Pvn H,i I'UitlS

198 KELLIIDiE.
ing another lively specimen, which, he
"
adds, on being
placed in water, at once unfurled its ]ong and beautiful
fringes, and exserted the ample niveous mantle and foot.
This is certainly the prince of British bivalves; the
snow-white colour of both animal and shell sheds over
this interesting creature the inexpressible charms of
purity and elegance. "
I can fully sympathize with the
enthusiasm of my old friend, although I have not been
equally fortunate in seeing the paragon he has so well
described. But I hope some of my readers will endeavour
to realize the truth of his description by their own
experience ;
best of poets says,
and it will be more satisfactory, for,
" Beauty itself does of itself persuade
The eyes of men without an orator."
as our
Dr. Leach has named this species Eupoleme cancellata.
2. L. ni'tidum *j Turton.
L. nitidum, Turt. Conch. Dith. p. 63. Kellia nitida, F. & H. ii. p. 92.
pi. xxxvi. f. 3, 4, and (L. nitidum) App. iv. p. 255.
Body clear white and gelatinous : mantle having its edges
protruded beyond the shell as far in proportion as in L. squa-
it is closely fringed with cirrous filaments, which are
mosum ;
more developed in front than behind, each of them bein^
studded at the point with four or five white cilia, so sharp and
minute as to require a high power to see them, and that only
in certain : lights tube formed by a fold or
projection of the
mantle at the anterior end, being contrary to the position of this
organ in the last species : foot pale azure, marked with intense,
but irregular flake-white minute blotches ; each end from the
pedicle or stalk is of equal length and finely pointed. (Clark.)
Shell subrhomboid-oval, somewhat compressed, not very
thin, semitransparent, and glossy: sculpture, a few minute pitmarks
near the beaks, which are only perceptible by the aid
of a high magnifying power, besides faint and irregular con-
centric striae which traverse the whole surface, and are visible
* Shining.