OF THE UNITED STATES. 27 i 



VENUS, L. Lam. 



1. V. *notata. Shell obtusely rounded before, 

 aud with a slight undulation on the anterior margin; 

 disk nearly destitute of the elevated concentric striae 

 which mark the holders of the shell, and distinguish- 

 ed by rufous zigzag transverse lines ; within yel- 

 lowish-white. 



Breadth about three inches. 



Inhabits the coast of the United States. 



Cabinet of the Academy and Philadelphia Mu- 

 seum, and Mr. Wm. Hyde's collection. 



A rare species called the lettered clam. y l ob- 

 tained oue specimen at Great Egg Harbour, and 

 another on the coast of Georgia. Mr. Hyde received 

 his specimen from New England ; it has the rufous 

 lines very much dilated, but they still preserve the 

 zigzag form. 



2. V. *prceparca. Shell subovate, with numerous, 

 elevated, subacute, parallel, concentric lines, which 

 subside into mere wrinkles near the suture of the 

 ligature slope, interstitial spaces plain ; ligament 

 slope flattened, margined by an acute line; anterior 

 margin with an obsolete, longitudinal, very obtuse 

 undulation, which gives the tip of this margin a slight- 

 ly truncated appearance ; areola cordate, elevated at 

 the suture ; within white or yellowish ; inferior and 

 posterior margins within crenulated, the crenula ex- 

 tending along the edge of the areola to the beak ; in 



