so 
LETTERS RELATING TO PHOLAS. 
The letters are interesting in themselves, having been written by 
a learned and distinguished man, commenting upon the then modern 
tendency among scientific authorities to modify or depart from the 
Linnsean system. These letters were written to my grandmother, 
afterwards Lady Walsingham. 
LETTER I. 
My dear Madam. 
That I acknowledge the receipt of your very kind 
and interesting present so long after its arrival, would perhaps 
require an apology, did I not feel convinced that a truly 
concliological esprit de corps will plead my excuse, when I assure 
you that a desire to obtain a more satisfactory opinion than my own 
has been the cause of my delay. 
The result of my own opinion and that of an intelligent 
conchologist, to whose inspection the valuable novelty has been 
submitted is, that unless it be a most extraordinary variety of 
Pholas Candida, it is an hitherto unknown shell, though to that 
species its single accesory valve and its general form appear to bring 
it near. Still we coincide in determining, that it must be considered, 
as an elegant addition to British conchology. Were I to name it 
I should think the specific appelation of “ costulata ” not improper, 
as it is ribbed from one extremity to the other, but the Oriental 
species having preoccupied the title of “coslata” and these ribs 
being certainly more delicate and less strongly marked it may 
modestly be contented with being designated by the name of 
“ Pholas with the little ribs.” The principle character however 
of your really most acceptable present is, the closeness of the 
latitudinal lines (conchologically speaking) which decussate the ribs, 
and I make no doubt but you have observed the strongly imbricated 
appearance which this decussation produces. My friend an ardent 
naturalist and as such overlooking such trifles as reasonableness 
bienseance and delicacy, expresses a sanguine hope “ that I shall 
obtain more specimens of this little beauty,” with the same 
thoughtfulness he would perhaps expect me to obtain half-a-dozen 
companions to the Pitt diamond. Should it however happen that 
any brothers or sisters of this little beauty be found alive, or nearly 
