of the North of Ireland. 71 



[Venus verrucosa, Linne. 



"Mr. Hyndman's cabinet contains a young shell (V. cancellata) given Mm 

 as from Magilligan" — Thompson; much too slender evidence on which to 

 establish a claim for its admission to our fauna. Its distribution in Ireland is 

 confined to the south and west.] 



Venus ovata, Pennant. 



The dredgings of Hyndman and Dickie show that this pretty little shell is 

 one of the most generally distributed of all our bivalve mollusks, as it occurred 

 in almost every haul, generally alive, in from 4 to 90 fathoms. In Strangford 

 Lough it lives in great abundance, and it is one of the very few species which 

 Hyndman found living in Larne Lough. "A rather common species" — 

 Thompson (Cytherea ovata). 



Venus gallina, Linne. 



A common species. "Found alive from low- water mark to 8 and 10 

 fathoms on the North and North-East sandy coasts. Thrown ashore on the 

 sandy beach of Magilligan in quantity and of large size " — Thompson. The 

 V. Pennantii mentioned by this author belongs to the present species. Hynd- 

 man and Dickie found that it lives in from to 25 fathoms in all the waters 

 explored (sub V. striatula). The V. striolata in Dickie's paper is apparently a 

 misprint for V. striatula. 



Tapes aureus, Gmelin. 



Quoting from an older authority, Thompson says of this species " ' Carrick- 

 fergus Bay (Dr. M'Donnell) rare,' Brown," and under Turton's name of 

 Venus cenea, gives Strangford Lough as a locality where he has taken it alive. 

 Hyndman states (1857 Beport) that it is common, living on sandy beaches 

 between tide-marks, but it does not appear to be by any means of such fre- 

 quent occurrence as would appear from this remark. Dickie dredged dead 

 valves in Strangford Lough, and Hyndman on the Turbot Bank. Mr. Swans- 

 ton informs me that it is abundant in Lough Swilly, in Co. Donegal, and 

 Miss Bichardson has sent me complete and fresh specimens from Portrush. 



Tapes virglneus, Linne". 



This handsome shell is of very common occurrence, in sandy and nullipore 

 ground, in 4 to 90 fathoms all round our shores. 



var. Sarnlensls. " Var. V. Sarniensis, Turt. Brit. Biv., is taken in Belfast 

 Bay" — Thompson (sub Pullastra virginea). " Donaghadee, in 8 fathoms 

 (Patterson) " — Forbes and Hanley. " Living, rare, off Bangor" — Hyndman. 



var. elongata. " Larne, Co. Antrim (Hyndman)" — Jeffreys. Belfast Lough 

 — Belf. Mus. Coll. 



Tapes pullastra, Montagu. 



Abundant, living between tide-marks. "A common 6pecies on sandy 

 beaches " — Thompson (sub Pullastra vulgaris). Dickie records it living in the 

 unusual depth of 7-20 fathoms in Castle "Ward Bay, Strangford Lough. 

 Some valves from Belfast Lough are of unusual size— 2$ inches broad. 



