Mollusks. 4809 



Simpleton's Mactra, Mactra stultorum. Common, and, at some 

 seasons after a north-east gale, very abundant on the shore, with many 

 varieties as to colour and size. 



Elliptical Lutraria, Luiraria elliptica. Abundant on the sands 

 between Lossiemouth and Spey ; also on the shore westward from 

 Burghead. Among the fishermen of Stotfield and Lossiemouth it has 

 got the same name as their brethren of Findhorn give to My a are- 

 naria, viz., " badgers." When thrown up, as it sometimes is (Zool. 

 3482) by a northern sea-storm, it is readily collected, and highly 

 prized as bait for cod and haddock. 



Decussated or Cross-lined Tapes, Tapes decussata, (Venerupis 

 decussata, Flem. and Mac.) Valves of this species have been dis- 

 covered by Mr. Martin in one of those singular collections of shells 

 of the oyster and other edible mollusks which seem to have been 

 made at a very early period, when the area of the Loch of Spynie, 

 whence they have been gathered, was an arm of the sea. This 

 species is also to be met with in single valves on the west side of 

 Burghead towards Findhorn, April, 1853. 



Pullet Rock Venus, Tapes pullastra, ( Venerupis pullastra, Flem. 

 and Mac, and V. perforans, also of Flem.) Common along the 

 Elginshire shore. " Banff, both varieties," Mac. 



Virgin Rock Venus, Tapes virginea, ( Venerupis virginea, Flem. 

 and Mac.) This is certainly one of our less common bivalves, but is 

 by no means rare. It has been found all along the south coast, 

 at least from Burghead to Peterhead. Mr. Macdonald justly remarks, 

 that Messrs. Forbes and Hanley state " on the east coast of Scotland 

 and north-east of England it is either very rare or absent, not occur- 

 ring in the copious lists of Macgillivray or Alder ; " and that this is 

 evidently a mistake, as it does occur in Macgillivray, and the Moll. 

 Abred. p. 269, is actually quoted in the list of synonymes attached to 

 T. virginea in the 1 British Mollusca.' A copy of Mr. Alder's excel- 

 lent ' Catalogue/ most kindly presented by the author, shows that it 

 (Pullastra virginea) is found " on most parts of the coast, but not 

 common." 



Thick-ridged Venus, Venus casina (and V. rejiexa of Flem. and 

 Mac.) Has been met with both by Mr. Martin and Mr. Macdonald, 

 the latter of whom has presented a fine specimen to the Elgin 

 Museum. Burghead, Mr. Murray. "Gamrie," Mac. Mr. T. 

 Edwards has collected a few fine specimens of it at Banff. 



Common or Hen Venus, Venus striahda, (V. gallina, Flem. and 

 Mac, and V. Prideauxiana, Mac.) Frequent on all the sandy 



XII. Y 



