THE SNAKE-LOCKED ANEMONE. 107 



and is especially abundant on a sandy bottom in the laminarian zone, where 

 it appears to be nearly or quite free, since it is washed ashore by hundreds 

 after a gale. 



Variety. 



The only distinctly marked variety that I have noticed besides those 

 diversities of the general tint that I include in 



o. Aleurops* — the mealy-faced condition above described, — ia 

 P. Melanop&;\ which has a broad well-defined band of deep black, 

 crossing the disk and tentacles ; just as if a dash of ink had been struck 

 across the whole flower ; including in its breadth three or four tentacles 

 of each row on each side. The band crosses at right-angles to the line of 

 the mouth ; the gonidial radii of which are white. 



Sagartia viduata is somewhat liable to be confounded 

 with troglodytes ; and some varieties of the latter approach 

 it very nearly, especially when closed. But an experienced 

 eye will seldom be deceived ; the tint of viduata is a warmer 

 brown, generally mealy, or speckled ; that of troglodytes 

 tends to drab, smoky brown, or olive, and is not speckled : 

 the stripes of troglodytes, when present, are closer, generally 

 narrower, and rarely extend far from the base ; the suckers, 

 too, which are so obvious and so constantly used in troglo- 

 dytes, are inconspicuous in viduata, and rarely used for 

 attachment. Then, when expanded, the peculiar pattern 

 of each disk respectively does not merge into the other, 

 though in troglodytes it is apt to become evanescent : the 

 tentacles in this latter very rarely show obscure lateral 

 lines; in viduata these marks are constant and conspicuous: 

 the more slender form of these organs, and their tendency 

 to assume irregular curves, in viduata, are also a very good 

 distinction. 



I have no hesitation in identifying the species which we 

 get so abundantly in Torbay, and which I have described 

 above, with Mr. Price's anguicoma ; though that gentleman 

 has not noticed the characteristic tentacle-lines. Its re- 



* "AAevpov, meal ; oty, the face. t MeAas, black ; aty, the face. 



