REPORT ON THE ACTTNIARIA. 61 



ponent part of an Ophiodiscus f From the structure of the organ we may assume one 

 thing, that it belongs to a Ccolcnterate, as it shows the three body layers which charac- 

 fcerise these animals ; the presence of cells in the supporting lamella makes it still more 

 probable that it belongs to an Actinia. There is therefore nothing in the structure 

 which goes against this view, but what is greatly in favour of it is the fact that the 

 pseudo-tentacle and the Actinia were found in the same envelope, not accidentally, but 

 because they belong to one another. 



In fact there are descriptions published of Actiniae which bear richly branched bush- 

 shaped appendages as well as tentacles. Such, for example, is Lebrunia, found by 

 Duchassaing and Michelotti in the Antilles (Memoire sur les Coralliaires des Antilles, 

 Memorie della R. Accademia cli Torino, ser. ii. t. xix. p. 324, pi. vii. fig. 8). The only 

 species of the genus, Lebrunia neglecta, bears outside the corona of long simple tentacles 

 five composite tentacles, which spring from the wall, and dichotomise till they run out into 

 numerous terminal branches. The general habit of body of the four Actinias examined by 

 me also recalled Lebrunia, inasmuch, as appears from Duchassaing's plates, the tentacles 

 also spring from the outermost margin of the disk and hang down like hair over the wall. 



I endeavoured to find remains of pseudo-tentacular appendages on the walls of the four 

 specimens, but my attempts were unsuccessful, which is not to be wondered at considering 

 the injuries which the animals have suffered, and that if these occasioned the loss of the 

 stronger tentacles, it is likely that the very delicate pseudo-tentacles have been completely 

 destroyed. Whether Ophiodiscus be related to Lebrunia, and might even be placed with 

 it in a common genus, or whether they have absolutely nothing in common, remains 

 therefore an open question. If the drawing given by Duchassaing of the branched pseudo- 

 tentacles be true to nature, they differ so widely from the pseudo-tentacle described above, 

 that it would be advisable at least to separate the species. 



Ophiodiscus sulcatum, n. sp. (PI. III. fig. 8). 



Wall smooth ; oral disk covered with numerous radial, deeply sunk furrows ; body 

 discoid. 



Habitat.— Station 300. December 17, 1875. Lat. 33° 42' S., long. 78° IS' W. 

 Depth, 1375 fathoms. One specimen. 



Dimensions. — Diameter of the oral disk, 9 cm. 



In fig. 8 of Plate III. I have endeavoured to reconstruct an Actinia, which was 

 so completely tattered that a superficial examination could hardly recognise an Actinia in 

 the whitish mass. I succeeded by careful apposition of the parts in restoring the whole of 

 one half and the greater part of the other half ; I also discovered the oesophageal grooves, 

 and in this way, determined the sagittal plane, so that I bebeve the drawing accurately 

 reproduces the essential points of the animal's habit of body. In preparing the drawing 

 I copied the one half, extending from one oesophageal groove to the other, as accurately 



