Gata, Cartagena B., 50, Adventure Bank, off Rinaldo's 

 Chair. All these last belong to the varieties minor aud/wsca or in- 

 crassata. 



Distribution. Spitzbergen to the Eastern Mediterranean and 

 Adriatic, Siberia, E. Greenland, N.E. America, G. Mexico. Canaries ; 

 3-400 tms. 



Fossil. Upper Tertiaries and Post-tertiary : Siberia, Scandinavia, 

 G. Britain, S. France, Italy, Rhodes, N.E. America; 0-1360 ft. 



This is a most polymorphous and puzzling species, as regards 

 shape, size, sculpture, and other characters. Two of the most note- 

 worthy varieties are Tellina fusca of Poli = Venus incrassata, 

 Brocchi, and Crassina elliptica of Brown ; the former has a south- 

 ern, and the latter a northern habitat. 'I'he crenulation of the inner 

 margin is by no means indicative of full growth. Venus (jallina 

 and many other species of that genus possess the same character in 

 all states of growth. The late Dr. Morch referred the variety ellip- 

 tica to Venus covipressa of the ' Mantissa plantarum ; ' but the de- 

 scription, or rather diagnosis, in that work is much too indefinite for 

 such identification, and no habitat is given. If this were not so, com- 

 pressa would take jnecedence of sulcata as the specific name. 



y 2. AsTARTE ACUTicosTATA, Jeffreys. (Plate LXI. fig. 9.) 



A. acuticostata (Jeffr.), Friele, Nyt Mag. f. Naturvid. 1877, sepa- 

 rate copy, p. 1. 



' Lightning' Exp. St. 1, 3. 



'Porcupine' Exp. 1869, St. 65. 



Distribution. Norwegian arctic Exp., 259-650 fms. ; Novaya 

 Zemblia (Leche) ; Osterfiord, W. Norway (young), 200 fms. 



Although I have proposed to constitute this as a distinct species, 

 I have some misgivings that it may be only another well marked 

 variety of that protean species, A. sulcata. Its characteristic differ- 

 ences consist not merely in its dwarf size and numerous ribs, but in 

 its rhombic shape, as well as in the ribs being sharp and more or less 

 laminar or imbricated, and in the dorsal margin being straight. 

 The inner margin is plain. 



3. AsTARTE crenata. Gray. 



Nicania crenata. Gray in Suppl. App. Parry's 1st Voyage (1824), 

 p. ccxlii. 



