Mr. P. H. Gosse on new species of British Actiniae. 281 



Tentacles about eighty in number, set in four rows, of which 

 the inner row contains about six a little more prominent than 

 the rest, and often either perpendicular or bent over the disk ; 

 the others are set so irregularly, that though there is an approxi- 

 mation to a serial arrangement, they can scarcely be distributed 

 into rows, except arbitrarily. The external ones are the smallest. 

 They are moderately thick at the base, tapered to a blunt point, 

 and the longest about equal in length to the diameter of the 

 disk. They are pellucid at the basal moiety, and nearly colour- 

 less ; thence they are tinged with orange or red-lead, faintly at 

 first, but becoming very brilliant at the tips. Under a lens this 

 colour appears to be superficial, and to be composed of minute 

 dust-like powdery specks; but on submitting the tentacles to 

 pressure under a power of 220 diameters, I find that the red 

 pigment is deposited on the interior surface, from which it 

 escapes by the rupture of the walls. The latter are somewhat 

 thin, yellowish, clear, and full of minute thread-cells of the usual 

 form, and about yy q o*^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^ length. 



Disk variegated with dark brown, grayish drab and white; 

 the former two colours arranged irregularly in a minute pattern, 

 the latter forming a circle of opake white spots surrounding the 

 mouth. The angles of the mouth are indicated by a pale band, 

 which passes from each across the disk, in which are conspicuous 

 the ovarian orifices. 



The pattern of the disk is often the same as that of troglodytes, 

 but is never so distinct : in some specimens only the ring of 

 white spots can be seen on a blackish-olive ground ; in others 

 nearly the whole disk is yellowish-white. One specimen (which 

 I take to be a variety of this species) has all the tentacles pure 

 opake white, without any trace of orange, and the disk also 

 white, marked dimly with gray. 



I find it in one of the caverns of St. Catherine's Island, Tenby, 

 where it is common, in company with A. troglodytes j and with 

 the same habits. 



One specimen in my possession produced young freely, ejecting 

 them from the oral aperture four or five at once. They varied 

 in size, from that of a mustard-seed downwards; were very 

 prettily marked, with radiating white bands on a yellowish 

 ground when contracted ; and displayed, when expanded, from 

 twelve to eighteen orange tentacles. 



Actinia venusta. The Orange-disked Anemone. 



Button about - inch in diameter, and the same in height. 

 Flower-like expanse 1 inch wide. 



The button varies from deep buff to rich brown-orange, studded 



