ACTINIA PARASITICA. 163 



Mr. Gosse says* that in form the thread is a flat narrow ribbon. 

 I have never seen it in an attitude which gave me an impression of 

 flatness. To my eye, it was usually cylindrical with a heart-shaped 

 transverse section, and a cleft running along it longitudinally, and 

 so I prefer to draw it. The attitude of the thread (fig. 2), indeed, 

 gives, as I have said, the effect of a coiled up ribbon. 



I must, in conclusion, apologise for the unscientific character of the 

 language employed in this communication. I know how unsatisfactory 

 this must be to scientific readers, but I have thought it best not to 

 affect to adopt phrases or attempt a style with the use of which, per- 

 sonally, I am hardly if at all familiar. 



DESCRIPTION OF PLATE X. 



Fig. 1. — Transverse diagrammatic imaginary section of nrticating thread 

 (acontia) of Actinia parasitica X 100. 



Fig. 2. — Favourite attitude of same thread X 40. There is a regular set 

 of particles along the screw line. 



Fig. 3. — Annelid (or Turbellaria ?) entangled in capsules and viscous 

 fluid, discharged from thread (see text), X 8 j size of capsules 

 exaggerated. 



Fig. 4. — Annelid (or Turbellaria ?), with soft molluscous-like tail, des- 

 troyed by thread (see text), X 16. 



Fig. 5. — Nereida (?), destroyed by thread (see text), X 2\. 



Fig. 6.— Head of ditto, X 10. 



Fig. 7. — Unknown organism unaffected by thread, X 3. 



Fig. 8. — Nereis (?) found in whelk shell with Hermit Crab and A. 

 parasitica, X \. 



* <( 



Actinologia Brit.," p. xxv. 



