418 Bulletin American Museum of Natural History [Vol. LIT 
Length, 77.5 mm.; height, 39.0 mm.; diameter, 27.0 mm. Faradje. 
Geena) 39.0 ‘ 22.0 is 
seal a ca ae 5 28.5 Aba. 
SOO) c 34.0 “ 20.0 a 
sea 3 6 yee ae 6, 20.0 Avakubi. 
Pl OOo ‘34.0 . 19.0 of 
This species belongs to a group of medium-sized, oblong Aspathariz 
having rather dull nacre and divaricate beak sculpture, only rarely 
preserved in the adult stage on account of the erosion of this part. Usually 
there is a sculpture of rays composed of minute, festooned riblets in the 
median part of the valves. This group of very closely allied forms 
extends from West Africa—A. droweti (Chaper), Assinie—through the 
Congo basin to East Africa—A. divaricata (v. Martens), in the Lake 
Victoria region, and various forms in and about Lake Nyasa. The 
discrimination of species in this series is a perilous adventure. 
Aspatharia flava, new species 
Plate XLIII, Figures 3 and 3a; Plate XLIV, Figures 2 and 2a 
Medje, type locality; Aba; Faradje (Lang and Chapin Coll.). A 
specimen of this species was attached to a native anklet at Medje. 
The shell is solid, ovate, rather inflated, highest near the middle; beaks about 
at the anterior fourth of the length. The dorsal margin is somewhat arched, the 
beaks rather prominent but deeply eroded; basal margin weakly convex; anterior 
end broadly rounded; posterior end obliquely truncate, produced and rounded below. 
The posterior ridge is broadly rounded, the slope above it somewhat concave, having 
one (or several) very low cords radiating to the end, and near the beaks some short 
corrugations diverging backward and dorsad from the ridge. The surface has a 
varnish-like gloss and is rather weakly and irregularly marked with growth-wrinkles, 
the middle and forward half marked with very weakly raised rays. Color, from 
mustard yellow to old gold, more or less stained with burnt sienna. The interior is 
light pinkish cinnamon with some olivaceous spots and stains. The cavities of the 
beaks are unusually deep for this genus, the visceral muscle impressions not readily 
visible, being on the overhanging hinge plate. Length of the hinge from beaks to 
sinulus contained 2.6 to 2.7 times in the length. Posterior end of the hinge plate 
abruptly truncate by the deep, triangular sinulus. The muscle impressions are 
moderately impressed. Foot retractor impression small, separate. 
Length, 74.0 mm.; height, 46.0 mm.; diameter, 30.0 mm. Type. Medje. 
oan) 82.0 ‘ 29.0 Paratype. Medje. 
eee OZ. Vi icesone s 26.0 Aba. 
This form appears to resemble A. stuhlmanni var. comoensis (or 
comoeensis) (Germain) in general shape, color and solidity, but it differs 
by having the beaksmuch nearer the anterior end of the shell than in 
that form of the Ivory Coast. The height and diameter of the present 
Species are also somewhat greater in shells of the same length. 
