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Show 1879.] ' L I G H T N I N G ' A N D 'PORCUPINE'EXPEDITIONS. 563 Distribution. Vadsoe to Shetland, and throughout the Mediterranean ; 80-300 fms. Fossil. Pliocene. Sicily, Rhodes. Probably the Lima (Limatula) crassa of Forbes ; but his diagnosis was incomplete and unsatisfactory. He did not even notice the peculiar imbricated sculpture caused by the transverse or concentric striae. Loven not only described his species accurately and with sufficient fulness to ensure identification, but he rightly assigned it to the genus (or rather subgenus) of Bronn, which be characterized by having the hinge-plate denticulated. At Station 26 of the 'Porcupine' Expedition of 1870 occurred a minute oval valve (1 millimetre = -^ of an inch long), which differs from a young L. sarsii of the same size in being more solid, and apparently adult. It is slightly ribbed lengthwise, instead of being imbricated or nodulous; the hinge is not shouldered ; and the hinge-plate is very broad and obtusely triangular, with a proportionally large cartilage-pit. It may be provisionally named L. sub-costata. 2. LIMA ELLIPTICA, Jeffreys. Lima elliptica, B. C. ii. p. 81 ; v. p. 169, pi. xxv. f. 2. ' Lightning ' Exp.: St. 2, 5. 'Porcupine' Exp., 1869: St. 3, 13, 61, the Minch. 1870: Atl. 3, off C. Sagres, 27, 28, 28 a, 36, Tangier B.; Med. Rasel Amoush, Adventure Bank, off Rinaldo's Chair. Distribution. Loffoden I. to the Archipelago, Adriatic, Newfoundland, and N. Japan ; 6-400 fms. Fossil. Pliocene and Post-tertiary. Norway, Coralline Crag, Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Rhodes; 0-100 ft. This may be partly the Ostrea nivea of Brocchi-not the fossil (which has no furrow), but the species noticed by him as recent, and measuring half an inch in length. His fossil and recent species of the same name were evidently different; aud the former only was described and figured. The O. nivea of Renier cannot be recognized ; his work is a mere catalogue of names. L. (Limatula) cuneata of Forbes is described as " auriculis inaequalibus." In the present species, as well as in the next, the ears are quite equal. 3. LIMA SUBOVATA, Jeffreys. (Plate XLV. f. 2.) Lima subovata, Jeffr.. in Ann. & Mag. N. H. Nov. 1876, p. 427. 'Porcupine' Exp. 1869: St. 19, 20, 23, 23a, 47 (var. angus-tior; smaller, oblong, and narrower). 1870 : Med. 55. Distribution. 'Valorous' Exp., 'Challenger' Exp. (off the Azores); Norwegian arctic Exp. 1878; Dutch arctic Exp., Sicily; 16-1450 fms. Arctic specimens are gigantic compared with those from Sicily, being about three quarters of an inch in length. Fossil. Pliocene. Palermo. 36* |