﻿SMITH 
  : 
  ox 
  THE 
  GENUS 
  VULSELLA. 
  309 
  

  

  the 
  impression 
  that 
  it 
  referred 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  species. 
  V. 
  vulsella 
  is 
  

   badly 
  figured 
  by 
  Eumpbius 
  on 
  his 
  pi. 
  xlvi, 
  fig. 
  A, 
  and 
  the 
  description 
  

   quoted 
  by 
  Cooke 
  refers 
  to 
  pi. 
  xlvii, 
  fig. 
  A. 
  The 
  account 
  given 
  by 
  

   Rumphiua 
  so 
  obviously 
  applies 
  to 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  forms 
  of 
  oysters, 
  such 
  as 
  

   Ostrea 
  folium, 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  inconceivable 
  how 
  it 
  could 
  be 
  supposed 
  in 
  any 
  

   way 
  to 
  refer 
  to 
  Vulsella. 
  

  

  2. 
  Vulsella 
  attenuata, 
  Eeeve. 
  

  

  ? 
  Vulsella 
  minor, 
  Bolten, 
  Mus. 
  Bolt., 
  p. 
  156, 
  founded 
  on 
  Chemnitz, 
  

  

  Conch. 
  Cab., 
  vol, 
  vi, 
  p. 
  28, 
  pi. 
  ii, 
  figs. 
  8, 
  9. 
  

   V. 
  attenuata, 
  Keeve, 
  Conch. 
  Icon., 
  vol. 
  xi, 
  fig. 
  5 
  ; 
  Clessin, 
  Conch. 
  Cab., 
  

  

  Malleacea, 
  pi. 
  v, 
  figs. 
  1, 
  2. 
  

   V. 
  spongiarum. 
  Reeve 
  {iion 
  Lamarck), 
  fig. 
  15 
  ; 
  Clessin, 
  pi. 
  v, 
  fig. 
  3, 
  

  

  after 
  Reeve. 
  

   V. 
  ililima, 
  de 
  Gregorio, 
  Bull. 
  Soc. 
  Mai. 
  Ital., 
  vol. 
  x, 
  p. 
  69, 
  pi. 
  v, 
  fig. 
  5. 
  

   V. 
  Assahensis, 
  de 
  Gregorio, 
  op. 
  cit 
  , 
  vol. 
  xi, 
  p. 
  121. 
  

   V. 
  pholadiformis, 
  Reeve, 
  op. 
  cit., 
  fig. 
  1, 
  a 
  young 
  abnormality 
  probably 
  ; 
  

   Clessin, 
  pi. 
  vii, 
  fig. 
  8, 
  copy 
  of 
  Reeve. 
  

   Hob. 
  — 
  Red 
  Sea, 
  Suez, 
  Gimsah, 
  Assab 
  ; 
  also 
  at 
  Tongaat, 
  Port 
  

   Shepstone, 
  Alexandra 
  Junction, 
  and 
  TJmkomaas, 
  all 
  in 
  JX^atal 
  

   (H. 
  Burnup). 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  smaller 
  than 
  V. 
  vulsella, 
  and 
  has 
  the 
  iirabones 
  

   divergent, 
  so 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  deep 
  triangular 
  ligamental 
  fossa 
  visible 
  in 
  

   each 
  valve. 
  The 
  anterior 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  valves, 
  towards 
  which 
  the 
  

   umbones 
  incline, 
  is 
  prominent. 
  This 
  feature 
  is 
  shown 
  in 
  Reeve's 
  

   figs. 
  15, 
  1, 
  5. 
  Although 
  the 
  general 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  shell 
  is 
  variable 
  

   there 
  is 
  a 
  tendency 
  m 
  most 
  adult 
  specimens 
  to 
  attenuation 
  or 
  

   narrowing 
  posteriorly. 
  Young 
  shells 
  are 
  short 
  and 
  ovate, 
  but 
  soon 
  

   begin 
  to 
  lengthen 
  as 
  they 
  increase 
  with 
  age. 
  In 
  the 
  brown 
  lineation 
  

   and 
  sculpture 
  the 
  species 
  is 
  rather 
  like 
  V. 
  vulsella. 
  The 
  description 
  

   of 
  the 
  hinge 
  given 
  by 
  Chemnitz 
  of 
  his 
  " 
  Mya 
  vulsella 
  minor 
  " 
  ( 
  Vulsella 
  

   minor, 
  Bolten) 
  applies 
  well 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  species, 
  and 
  his 
  

   specimens 
  were 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  come 
  from 
  the 
  Red 
  Sea. 
  It 
  is 
  therefore 
  

   quite 
  possible 
  that 
  they 
  belonged 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  species, 
  although 
  no 
  

   mention 
  is 
  made 
  of 
  radiating 
  colour-markings. 
  

  

  A 
  small 
  example 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  with 
  abnormally 
  divergent 
  umbones 
  

   and 
  very 
  large 
  ligamental 
  areas 
  to 
  the 
  valves 
  was 
  wrongly 
  determined 
  

   as 
  V. 
  vulsella 
  (Smith, 
  Ann. 
  IS'atal 
  Mus., 
  vol. 
  ii, 
  pt. 
  ii, 
  p. 
  213). 
  At 
  

   the 
  time 
  I 
  did 
  not 
  sufficiently 
  estimate 
  the 
  specific 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  

   divergent 
  umbones 
  and 
  hinge-area. 
  

  

  3. 
  Vulsella 
  eugosa, 
  Lamarck. 
  PI. 
  XI, 
  Figs. 
  6, 
  7. 
  

  

  Vulsella 
  rugosa, 
  Lamarck, 
  Anim, 
  s. 
  Vert,, 
  vol. 
  vi, 
  p. 
  222 
  ; 
  Delessert, 
  

   Recueil, 
  pi. 
  xviii, 
  figs. 
  3«-c 
  ; 
  Reeve, 
  Conch. 
  Icon., 
  vol. 
  xi, 
  

   figs. 
  7, 
  8, 
  dark 
  var. 
  ; 
  de 
  Gregorio, 
  Bull. 
  Soc. 
  Mai. 
  Ital., 
  vol. 
  x, 
  

   p. 
  69, 
  pi. 
  V, 
  fig. 
  2 
  ; 
  Clessin, 
  Conch. 
  Cab., 
  pi. 
  vii, 
  fig. 
  1, 
  copy 
  of 
  

   Reeve 
  ; 
  fig. 
  6 
  as 
  limmformis. 
  Reeve, 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  not. 
  

  

  V. 
  margaritacea, 
  Risso, 
  Hist. 
  Nat. 
  Europe 
  Merid., 
  vol. 
  iv, 
  p. 
  307, 
  

   pi. 
  xii, 
  fig. 
  168, 
  probabl}'. 
  

  

  V. 
  corollata, 
  Reeve, 
  op. 
  cit., 
  fig. 
  14 
  ; 
  Clessin, 
  pi. 
  vi, 
  figs. 
  4, 
  5. 
  

  

  