7 1 
of the North of Ireland . 
[Venus verrucosa, Linne. 
“Mr. Hyndman’ s cabinet contains a young shell (V. cancellated) given him 
as from Magilligan ’ 5 — Thompson; much too slender evidence on which to 
establish a claim for its admission to our fauna. Its distribution in Ireland is 
confined to the south and west.] 
Venus ovata, Pennant. 
The dredgings of Hyndman and Dickie show that this pretty little shell is 
one of the most generally distributed of all our bivalve mollusks, as it occurred 
in almost every haul, generally alive, in from 4 to 90 fathoms. In Strangford 
Lough it lives in great abundance, and it is one of the very few species which 
Hyndman found living in Larne Lough. “A rather common species” — 
Thompson ( Cytherea ovata). 
Venus gallina, Linne. 
A common species. “Found alive from low- water mark to 8 and 10 
fathoms on the North and North-East sandy coasts. Thrown ashore on the 
sandy beach of Magilligan in quantity and of large size ’’—Thompson. The 
V. Pennantii mentioned by this author belongs to the present species. Hynd- 
man and Dickie found that it lives in from 0 to 25 fathoms in all the waters 
explored ( sub V. striatula). The V. striolata in Dickie’s paper is apparently a 
misprint for V. striatula. 
Tapes aureus, Gmelin. 
Quoting from an older authority, Thompson says of this species “ ‘ Carriek- 
fergus Bay (Dr. M ‘Donnell) rare,’ Brown,” and under Turton’s name of 
Venus cenea , gives Strangford Lough as a locality where he has taken it alive. 
Hyndman states (1857 Beport) that it is common, living on sandy beaches 
between tide-marks, but it does not appear to be by any means of such fre- 
quent occurrence as would appear from this remark. Dickie dredged dead 
valves in Strangford Lough, and Hyndman on the Turbot Bank. Mr. Swans- 
ton informs me that it is abundant in Lough Swilly, in Co. Donegal, and 
Miss Bichardson has sent me complete and fresh specimens from Portrush. 
Tapes virg-ineus, Linnd. 
This handsome shell is of very common occurrence, in sandy and nullipore 
ground, in 4 to 90 fathoms all round our shores. 
var. Sarniensis. “ Yar. V. Sarniensis , Turt. Brit. Biv., is taken in Belfast 
Bay’ Thompson (sub Pullastra virginecd). “ Donaghadee, in 8 fathoms 
(Patterson) ’ ’—Forbes and Hanley. ‘ ‘ Living, rare, off Bangor ’ ’ —Hyndman. 
var. elongata. “ Larne, Co. Antrim (Hyndman)”— Jeffreys. Belfast Lough 
— Belf. Mus. Coll. 
Tapes pullastra, Montagu. 
Abundant, living between tide-marks. “A common species on sandy 
beaches ” — Thompson (sub Pullastra vulgaris). Dickie records it living in the 
unusual depth of 7-20 fathoms in Castle Ward Bay, Strangford Lough. 
Some valves from Belfast Lough are of unusual size — 2$ inches broad. 
