62 



Me young naturalist. 



[ApeiL 



and added an occasional Pecten and Top-shell, your list is well-nigh ex- 

 hausted." A year of diligent personal search and enquiry has served 

 to add but little to the foregoing, and my knowledge of the mollusca 

 of the coast of Cumberland now stands as follows : the arrangement of 

 Jeffrey's British Conchology being adopted. 



1. Oyster ( Ostrea edulis, L.) About 20 years ago a bed of oysters 

 was discovered off Maryport, and for a time was threatened with total 

 extermination through the ruthless treatment of the fishermen. Speci- 

 mens were submitted by Mr. W. Hodgson, A.L.S., to the late Frank 

 Buckland, who came down to inspect the locality. He pronounced the 

 oysters fairly good and worth cultivating. His housekeeper appears 

 to have relished them, for Mr. Buckland gave instructions that if any 

 further consignment of edible molluscs or fish were sent to him they 

 should be labelled "Poison" to prevent their being eaten during his 

 absence from home. 



2. Escalop (Pecten varius, L.J Odd valves of this shell are occa- 

 sionally met with along the coast, but I have never seen or heard of 

 the living animal in Cumberland. (See note at the end). 



3. Mussel (Mytihis edulis, L.) Near the railway bridge across 

 the Solway, connecting Bowness with Annan there is a famous bed of 

 these bivalves, and the visitor to Port Carlisle or Bowness can obtain 

 as many shells as he pleases, in good condition, during a stroll from one 

 place to the other. The shells are also to be found at Silloth and else- 

 where along the coast, thus indicating the presence of other beds than 

 that mentioned. I believe one or two varieties also occur, probably var. 

 pellucida (Penn.), if no others. 



4. Cockle (Cardium edide, L.) This shell is met with at intervals 

 all along the coast, but I am at present ignorant of its distribution in a 

 living condition. A second species ( C. norvegicum, Speng.J is also 

 found, but at present I have too little information respecting it to allow 

 of a definite statement being ventured. 



5. Tellina. The pretty pink, white, and rosy-hued shells found 

 on almost all our shores are well-known. They abound among the 

 mussels in the Solway, and are the favourite food of certain sea-fowls, 

 but at present I am unable to say definitely how many species are 

 represented. From the imperfect materials at present under examin- 

 ation I conclude that there may be at least three, viz.: T. balthica, L., 

 JT. teuius, Da C, and T. squalida, Pult. 



