ASTARTE. 



Sowerhy — Min. Conch, pi. 137. Aug. 1816. 



TESTA suborbiculata, plerumque transversa, 

 aequivalvis^ inaequilatera : Cardo, dentibus du- 

 obus validis, divaricatis^ in valva dextra ; altero 

 dente distincto^ altero obsolete in sinistra. Tres 

 impressiones musculares in utraque valva ; duae, 

 laterales, oblongse^ simplices ; tertia minutissima, 

 postica. Ligamentum externum. 



Though one of the species of this very distinct Genus ha§ 

 already been described by Lamarck, under the Generic 

 name Crassina, and although we should, gladly, rather have 

 adopted that name, than the one we have here chosen, as 

 being at least somewhat expressive ; yet, in conformity to 

 an established rule, from which it would be improper to 

 depart, we are obliged to use Aslarte^ because it has been 

 applied to several other species of the same Genus, several 

 years before the publication of that volume of Lamarck's 

 Histoire naturelle des animaux sans vertebres, in which 

 he gives his Crassina. Still we think that the author of the 

 Genus Astarte has extended its application to some species 

 which do not properly belong to it, such as the Venus 

 Paphia and V.fasciata, both of which have at least three 

 teeth in one valve, and may further be distinguished by 

 having a sinus on the anterior side, close to the anterior 

 .muscular impression, in the line to which the mantle of the 



i animal is attached, which sinus is not observable in A. 



I Danmoniensis^ Scotica and other true Astartce : we further 

 presume to think, that by paying a strict attention to the 

 characters we have here given, all misapprehension upon 

 this subject may be avoided. Shell suborbicular, generally 

 transverse, equivalve, inaequilateral ; hinge with two dis- 

 tinct, divaricated teeth in the right hand valve; in the 

 other, one distinct tooth, and another which is small and 

 very obsolete ; in this valve there is also a very indistinct 

 lateral tooth. Two ovate or oblong, distant, lateral, 

 pimple, muscular impressions are observable in each valve ; 



