[ 47 ] 



On Phellia murocincta (Gosse). 



By 

 Chas. L. Walton. 



P. H. Gosse described this beautiful little species in his British Sea 

 Anemones and Corals, in 1860, from two specimens obtained from a 

 pool at Petit Tor, near Torquay. 



I recently collected two specimens at Zennor, some five miles along 

 the coast south of St. Ives, Cornwall. 



An examination of these proved tliat Gosse's examples were young 

 and immature, as shown by the difference of size and number of 

 tentacles. 



Their habitat was very similar to that of the Torquay specimens, 

 namely, attached to the under side of granite stones, at the bottom of 

 a shallow pool in a small dark cave, just at the top of the Lamiuarian 

 zone. There occurred also on the same stones young specimens of 

 Actinia equina (Linn.), Ccrcus pcdunculatus {8. Bellis), and a number of 

 Bepastrum cyathiform c. 



Size. — Expanded, half an inch in diameter. The measurements of 

 Gosse's examples were, " Diameter of column -|- of an inch, expanded ^ 

 of an inch." 



Outline of base irregular. The " epidermis " not dense (as in Gosse's 

 description), free and easily removed, the animals expanding as freely 

 after the removal as before. The column was usually much flattened 

 during the day, but frequently elongated and pillar-like at night. 



No acontia were emitted even after severe irritation. 



Tentacles 36 in number. Gosse's specimens had 24. Otherwise the 

 tentacles in my specimens agreed with his account. As he says, 

 " they were generally carried hanging over the margin with a double 

 curve, like the branches of a chandelier, but sometimes the inner row 

 stand erect." 



They exhibited much greater activity at night tlian during the day- 

 time. 



Colour. — Although differing slightly from one another, both my 

 specimens agreed with Gosse's, except that the column had no " mealy 



