VENUS., 



TESTA sequivalvis, inaequilateralis, siibglobosa 

 vel subovalis, extiis pJerumque rugosa, non- 

 nun quam lae vis ; margine clausa; dentibus, in 

 utraque valv^a, plenimque tribus cardinalibus 

 ab unibone divaricatis ; impressionibiis muscu- 

 laribus diiabus lateralibus, distantibus ; impres- 

 stone musculari pallii sinii mediocri ; ligamento 

 externo, nonnunquam fer^ occultato. 



The beautiful Genus of Bivalves to which Linne gave the 

 appropriate name of the Goddess of the Sea and of beauty, 

 typical of their origin and of their elegant form and 

 colouring has been deprived of many of its brightest 

 ornaments by the unsparing hand of later writers, who 

 have been induced to separate from it* Cytherea, Pullas- 

 tra, Megadesma, Astarte, and others^ and it is probable 

 that a more intimate acquaintance with their animals 

 than we at present possess, would demonstrate the neces- 

 sity of a further division. The differences, however, 

 which we observe in the shells, are not of sufficient 

 importance to authorize us to make any further separa- 

 tions. We can only endeavour to point out such divisions 



* It is remarkable that the Conchologists who are not distinguished for 

 scientific research, and who are so addicted to the Linnean System that they can 

 give none other a fair trial, complain of the number of Genera established by 

 Brugui^re, Lamarck, Cuvier, &e. ; they are perhaps not aware that Linn6 

 liimself was in his time celebrated as a needless innovator, too fond of creating 

 new Genera, i. e. genus making. These poor people know not what they talk 

 about; the truth is that it is the exclusive province of Him who created us to 

 create Genera, and Naturalists can only describe and point out their charac- 

 teristics. 



