178 ACTINIAD^E. 



titute of spots. The marginal spherules are sometimes 

 large, sometimes minute; now azure, then pearly white. 

 A more marked character is the absence of the coloured 

 line bounding the base; but I am not sure that this is 

 constant. 



I am glad to fortify my own opinion by that of so 

 acute an observer as Mr. Holdsworth. He writes me as 

 follows : — " I have now seen so many connecting links 

 between the typical mesembryantliemum and the fragacea, 

 so called, that I am convinced they are one and the same 

 species ; although I have not arrived at this conclusion 

 without devoting considerable time and attention to the 

 subject." 



Of the supposed species, chiococca, cerasum, and Fors- 

 kalli, for these are assuredly all the same thing, I would 

 speak with some deference, owing to my having never 

 seen the form in its perfect type, though I have no doubt 

 of its identity with the present subject. Sir John Dalyell. 

 though he gave it a specific name, summed up his obser- 

 vations with the following words : — " On the whole, I am 

 disposed to view it as a variety of mesembryanihernum" 

 Nor do I see how he could do otherwise ; for he tells us 

 that, of his cerasum, which was very prolific, all the young 

 were red but one, which, red at first, became at five months 

 old pale green. This bred, and all its progeny were green ; 

 though it had upwards of a hundred descendants before it 

 was two years old, and continued to breed for five years 

 more. 



It is but fair, however, to add, that Mr. W. P. Cocks, 

 who constituted chiococca a species, and to whom I am 

 indebted for the beautiful drawing which I have copied 

 in my Plate VI. fig. 7, retains his opinion. From one of 

 his letters to me, I cite the following interesting notes : — 

 "The A. chiococca is certainly a good species. I have 



