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Show 1879.] 'LIGHTNING' A N D 'PORCUPINE' EXPEDITIONS. 565 lenger ' Exp. (W. Patagonia and off Japan); 10-775 fms. Herr Friele informs me that by sinking a dredge in Osterfiord, almost perpendicularly, to the depth of 350 fathoms, he has brought up this grand and beautiful species, with also living specimens of Mytilus edulis and Littorina rudis, and that L. excavata attaches itself by a strong byssus to rocks close to the shore. Fossil. Pliocene and Post-tertiary. Norway, Altavilla?, and Sicily. Apparently L. solida of Calcara. Family V. AVICULID^E. A V I C U L A H I R U N D O , Linne. Mytilus hirundo, L. S. N. p. 1159. A. hirundo, B. C. ii. p. 95 ; v. p. 170, pi. xxv. f. 6. 'Porcupine' Exp. 1870: Atl., St. 10, 13, off C. Sagres, 27, 28, 28a, 36, Tangier B.; Med. off Jijeli, Rasel Amoush. Distribution. Southern coasts of England to the Adriatic and iEgean, Madeira, Canaries, Azores ; 0-205 fms. Fossil. Pliocene. Coralline Crag, S. Italy. One of the two specimens still preserved in the Linnean collection of shells as " 31ytilus hirundo' is certainly the present species. In the ' Systema Naturae' the first reference is to the ' Mus. Ulr. Reg.,' where the description agrees with the European species, although no habitat is given; the second reference is to Lister's ' Hist. Conch.,' who cites D'Argenville for the vernacular name " Dattici," used by the Genoese. Lamarck called the species A. tarentina and A. atlantica, describing the former as " val vis aequalibus," and the latter (more appropriately) as " valvis ineequalibus." PINNA RUDIS, Linne. Pinna rudis, L. S. N. p. 1159 : B. C. ii. p. 99, pi. iii. f. 1, and frontispiece; v. p. 170, pi. xxvi. 'Porcupine' Exp. 1870: Atl., St. 13, Vigo B., off C. Sagres, Gibraltar B., Tangier B.; Med. 50, 50 a, Rasel Amoush. Distribution. Great Britain and Ireland to the Adriatic and Morea, Madeira, Canaries, and Azores ; 0-80 fms. Fossil. Pliocene. Coralline Crag (fragments), Belgium, Italy, and Rhodes. There is no end of synonyms. Poli, Payraudeau, Philippi, and many other conchologists of repute have adopted the Linnean name rudis. The shape and sculpture are extremely variable. Family VI. MYTILID^. 1. M Y T I L U S EDULIS, Linne. 31ytilus edulis, L. S. N. p. 1157: B. C. ii. p. 104, pi. iii. f. 2; v. p. 171, ph xxvii. f. 1. 'Porcupine' Exp. 1870: Atl. St. Vigo B. and Gibraltar B. Valves only. |