SANGUINOLITES. 365 



A much more difficult matter to decide is the proper family to wliicL to refer 

 Sanguinolites. M'Coy erected a new family, Cd-lonotidse, which he considered 

 intermediate between Mytllus and Astarte, and included in it Sanguinolites^ 

 Grammysia, Leptodomus, and Mi/oconcha. De Koninck and Meek and Hayden, on 

 the other hand, in spite of the absence of an internal cartilage-support, and a 

 non-sinuated pallial sinus, place SanguwoUtes in the family Anatinidse. Stoliczka^ 

 again, places it in the Solemyidse ; and Tornquist in the Solenopsidse. 



There can be no doubt that the genus is closely related to Grammysia, and 

 M'Coy recognised this fact when he placed both genera in iiis family Goelonotidae, 

 the systematic position of which is, I consider, far more correctly indicated by 

 him than by subsequent authors. Fischer ('Man, de Conchyliologie,' p. 1173) 

 appears to have erected a family Grammy siidse, in which he placed Gramm,ysia, 

 de Verneuil, Sphenomya, Hall, and Protomya, Hall ; and curiously enough, he 

 placed this family immediately after Anatinidse. A large group of genera, 

 amongst which are Sangninolites and many dissimilar genera — e.g. Gardiomorpha 

 and Sedgwichia, which evidently cannot belong to the same group, having 

 no affinity whatever to Anatina, — are provisionally referred to Grammyslidse. 

 Gmlonotidae, M'Coy, evidently has the priority over Grammyslidse. The relation- 

 ship of Sanguinolltes to byssiferous groups of shells is well shown in the well- 

 marked sinus which all the species possess; and although there is no evidence 

 whatever that Sanguinolltes possessed a byssus, it has indications of a descent 

 from some byssiferous ancestor. The oblique ridge, hollow dorsal slope,, 

 and lines of radiating tubercles recall forcibly the palaeozoic Arciform shells, 

 while the well-marked lunule and escutcheon and concentric ribbiugs approach 

 the characters of Astarte and Crassltella. The hinge is peculiar, and taking this 

 into consideration with the fact that, as a group, Sanguinolltes and Grammysia do 

 not fall readily into any family, I think there can be no doubt that M'Coy was 

 Avarranted in forming a new family to receive them. Tornquist has, curiously 

 enough, placed Edmondla in Grammy sildx, with, which it has hardly one important 

 character in common, and has referred Sanguinolltes to another family altogether. 



Tellinomorpha , de Koninck, and Allorisma, King, are closely related to 

 Sangninolites, and should, I think, be placed in the same family, in spite of the 

 fact that Allorisma has a deeply sinuated pallial sinus. A parallel case is met 

 with in the family Nuculidse, where the majority of the genera have a simple 

 pallial line ; but Yoldla has a sinuated line. 



Allorisma is separated from Sanguinolltes by the absence of an oblique ridge, 

 by the presence of a pallial sinus, and by the peculiar character of the anterior 

 margin, which seems to be continuous with the anterior edge of the umbo. 

 Tellinomorpha has a cardinal tooth in the hinge and no oblique ridge. 



It is interesting to note that the species of Sangulnolites fall into two groups. 



