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Show 1881.J 'LIGHTNING'AND'PORCUPINE'EXPEDITIONS. 717 DistriBution. S. England, Bristol Channel, E.,W., andS. Ireland, Atlantic coasts of France and Spain, Mogador, throughout the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Adriatic, Madeira, Canaries; 0-20 fms. Fossil. Miocene: Vienna Basin. Pliocene: Coralline and Red Crag, S. France, Italy, Morea. Post-tertiary: Calabria, Rhodes. On consideration I must include this genus in the Venus family, although its position is not quite satisfactory. It is in some respects allied to Tapes, and in others to Saxicava. 1. TAPES VIRGINEUS, Linne. Venus virginea, L. S. N. p. 1136 (according to modern authors). Tapes virgineus, B. C. ii. p. 352, pi. vi. f. 5 ; v. p. 185, pi. xxxix. f. 5. 'Porcupine' Exp. 1869 : St. Donegal B., Lough Swilly, L. Foyle. Atl. Vigo B., C. Sagres, Tangier B. ; Med. Capo de Gata (var. sar-niensis), 55, 58. Distribution. Finmark and Faroe Is. to E. Mediterranean and Adriatic; 0-180 fms. Fossil. Miocene: Prussia, Vienna Basin, Transylvania, Switzerland, Turin, Calabria, Lisbon, Bordeaux Basin, Madeira (as T. hoer-nesi) 1 Upper Tertiaries and Post-tertiary: Scandinavia, British Isles, Italy, Greece, Rhodes; 0-50 ft. I have collated no less than twenty-two synonyms. The very young are not unlike those of Venus chione. 2. TAPES GEOGRAPHICUS, Chemnitz. Venus geographica, Chemn. Conch. Cab. vii. p. 45, t. 42. f. 440. Tapespullastra, B. C. ii. p. 355 ; v. p. 185, pi. xxxix. f. 6. 'Porcupine' Exp. 1869 : St. Donegal B. 1870 : Med. 50, 50 a. Distribution. Finmark to Alexandria, Adriatic, Mogador, Cape of Good Hope, Japan; 0-45 fms. Fossil. Upper Tertiaries and Post-tertiary: Scandinavia, British Isles, Mewe near Konigsberg, Italy; 0-1360 ft. More than a dozen synonyms, including Venus pullastra of Montagu. Since the publication of my last volume of 'British Conchology,' I have examined many hundred specimens of the southern form, T. geographicus, from the Mediterranean and Adriatic; and my former opinion (vol. ii. p. 359) of its being the same species as the northern form, T. pullastra, has been most fully and satisfactorily confirmed. There is not the slightest difference, except in size, between specimens from the north and south of Europe. But inasmuch as Chemnitz's name geographicus is far older than that of Montagu, I have no alternative but to substitute the former name for pullastra. It is possible that this species may be partly the Venus literata of Linne, who gave Europe as well as India as the habitat, and cited the ' Fauna Suecica' and Gualter's figure of T. geographicus. |