COXCHIFERA. 



251 



visible at the surface, the person lying in wait for it 

 snatches hastily at it, and if he succeeds in grasping it 

 firmly, makes good his capture ; should he, however, fail, 

 and the animal escape by gaining its retreat again, the 

 application of more salt produces no farther effect, either 

 from the mollusc not being sensible to the additional irrita- 

 tion, or perhaps from the instinct of self-preservation 

 causing it to suffer the inconvenience in preference to 

 running the risk of capture : in this case, the only method 

 of securing it is to dig it out of the sand with a spade or 

 other instrument. 



Forbes remarks that S. marginatus is amongst the most 

 delicious of shell fish, and that broiling is the best method 

 of preparing them. Besides the above British species, S. 

 ensis, legumen, and pellucidus are extremely elegant shells. 

 Other species come from America, India, &c, some of 

 them very beautiful. 



Philippi includes as sub-genera Vagina Muhlf., Cultellus 

 Schum., Siliqua Muhlf., and Macha Ohen. 



Psammosolen. Bisso. (Solecurtus Desk.) — Shell 

 equivalve, ovately oblong, transverse, gaping at both 



Psammosolen radiata. 



ends, and even on the ligamental side, and having the 

 external surface covered with fine undulating lines ; two 

 cardinal teeth in one valve, and one, rarely two, in the 



