226 ZOOPHYTES. 



upper part spotted white. The tentacula are belted black and reddish 

 alternately, from the root upwards ; and a broad white line generally runs 

 across the disc. 



This is a very beautiful animal. 



When suffering pressure, or any annoyance, long, slender, white fila- 

 ments protrude from all parts of the body ; and when the water is poured 

 off, they issue from the mouth. I know that some naturalists have as- 

 signed certain characters to similar cords or filaments protruding from 

 other species. But it seems extremely doubtful whether any accurate 

 theory is yet entertained on the subject. 



The Actiniae of this species are strictly nocturnal ; they are impatient 

 of light, and prone to contract during the day. In common with their 

 race, their size diminishes with confinement ; and in exuviation they cast 

 off a quantity of greenish skin. 



Specimens have survived three years in my possession, without pro- 

 ducing living young. Thus the nature of their offspring is uncertain. 



Two days after three of these Actinia? had fed on mussel, a multitude 

 of minute, dingy yellowish, homogeneous, flattened, ovoidal corpuscula, lay 

 motionless in the vessel containing them. Numbers produced subse- 

 quently, were swimming actively a few days later, on the 2d of October, 

 chiefly below. They were apparently soft, of faint yellowish-green colour, 

 some of ovoidal, or flattened ovoidal shape : some with a long transparent- 

 like horn in front, visible chiefly as the animal pursued a steady, horizon- 

 tal course. The body of some was rather truncate ; that of others resem- 

 bled a thick hollow skin : one with the long projection seemed open be- 

 hind like a cap. Many could not be the subject of comparison to any 

 familiar figure. Considerable disparity of size prevailed, and the softness 

 of the body was evident from the alteration of its proportions. 



These corpuscula were visible during the whole month of October. 

 Though carefully preserved, they afforded no definite result. 

 This Actinia seems to inhabit deep water. 



Plate XLVII. Fig. 9. Actinia elegans. 



10. Corpuscula from the same, enlarged. 



11. Other corpuscula, a group delineated in October, en- 



larged. 



