59 
INOCERAMUS Cuvieri. 
TAB. CCCCXIA—Jig. 1. 
Spec. Char. Obovate, curved, convex, with 
transverse, distant, obtuse waves ; posterior 
side concave, with a small lobe near the 
beak ; beaks very short, acute. 
Syn. Inoceramus Cuvieri. Linn. Trans, v. 
XIII. p. 457. Mantell GeoL Sussex , 213? 
Catillus Cuvieri, Cuvier and JBrogniart GeoL 
de Paris , ed . 1822. p. 386. 
This gigantic species of Inoceramus is the first that 
has been defined ; it is supposed to acquire, sometimes, 
four or five feet in length ; it is very irregular in form, 
but is generally one third longer than wide, and not 
very deep ; it is curved towards the posterior side, in 
which is a small, rounded, nearly smooth lobe ; the 
beaks are not all raised from the hinge, so they cannot 
be called reflexed or curved, but they are sharp. The 
edges of the laminae composing the shell, or lines of 
growth, are placed at regular distances ; between them 
the surface is smooth ; it has a long hinge line. 
It is extremely difficult to distinguish the species of 
the Genus before us ; they are not merely variable in form, 
but so brittle, that fragments only are commonly found. 
The general flatness, and nearly circular disposition of 
the lines of growth will, however, go far towards point- 
ing out the present species ; the small posterior lobe, 
and short depressed beaks complete its characters. In 
consequence of the posterior lobe not being mentioned, 
and of some other differences in the specific character 
