Pvn H,i I'UitlS

354 VENERID2E.
Bushbury Hill near Wolverhampton (Rev. W. Lister)
and Great Yarmouth (Rose) to the Coralline Crag. The
variety
Sarniensis has been found in the Channel Isles
and south of England, on the Irish coasts, and at Loeh
Carron and Lerwick, with the usual form. Yar. 2.
BantryBay, west coast of Scotland, and Lerwick (J. G.J.) ;
Larne, co. Antrim (Hyndman). Its extra-British dis-
tribution includes Upper Norway (10-30 fathoms) and
the Lusitanian coasts, Mediterranean and iEgean (shore
to 30 fathoms) ; it appears to be more a southern than
northern species.
The elegant shape of this shell and its bright and
variegated (often particoloured) painting help to redeem
a collection of our native Testacea from the common
opprobrium that they are poor and dingy compared with
foreign shells. Not in their form alone, but
. . . . "in the effusive warmth
Of colour mingling with a random blaze.
Doth beauty dwell."
Specimens are found of larger dimensions than those
above described. I have one 2 inches long by 2| inches
broad. The fry are square and perfectly smooth. Dis-
tortions are not common, unless the variety Sarniensis
may be so regarded.
In one specimen of this sort the
right valve has an obscure and broad furrow running
from the beak in the direction of the front margin.
Philippi states that the animal is eaten at Naples and
in Sicily, and is called by the lazzaroni " vongola.^
T. virgineus is oblong, and T. aureus triangular. The
present species is also distinguishable by the ribs being
partly obliterated.
Although it is most unlikely
that this can be the
Venus viryinea of Linne (described as resembling V.
decussata, but more round and inhabiting India), it has