Here, under this low-lying ledge of rock, is another shell, which in
beauty perhaps excels even the gorgeous cockle. It belongs to a genus
pre-eminent for loveliness, to which the name of the Goddess of Love
has been assigned. This is the Banded Venus.[50] The most prominent
and obvious character is that the shell-valves are covered with ribs,
more or less strongly marked, which, instead of running fan-like from
the beaks to the edges, as in the cockles, are concentric, being
parallel with the edges. In this species these ribs are well marked,
about a dozen in number, broad, flat, sharply defined, and nearly
equally distant. They impart to the shell, which is very convex, and
nearly round, an aspect of great strength combined with elegance. The
colours, too, are very ornamental: broad bands of brownish lilac,
varied with warmer tints, widening as they go, radiate from the
beaks to the margins, relieved by a whitish ground. The hues vary
in different individuals; the bands being sometimes rusty brown, or
purple; and the ground yellow, or pale orange; and the contrasts are
in some better marked than in others; but when fresh and unrubbed the
shell is always a beautiful one.
[Illustration: