62 Bulletin, Vanderbilt Marine Museum, Vol. IV 



usually paler tones of the same color as the column. Occasionally 

 cream color. 



Life history: Much careful study both on the sexual and asexual 

 stages of this species has been done by a number of workers. Consult 

 G. H. Parker, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 25, p. 43, 1899 ; ibid, vol. 30, 

 p. 259, 1897 ; H. B. Torrey, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 3, vol. I, p. 345, 

 1898; C. W. Hahn, Proc. Wash. Acad. Sci., vol. IV, p. 395, 1902; 

 Jrn. Exper. Zool., vol. II, no. 2, p. 225, 1905, for studies on the sexual 

 reproduction. Asexual reproduction may occur in several ways: by 

 longitudinal fission; by budding near the base, less frequently else- 

 where ; by breaking off fragments from the expanded basal disk, each 

 fragment rapidly developing into a young actinian. This last is the 

 most usual mode of reproduction. 



Diagnosis: This well-known "sea-apple" has been frequently 

 described. A very good anatomical description is given by McMurrich 

 (1901), in English, another by Carlgren (1893), in Swedish. McMur- 

 rich (1910) gives a critical review of the synonymy of the species, 

 and points out that M. senile (Linne) is the correct designation. 

 Verrill (1922) contradicts this, resuming the generally accepted 

 M. dianthus (Ellis), ignoring Pennant's proposed pentapetala 

 (1766). 



References : Actinia dianthus Ellis, Phil. Trans. Royal Soc, vol. 47, 

 p. 428, pi. 19, fig. 67, 1767.— Ellis and Solander, Hist. 

 Zoophytes, p. 7, 1786. 

 Metridium dianthus Oken, Lehrbuch der Naturg. Jena, vol. Ill, 

 p. 450, 1816. — H. Milne Edwards and Haime, Corallines, vol. I, 

 p. 253, 1857. — Carlgren, O., Kongl. Svenska Vetenskaps Akad. 

 Handling. Bd. 25, no. 10, p. 102, 1893, (excellent anatomic 

 description and extensive synonymy, especially of the European 

 writers). — McMurrich, J. P., Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci., vol. XIV, 

 no. 1, p. 3, pi. 1, figs. 1-5, 1901, (anatomic dissection). — Verrill, 

 A. E., Canadian Arctic Exped., vol. VIII, part G, Actinia, p. 90, 

 1922, (Arctic American records). 

 Actinoloba dianthus Gosse, Actinologia Brit., p. 12, pi. 1, fig. 1, 

 1860. — Andres, Attinie. Fauna u. Flora des Golfes von Neapel, 

 vol. IX, p. 133, fig. 15, 1883, (with full synonymy). 

 Metridium marginatum Lesueur, H. Milne Edwards, op. cit., p. 234, 

 1857. — Verrill, A. E., Mem. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. I, 

 pp. 22-24, 1864.— G. H. Parker, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 25, 

 pp. 43, 53, 1899; ibid, vol. XXX, pp. 259-274 and plate, 1897. 



