Mr. E. Forbes on the British Actiniadae. 183 



the oral end the body bulges, forming a calyx, on which the 

 furrows are fewer but more granulose. When the disk is ex- 

 panded, this calyx laps back, and is then almost even with the 

 expanded tentacula. Disk angular, in my specimens square, 

 surrounded by three or four rows of short tentacula, thickly 

 set, of a white or brownish colour, variegated, having gene- 

 rally a white line down the centre of each. The disk is broad, 

 brownish or orange, with white lines. The margin of the 

 mouth is bright orange. The animal can project its disk 

 forward in a pouting manner. Tentacula and disk are re- 

 tractile. The specimens described were about one inch long 

 when expanded, but I have seen larger. 



IV. The propriety of constituting a separate genus for the 

 reception of the Actinia metadata of Adams must be evident to 

 every one who has studied this beautiful family and has seen 

 the species in question alive. The characters 1 have given above 

 are sufficient for the genus ; the species has been fully described 

 before, both at home and abroad. On two points I have a 

 remark to make. This year when dredging I paid particular 

 attention to the alleged horny disk said to be secreted by the 

 animal, and to the presence of the Hermit Crab, in the shells 

 on which it is parasitical. Not a single specimen taken this 

 season had either Hermit Crab or horny disk. That both such 

 coincidences are common however may be seen by reference to 

 a paper by Duges, ei Sur une nouvelle espece d^Actinie," in the 

 ' Annales des Sciences Naturelles/ 2nde Serie, Zoologie,vol. vi. 

 p. 93. pi. 7- c., in which he describes this species, apparently 

 unaware of its prior discovery. On the Manx coast in Sep- 

 tember last I found an unspotted variety. I have named the 

 genus Adamsia after Mr. Adams, who first noticed it, and 

 who contributed largely to the British Fauna in an age less 

 favourable to natural history than the present ; and for the 

 species I have retained its original appellation of maculata, 

 referring to it as synonyms the Actinia carcincopados of Otho, 

 the Actinia picta of Risso, and the species described but not 

 named by Duges. 



V. Last summer, in company with Mr. Smith of Jordan 

 Hill, we dredged up among Corbulte and other inhabitants of 

 mud, in four fathoms water, in Loch Ryan on the west coast 



