04 



I have never seen, unless they are the white threads, which 

 Sharpey and Jones also tlesoribe as oviducts, but whidi 

 appear to have no connection witli such a function. Tiie 

 white filaments are convoluted, of equal thickness, small, 

 smooth, and fibrous ; if hollow, the cavity must be exceedingly 

 small, for I have never been able to detect it. Tlie}'^ are 

 clothed with the peritoneum and consequently are fastened 

 or held by a mesentery similar to the ovaries. Their func- 

 tions are unknown. They are frequently ejected through the 

 stomach and frequently are forced through the sides of the 

 animal, as may be witnessed in the A. diantlnis. The tenta- 

 cula are tubular and tapering towards the extremity ; and 

 the tube is terminated by an orifice, which appears to be 

 guarded by a circular muscle to prevent the ejection of the 

 water when pressed ou by the motion of the animal. The 

 whole length of the tentacula is however pervaded by circular 

 fibres, and hence the reason they are sometimes observed to 

 contract more in one part than another. The orifices of 

 these organs open into the cavit}' which contains the con- 

 voluted ovaries, and hence the water which distends the 

 polype, passes readily from one part of the animal to another. 

 In the Anthca cereus, these organs are very liable to mal- 

 formations both of deficiency and excess. They appear to 

 be very liable to disease, but whether from disease or 

 accident, if any part be injured it is soon thrown off and 

 the tentacula appear truncated. Sometimes a great many 

 are thus injured, but most commonly only one here and 

 there. Scarcely a specimen, however, can be found, but is 

 more or less thus injured. Young ones are constantly 

 sprouting up from between the old ones, and are always to be 

 found from the size of a mere tubercle to the perfect organ. 

 Some tentacula are branched in a dicholomous manner, but 

 more have a finger like process sprouting from the side. 

 Though these maltormations are of very rare occurrence in 

 other species, yet in any one if a tentacle be injured or 

 clipped, it very readily re-grows, and the experiment may 

 be successfully repeated to any number of times ; but like 

 all reproduced parts, it is very liable to be re-formed, in a 

 double manner; and as the tentacula of the Antliea cereus 

 appear to be very susceptible of injuries, this will account for 

 the great prevalence of malformations in that species. 



When these creatures are expanded they very closely 

 resemble a Uower both in form and colouring; hence the 

 public in most countries have given them the name of Sea 

 flowers as expressive of their general appearance. In English 

 we have Sea carnations, marygolds, anenionies, aud daisies ; 

 their scientific names are expressive of the same character, 

 and all who may have examined then), will think them 

 worthy of the comparison. 



