Shell more or less irregular, sub-trigonal, striated or radiated, equivalve, inequilateral, the anterior side shorter and rounded, the posterior sub-truncated; summits well marked; hinge sub-regular, more or less dissimilar, formed by slender, narrow, cardinal teeth, variable in number on each valve, sometimes two on the right and three on the left, and sometimes three on both; these teeth are small, contiguous, parallel, and but little, if at all, divergent exterior; very weak.
Venerirupis perforans. V. nucleus. V. irus. V. exotica. V. distans. V. crenata. V. carditoides.
_V. perforans._ The perforating Venerirupis.
Sub-rhombic, transversely striated, wrinkled on the anterior side; exterior brown, interior white, sometimes tinged with purple.
_V. irus._ The foliated Venerirupis. Pl. 7, fig. 2.
Species longitudinally striated; cardinal teeth two, sometimes three on the right and three on the left.
This family is divided into N. Solenaria and N. Tellinaria, from their resemblance to the Solen and the Tellina.
This genus may be distinguished from the Solen by never having the transverse oblong shape, or the edge of the valves parallel to the base.
Sanguinolaria occidens. S. rosea. S. livida. S. rugosa.
Semi-orbicular, smooth, shining and convex; near the umbones of a beautiful rose colour, which becomes paler as it descends; acute transverse striæ.
_S. occidens._ The setting-sun Sanguinolaria. Pl. 7, fig. 4.
Oval, a little elongated, very compressed, slightly gaping, valves elliptical, equally rounded at the two extremities, without mark of posterior keel; summits slightly indicated; hinge formed by one or two contiguous cardinal teeth on each valve; ligament projecting, convex; margins not parallel.
Taken from the Tellina, which it much resembles in form, but from which it differs by not having the irregular plait on the anterior part.
Shell ovate, transverse, slightly gaping; summits projecting; hinge formed by two teeth on one valve, and only one inserted on the other.
Psammobia virgata. P. Ferroensis. P. vespertina. P. florida. P. muculosa. P. cærulescens. P. elongata. P. flavicans. P. squamosa. P. alba. P. Cayennensis. P. lævigata. P. tellinella. P. pulchella. P. aurantia. P. fragilis. P. livida. P. Galathea.