THE YELLOW IMPERIAL. 287 



When a piece of meat was dropped on the open disk, 

 it remained awhile apparently unnoticed; at length the 

 animal slowly bent itself on one side, and the unwelcome 

 morsel rolled across the tentacles and fell to the "bottom. 



When Dr. E. P. Wright was on the south-west coast of 

 Ireland, in July, 1858, he found, at Crookhaven, a small 

 number of specimens of this species, agreeing with Mr. 

 Thompson's description in every particular, except their 

 smaller size. He kindly sent me three, but they all died 

 in transitu, from the length of the journey. Dr. Wright 

 says " it can assume an almost transparent appearance," — 

 which was not the case with the Weymouth specimens : 

 but which assimilates it to Corynactis. He observed also 

 that the outer tentacles were reverted, so as actually to 

 touch the rock, which gave it a strange aspect. 



The circles of tentacles resemble a coronet of pearls ; 

 and searching for a name by which to distinguish the 

 genus, I was reminded, by this peculiarity, of the diadem 

 which was the distinctive badge of the Roman Augusti, and 

 by the splendid colours of the animals, of the no less imperial 

 gold and purple. I have therefore called it Aureliania. 

 after him who of the Roman emperors first wore the 

 diadem and the gold-embroidered purple.* The splendid 

 appearance of the zoophytes, especially of the preceding 

 species, must plead my apology for so presumptuous an 

 appropriation. 



Weymouth, W. T. (w.): Crookhaven, E. P. W. 



augusta. 



HETEROCERA. 



Corynactis. 



* " Iste primus [scil. Aurelianus], apud Romanes, diadema capiti 

 iimexuit, gemmisque et aurata oinni veste, . . . usus est." I AureL 

 Vict.) 



