THE 



CONCHOLOGICAL MAGAZINE 



Vol. II September, 190S No. 9 



TALKS ON SHELLS (IX) 



(In these Talks on Shells, we have selected only a few 



of the interesting facts given 



BY Mr. IWAKAWA) 



J It rte-gai. — Solen. 



This shell -fish is called ' Kamisovi-gai' (razor-shell) in the 

 neighbour-hood of Osaka. It is commonly called ' Razor-shell ' in 

 English also. It is not certain whether the name originated from 

 the shape of the shell or from the fact that it has such sharp ventral 

 margins that the shells may be used in cutting paper. The Japanese 

 species are perhaps 8 or 9 in all. Let me describe only two or three 

 of them at present. 



One of them has the name of Solen gouldii Conrad, and is the 

 most common of all, in Japan. Its shells are slender, and dirty- 

 white inside with dirty-yellow epidermis. 



Another may well be called 'Oh-mate-gaV (big razor-shell), 

 because it is the largest. Its name is Solen grandis Dunker. It is 

 commonly found in the sea about Shimonoseki. 



We may call the other 'Aka-jnate-gai' (red razor-shell). Its 

 name is Solen gracilis Gould. It is about 3 inches in length and 

 about 1 inch in height. This species is to be found everywhere in 

 the Seto Inland Sea, but especially in the seas about Bingo, Ehime, 

 and Kobe. 



Solen lives in a small perpendicular hole which it digs in the 

 sand. When the tide is out, we can find small holes dotting the 

 sand here and there. It is quite difficult, nay almost impossible to 

 ascertain or judge in which holes this animal lives, because many 

 other species have the same houses, so to speak. This trouble is 

 relieved by a simple and easy method. If you carry some salt with 

 you and when you come to one of the holes, put some salt in it ; 

 as soon as the salt melts and begins to sink into the hole, the in- 



