of the North of Ireland. 69 



Thompson (sub C. tevigatum) ; it is not stated that any of the specimens 

 obtained were alive. Hyndman took it alive only once, which was in 15 

 fathoms, on a bottom of mud and shells, 4 miles S.S.E. of Black Head, and 

 Mr. Swanston has dredged living examples, of small size, at the entrance of 

 the lough. Dead, it is abundant at various depths in many localities ; large 

 single valves are frequently thrown up on the Co. Down shore of Belfast 

 Lough. 



Zsocardia cor, Linne. 



This large and handsome shell is extremely rare in the North of Ireland, 

 and the authority for its admission to our marine fauna rests almost entirely with 

 Thompson, whose notes of its occurrence I may give in full : — " The follow- 

 ing note appears in Mr. Templeton's MS. journal, under October 28th, 1811 : 

 ' Received a drawing of the Chama cor, from Mr. George Joy, taken by him 

 from a specimen dredged up at Bangor (Belfast Bay).' The species is known 

 to Mr. J. R. Clealand to have been dredged near the Copeland Islands, at the 

 entrance of this bay. The Giant's Causeway is named by Turton as a locality 

 in which it has been found; but very rarely. Glassdrummond, Co. Down, 

 P. Doran." The only other record of its occurrence which I have come across 

 is in Dr. Dickie's report, who notes it "very rare, dead," upper part of 

 "Wellstream Bay, Strangford Lough, 4-8 fathoms. Jeffreys gives east and 

 south of Ireland alone. 



Cyprina Islandica, Linnd. 



Living throughout our waters, in sand and mud, in 1 -25 fathoms. Thrown 

 up in great numbers on Magilligan strand during northerly gales. From 

 Thompson's notes it would appear to be much more abundant on the eastern 

 than on the western shores of Ireland. Mr. W. H. Patterson, M.R.I.A., 

 contributes two curious local names for this species: the one is "yaghan" 

 or "neayghen," the other " griggan." 



Astarte sulcata, Da Costa. 



"Dredged off the Co. Antrim coast; in Belfast and Strangford Loughs 

 sparingly, from about 8 to 25 fathoms, on mud and sand" — Thompson (sub 

 A. Danmoniensis). Living in from 10 to 27 fathoms, at the entrance to 

 Belfast Lough, and more abundantly off Larne, in 15-90 fathoms — Hyndman ; 

 and in 7-25 fathoms in Strangford Lough — Dickie. 



var. Scotica. Antrim coast ; Belfast and Strangford Loughs — Thompson (sub 

 A. Scotica). Living in 10-20 fathoms off Belfast Lough, and in 70-90 

 fathoms near the Maidens, and dead on the Turbot Bank — Hyndman. I have 

 specimens dredged near Ardmillan, in Strangford Lough. 



var. elliptlca. Belfast Lough— Belf. Mus. Coll. 



Astarte compressa, Montagu. 



Hyndman's 1859 Report contains a note of a few valves of this species 

 having been found in Turbot Bank sand by Mr. Jeffreys ; but Jeffreys, in 

 his " British Conchology," says, evidently referring to the same specimens, 



