THE ANNALS 



AND 



I MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



No. 42. APRIL 1841. 



X. — Contributions to British Actinology. By Edward 

 Forbes, M.W.S., For. Sec. B.S., &c. 



1. On Kapnea, a new Helianthoid Polype^, 



In August 1840, I dredged on the east coast of the Isle of 

 Man, about a mile from Douglas Head, a very remarkable 

 and beautiful Zoophyte, of the family Actiniada. It came 

 from a depth of 18 fathoms, and the sea-bottom at the place 

 where it was taken is chiefly Millepora. To a fragment of 

 that coral it was adhering by its expanded base, and when 

 taken its tentacula were retracted. The body presented the 

 appearance of a lengthened cylinder arising from a broad- 

 spreading inflated base, and terminating in a round tentacu- 

 liferous disc, in the centre of which is a circular mouth. The 

 tentacula are very short, and have the aspect of squared tu- 

 bercles. They are arranged in three circles, sixteen in each 

 circle, those of the outermost or marginal row largest. Below 

 the tentacula and surrounding the disc is a granulated caly- 

 cine circle or belt; and a little below it, extending downwards 

 over a portion of the base, the body is invested by a woolly, 

 brown epidermis, which is eight-cleft or lobed at its upper 

 part. The base is somewhat lobed, and usually swelled out 

 with sea-water. The body and base are of a vivid vermilion 

 colour, the latter with darker longitudinal stripes. The ten- 

 tacula are somewhat paler and inclined to orange. They can 

 be drawn within the body, the upper part of which can be 

 retracted as low as the commencement of the epidermis. 

 When fully expanded, this animal was an inch in height by 

 one-fourth of an inch broad at the disc. It is rather an ac- 

 tive creature, changing its form often, but always presenting 

 more or less of a tubular shape, like a chimney-crock or steam- 

 boat funnel. 



The shape of the tentacula and the presence of a regular 

 epidermis are the most remarkable features of this Actinea, 



* Communicated to the Wernerian Society, Jamiary 23, 1841. 

 Ann. ^ Mag. iV. Hist, Vol, vii. G 



