THE C(ELENTERATES 



151 



Bunodes above mentioned may be kept in the aquarium without 

 much trouble. 



All the anemones so far briefly described are quite devoid of 

 any kind of skeleton, the whole body being of a pulpy or leathery 

 consistence, but some of our British species develop an internal 

 calcareous skeleton, consisting of a hollow cylinder of carbonate of 

 lime secreted by the body-wall, and attached to the rock by means 

 of a similar deposit formed in the base, and also, within the 

 cylinder, of a number of thin plates attached to the skeleton of the 

 body-wall and projecting inwards towards the axis, thus resembling, 

 in fact, the skeletons of a number of the tropical corals with which 

 we are familiar. The animals in question are often collectively 

 spoken of as British corals. 



FIG. 100. Bunodes gemmacea, WITH TENTACLES BETBACTED 



One of the finest of these corals is the Devon Cup-Coral (Caryo- 

 phyllia Smithii), figured on Plate II. It may be found in many 

 parts of Devon and Cornwall, attached to the rocks between the 

 tide-marks, often in very exposed places, but is much more abundant 

 in deep water. 



Its skeleton is white or pale pink, and very hard, and is in itself 

 a beautiful object. The animal surrounding this stony structure is 

 of a pale fawn colour, with a white disc relieved by a deep brown 

 circle round the mouth. The tentacles are conical, almost colour- 

 less and transparent, with the exception of the deep-brown warts 

 scattered irregularly over them, and are tipped by rounded white 

 heads. 



Of course a hammer and chisel are necessary for the removal of 



