PLATE CXXIV. 



bestow on Dr. W. G. Maton, vice-president of the Linnaean Society, 

 a gentleman to whom the science of Natural History generally, and 

 that of Conchology in particular, is known to lie under considerable 

 obligations, and precisely the same motive inclines us in the present 

 inistance to commemorate the name of his very worthy friend, the 

 Rev. Thomas Rackett, F. R. S. L. S. &c. in a similar manner. The 

 names of Dr. Maton and Mr. Rackett are associated together as 

 the well known coadjutors in the authorship of a very valuable 

 paper on the subject of British Conchology inserted in the eighth 

 volume of the Transactions of the Linnaean Society ; it would there- 

 fore be injustice, to have distinguished one of its writers, without 

 awarding an equal testimony of our respect towards the other ; and 

 this especially, since both, we are persuaded, have deserved equally 

 well in the completion of those conchological observations that have 

 appeared under their names conjointly. 



The shell denominated Ostrea Matonii, although perfectly dis- 

 tinct from any species found in the British, or even European seas, 

 bears a distant resemblance in certain particular characters to 

 several of the British species : the same may be said precisely of 

 the shell now before us, and which, as well as the former, is a native 

 of the Australasian seas; it is for this reason, as in the preceding 

 instanee, that the species is selected, the shells of the British Isles 

 having been the peculiar objects of investigation in the conchological 

 paper referred to. Our present shell is undoubtedly an interesting 

 addition to the cabinet of the European naturalist, and persuaded as 

 we are that it has not been before described, we shall venture to 

 announce it as a new discovery, under the name of Cardium 

 Rackcttii. 



