Q4 THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 
tainly by some means or other manages to burrow into lime- 
stone. 
THE TELLINIDAZ. 
The rich delicate coloring of this family of compressed 
_ shells has frequently called forth expressions of admiration. 
Among the best known on this continent is the Florida Teldiaum 
Radiata, the sun shell of the dealers, which we find represented 
in every collection we examine from the south. The Tellens 
have a very extensive range and bury themselves beneath the 
sandy bottom. It is said some members of the family have a 
partiality for estuaries, the mouths of rivers, etc. We may well 
believe this to be the case. When quartered with the Depot of 
the Bedfordshires (16th Foot) at Yonghal, County Cork, I was 
assured some handsome Tellens seen there came from the mouth 
of the Blackwater. The valves perhaps were not so highly 
colored as tropical ones, yet they were exceedingly rich. There 
can scarcely be a sufficient reason assigned for separating the 
wedge shells from the foregoing. | Ward ranks the Donacine 
as a sub-family. Donax (Hecuba) Scortum, Ceylon, has not 
such a deep, well-pronounced color as others of the family the 
writer has seen. Fossil Tellens are found in Mesozoic rocks. 
THE VENERIDZ. 
The type of this family was named Venus Puerpura by 
Linneus, and came from the Philippines. The Venus Mercenaria 
of this continent produced the highly valued purple Wampum 
sometimes found here in Indian ossuaries and is erroneously 
called the Clam in Ontario. The Venus (Cytherea) dione West 
Indies is remarkable for the long spines proceeding from the 
posterior portion of the shell. The beautiful Venus lamellosa 
(Lamark) Australia, is not represented in our collection. These 
Molluscs have greatly increased since their appearance in the 
Mesozoic Age and attained their greatest development in this. 
THE ARCADE. 
These angular typical shells cannot well be mistaken by 
anyone who carefully examines the hinge line and notices 
