216 ACTINIA. COLLECTED IN THE NORTH SEA 



Many of the tentacles were missing, especially from the inner 

 cycles ; these were three times the length of the outer. The animal, 

 although injured, was still alive when first captured, and the tentacles 

 underwent constant inflation and contraction ; during contraction the 

 sulcations showed strongly. 



The two examples from Station 56 were large, and in size and 

 colour agreed with the description in Gosse's British Sea Anemones 

 and Corals, p. 186-7. Gosse there writes that the column is "studded 

 somewhat sparsely with minute rounded warts, scarcely apparent when 

 the animal is extended," etc., and also quotes Cocks to this effect ; 

 Carlgren, in 1891, discusses the matter, and concludes that the warts 

 described were due to the contraction of the body wall. In the two 

 examples now under consideration, no warts were to be found when 

 living and expanded, but when preserved and contracted the body wall 

 is thrown into innumerable wart-like folds, which any one who had 

 not seen the animal in a living state might easily take to be genuine 

 warts. The figure on Plate V (of Gosse) certainly does not show a 

 fully expanded specimen, as the tentacles are contracted (for although 

 incapable of retraction they can be considerably contracted). The 

 number of tentacles present in the more perfect specimen amounted 

 to 127, but so many had been thrown off that anything like an accurate 

 enumeration was impossible. 



The internal preservation was bad, but 77 pairs of mesenteries were 

 recognisable. 



Measurements fo a preserved specimen : — Breadth of pedal disk, 

 40 mm. Breadth of oral disk, 50 mm. Height of column, 55 mm. 

 Length of tentacles of the inner cycle, 40 mm., of outer cycle, 15- 

 20 mm. In colour, one approximated very nearly with Gosse's 

 description, but paler ; the other very pale, merely tinged with pink 

 and light brown on the inner face of the tentacles, etc. The stomach 

 protruded considerably. 



BOLOCERA LONGICORNIS, Carlgren. 



Voyage XC. Station 7. Great Fisher Bank. Lat. 56° 59' N. Long. T 53' E. 



38 fathoms. 2 specimens. 

 Voyage XC. Station 10. The Gut. Lat. 56° 40' N". Long. V 32' E. 



50 fathoms. Abundant, and at other stations in this area. 

 Voyage XCIII. Station 99. Lat. 55° 48' N. Long. 0° 49' E. 45 fathoms. 



1 specimen. 

 Voyage XCIII. Station 101. Lat. 55° 48' N. Long. 1° 4' E. 40 fathoms. 



1 specimen. 



