Stuckey. — Anemones found in Neighbour} iood of Wellington. 373 



Column. — The shape is cylindrical. The colour is deposited in alternating 

 vertical stripes, pink and white, pellucid brown and white, brown and yellow, 

 or green and yellow. The upper part often assumes an orange, the lower a 

 greenish tinge. In full expansion the body-wall is semi-transparent. The 

 wall is pierced by a number of irregularly arranged cinclides, which are 

 easily made out in a fresh specimen. They have thickened margins. The 

 wall is traversed by longitudinal ridges, which appear in cross-sections as 

 papillse-like projections. Neither ectoderm nor endoderm present any 

 departure from the ordinary structure. In sections, especially in longi- 

 tudinal sections, the mesogloea presents numerous spaces, each containing 

 a deeply staining particle. There is a feebly developed circular muscle in 

 the wall. 



Tentacles. — These are all opaque, white, and rather fine. They are 

 regularly arranged in four cycles, 12+12 + 24-1- 48. They can be wholly 

 retracted, though the favourite position of the animal when not distended 

 is one in w^hich the tentacles are partially withdrawn, the tips forming a 

 white central mass. In shape the tentacles are conical and pointed. They 

 are subequal, the longest being J to | of the full diameter of the disc. The 

 mesogloea and endoderm of the tentacles are thin and the musculature 

 weak. The nervous layer is well developed. Nematocysts are present. 



Sphincter Muscle (Plate XX. fig. 3). — This is mesogloeal in character, and 

 is represented by a clavate swelling of the mesogloea. The thin end points 

 downwards, and tapers off into the mesogloea of the wall. In the thickened 

 part run anastomosing strands of the supporting layer, forming irregular 

 cavities, in which are seen the muscle-fibres, which here, consequently, are 

 arranged in bundles. 



Oral Disc. — The disc is bright orange in colour, with radial markings. 

 The mouth is set on a peristome. On the inner side the mesogloea bears 

 short stout processes, giving it a notched appearance. The processes bear 

 the endodermal or circular muscle of the disc. The ectodermal muscle 

 is hardly perceptible. 



(Esophagus. — The oesophagus is dull white, wdth brighter vertical lines. 

 There are 2 siphonoglyphs, and sections show the oesophagus to be much 

 folded. Th^ mesogloea is thick compared with that of other parts, and 

 has a very striking reticular appearance, which recalls the structure of the 

 sphincter. 



Mesenteries (Plate XX, fig. 2). — These number 24 pairs, of which 2 pairs 

 are directives. Of these 24 pairs, I take 6 pairs to belong to the first and 

 6 to the second cycle. These are all perfect, reaching the oesophagus, as also 

 do some of the third cycle of 12 pairs. In addition, there are a few rudi- 

 mentary mesenteries of a fourth cycle just showing. The retractor muscles 

 on the perfect mesenteries are narrow, except on the directives, where they 

 are strong, and placed close up to the oesophagus. 



Acontia are emitted through the mouth and through the cinclides already 

 mentioned. Some specimens emit the acontia much more reluctantly than 

 others. 



Gonads. — Only on one of the mesenteries did I see in my preparations 

 any indication of a gonad — in this case an ovary. 



Dimensions. — Height, 10-12 mm. ; and diameter, 7-10 mm. 



Habits and Locality. — This anemone is found on rocks, stones, and the 

 roots of seaweed. It is very firmly attached, and can only be removed 

 with difficulty. It opens freely in captivity. It is common in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Wellington, and is also recorded from Lyttelton. Hutton's 

 original specimens were found at Dunedin. 



