246 VFNUS. 
and the margin for the reception of the cartilage; the other 
two short, the middle one the longest: length half an inch; 
breadth something more. 
In the Firth of Forth : very rare. 
30. Venus subrhomboidea. Rhombic Venus. 
Montagu , pi. 28. f. 2. 
Shell somewhat rhombic, rounded at one end and trun¬ 
cate at the other, irregularly wrinkled transversely, espe¬ 
cially towards the margin where the wrinkles are prominent 
but oVuse, and crossed by fine close-set longitudinal lines : 
color white, with a rufous tinge at the truncate side; inside 
white, purplish where the rufous tinge is on the outside, 
with a plain margin : beaks small, nearly central, inclining 
to one side: hinge with two strong plain teeth in each valve, 
one of them very oblique; behind these the margin projects 
inwards, and then folding hack forms a smooth-reflexure, 
and a cavity between it and the outer edge of the shell be¬ 
hind the beaks for the connecting cartilage: length half an 
inch; breadth three-quarters. 
It much resembles the Donax Inis; hut that shell is 
always furnished with two cloventeethin each valve,be$ides 
a plain tooth in one of them : and the transverse ridges in 
this are more obtuse and not so laminar. 
Firth of Forth : very rare. 
31. Venus virginea. Maiden Venus. 
Lister , pi. 403. f. 24/, and pi. 404. f. 248— Pennant , 
pi. 5S. f. 5— Linn. Trans, viii. pi. 2. f. 8— Dorset Cat. pi. 13. 
f. 1. ’ 
Shell rhombic oval, much produced at the cartilage side 
and rounded at both, with numerous regular concentric 
somewhat imbricate strife, interrupted by a few antiquated 
furrows : color glossy yellowish-white or pale reddish- 
brown, sometimes plain, but mostly variegated and marbled 
with rosy or rich purple, sometimes streaked or spotted, 
and sometimes with broad oblique purple longitudinal rays, 
rarely pale rosy with two or three white rays ; inside white, 
with often a rosy tinge about the hinge, the margin plain 
and obtuse : beaks near one end, a little turned to the 
shorter side, with a long and narrow impression under 
them: 
