CYPRINA. 



TESTA aequivalvis, inaequilateralis, obliqu^ cor- 

 data; umbonibus oblique curvis; dentibus 

 tribus in utraque valva eardinalibus, basi 

 approximatis, superne subdivaricatis ; dente 

 laterali a cardine remoto, postico. Impressiones 

 muscidares in utraque valva duse, laterales, dis- 

 tantes. Impressio museularis pallii integra. 

 Ligameutiim externum, partim in sinu marginali 

 postico, immersum. Epidermis cornea, crassa, 

 olivacea. 



A Genus of bivalves separated by Lamark from the Lin- 

 nean Venus, and closely resembling many species of that 

 genus in general appearance and form. Lamarck seems 

 to think it scarcely sufficiently distinguished as a genus^ 

 we are of opinion, on the contrary, that its characters 

 are well marked. Seven fossil species and one recent are 

 described by him, but we possess three recent species. 

 British Naturalists will be surprised when we assert, from 

 an intimate acquaintance with the Linnean Venus Islan- 

 dica from the coast of Iceland, that our common species 

 generally known by that appellation is perfectly distinct, 

 and must henceforward be distinguished by another name. 



All the recent Cyprinse belong to the Northern hemis- 

 phere, at least as far as we know, for we have never 

 seen or heard of any having been brought from the 

 Southern ; they seem to be peculiar to the cold, icy climates 

 of Nevvfoundland and Iceland : one species alone occurs 

 on the coast of Britain and the other shores of northern 



