30 Melvill, Molluscan Fauna of the Arabian Sea, etc, 

 Mytilicardia Ffinchi, sp. nov. 



(PI. 2, f. 17.) 



M. testa oblongo-trapezoide, incequilaterali, rtifo-gilvay 

 unibonibus incurvis, margine dorsali postice recta, antice 

 excavato-declivi, latere postico recto, ventrali ad anticum 

 oblique declivi, antico breviter oblongo, lunula parv a, prof unde 

 cardiiformi, testa longitudinaliter quatuor-decini vel quin- 

 deciin costis decor ata, antice angustis, irregulariter nodosis, 

 postice majoribus et latioribus, scepe spiniferosquamosis, 

 squamis foliaceis, cochlearibus, prcecipue latus apud posticum 

 conspzcuis, simul ac ad posticam marginis dorsalis partem, 

 intus albida. 



Alt. 25, sp. maj., lat. 37 mm. 



Hab. Muscat, 10 fathoms coral sand, and Persian Gulf, 

 33 fathoms. 



Seven or eight examples varying only in size , being 

 very uniform in shape and structure. We have 'taken the 

 largest specimen as our type. This new Mytilicardia is 

 an interesting and conspicuous shell, coming in the same 

 category as M. calyculata L., from the Mediterranean, than 

 which it is much broader, and M. crassicostata Lam., a 

 more elaborate species altogether. 



It is of a fulvous-dun colour, the umbones incurved, 

 placed very far forward, the ventral margin is posteriorly 

 almost straight, anteriorly excavate, the posterior margin 

 also straight, anterior shortly oblong ; the ventral 

 obliquely tending from the posterior to the anterior 

 margin. The longitudinal ribs are fourteen to fifteen in 

 number, the posterior much the larger and wider, and are 

 ornamented, the smaller with nodules, the larger with spiny, 

 foliaceous and spoon-shaped squamae. 



Named, at the request of Mr. Townsend, in honour of 

 his chief, Mr. B. T. Ffinch, CLE., who is taking consider- 

 able interest in the results of these numerous dredging 

 expeditions in the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf 



