108 POPULAR HISTORY OF THE AQUARIUM. 



ing the two most beautiful varieties, and young. Varieties 

 of Bunodes gemmacea fill Plate YIII. Sagartia jmrasi- 

 tica is seen on the Buccimmi, with the Hermit Crab, in 

 Plate XI. 



Anthea cereus. — (Plate IX. fig. 1.) 



The genus Anthea is thus described : — " Body adherent, 

 cylindrical ; tentacles numerous, scarcely retractile within 

 the body, their bases united in clusters." 



This Actinoid Zoophyte does not appear to differ very 

 materially fi'om the ordinary form of his order ; but its 

 long tentacular arms are united in clusters on the disc, and 

 seem incapable of being wholly withdrawn into the body. 

 Although Mr. Gosse relates an instance in which a speci- 

 men in his possession did retract his tentacles, so far as 

 only to show the tips on one occasion, the rule appears to 

 be that they are not withdrawn. And as they had never, 

 previously to this instance, been seen withdrawn, it was as- 

 sumed by observers that they 'could not be so. In the in- 

 stance of which I shall speak presently, in which an Anthea 

 allowed his tentacles to be " held in suspense " by air- 

 bubbles, I remarked to the keeper that it would be incon- 

 venient if the animal wanted to '' shut up shop." The man 



