from similar stages of other species. Later stages are distinctive for 

 their creamy-yellow color, rounded bottom-heavy shape, and particularly the 

 relatively small, knob-like umbones , with dimpled surfaces. Compared with 

 Roahefortia planulata, early stages of Venus have a slightly shorter hinge 

 line, umbones which show as heavy bars under the hinge line in straight- 

 hinge stages, contrasting with the hardly distinguishable umbones of 

 Roahefortia, smaller more rounded umbones with narrower bases, silver color 

 turning to creamy yellow, contrasting with yellow-banded Roahefortia which 

 turns bright yellow. Compared with Ensis direatus early stages of 

 V. meroenaria has a smaller straight-hinge stage, umbones apparent from the 

 beginning as bars under the hinge line, contrasting with the inconspicuous 

 umbones of straight-hinge Ensis larvae, narrower based heavier umbones 

 which project above the hinge line earlier in development, a bolder shell 

 outline, silvery color which turns creamy-yellow, differing from the pale 

 delicate yellow of Ensis. Differences between Venus and Mytilus are 

 obvious. Very young spat of Venus were not described because none was 

 collected. The author found a close resemblance between small Pitar 

 morrhuana spat and Venus. The smallest Venus spat seen differed from 

 Pitar of the same size in having a larger number of concentric ridges, 

 prodissoconch not clearly delineated, umbones heavier with broader bases, 

 and dissoconch heavier. The discussion is illustrated with photomicrographs 

 of 5 stages of Venus larva and a spat. - J.L.M. 



1750 



Sumner, Francis B. 1910. 



An intensive study of the fauna and flora of a restricted area of sea bottom. 

 Bull. U.S. Bu. Fish. 28 (Pt. 2): 1225-1236. 



Meroenaria (Venus) meroenaria is not mentioned. - M.W.S. 



1751 



Sumner, Francis B., Raymond C. Osburn,and Leon J. Cole. 1913. 



A Biological Survey of the Waters of Woods Hole and Vicinity. Pt. I. Sect. I. 

 Physical and zoological. U.S. Dept. Commerce and Labor, Bu. Fish., Bull. 

 31(1911) : 1-200. 



Venus meroenaria is included in a group of species restricted wholly or chiefly 

 to Buzzards Bay, not the Sound, and as a predominantly southern species. - 



J.L.M. 



1752 



Sumner, Francis B., Raymond C. Osburn, and Leon J. Cole. 1913. 



A Biological Survey of the Waters of Woods Hole and Vicinity. Pt. II. Sect. 

 III. A catalogue of the marine fauna. U.S. Dept. Commerce and Labor, Bu. 

 Fish., Bull. 31(1911): 547-794. 



Family Veneridae, Venus meroenaria Linnaeus. Quahog, round clam, hard clam, 

 little neck clam. A partial synonymy is included. Littoral distribution 

 general throughout the region. Abundant in sand or mud, just below low-tide 

 level, especially in harbors, estuaries or other sheltered places, where it is 

 also taken at depths of several fathoms. Shells, and occasionally living 

 specimens, dredged by the Survey throughout the length of Buzzards Bay; much 

 less frequent in Vineyard Sound. Shells recorded from depths of 2 to 13 fath, 

 most frequently in mixtures of mud and sand; living specimens taken in depths 

 as great as 6 fath. A long list of stations is given, with details of 

 collections made. The extensive bibliography contains a number of papers 

 which may contain references to hard clam, although none does specifically in 

 the title. - J.L.M. 



484 



