NOTES ON BRITISH ANTHOZOA. 237 



Colours : Column, flesh colour, the suckers pale. Disk, semi-trans- 

 parent umber, with a light yellowish area around the mouth ; the yellow 

 rays irregular ; a cycle of twelve white irregularly shaped (not cordate) 

 spots on the disk between the yellow rays. Gonidial radii white. 

 Throat pink. 



Tentacles, light umber, with three white or yellowish rings ; the 

 area between the second and third rings rich dark umber Slight dark 

 lateral longitudinal streaks near the tentacle bases. 



II. Bunodes thallia, Gosse. 



I have been so fortunate as to discover a considerable number of 

 this rare species, which varies in an interesting manner. It was 

 originally described by Gosse. who obtained a colony at Lydstep, and 

 he mentions four specimens subsequently discovered near Ilfracombe. 

 G. Y. and A. F. Dixon have described a variety with white tentacles 

 from the Ore Stone, near Torquay, and I have since taken l)oth 

 varieties in the neighbourhood of Padstow and Port Isaac, and a few 

 small examples near Newquay. A few years ago I searched the 

 original Lydstep locality in the hope of rediscovering this species, 

 but without success, nor did I find it anywhere in that district. Gosse 

 (p. 196) says : " About a dozen individuals of different sizes were 

 associated in the dark angles and pools of a little insular rock exposed 

 at spring-tide, that lies just off' the cove called the Drock, near 

 Lidstep. They were not troglodyte in habit, but adherent to the open 

 rock, and therefore easily detached. The species is social ; clustering 

 together in groups, mutually pressing each other's sides." The New- 

 quay specimens were small, typical in form and colouration, and were 

 adhering to the under surfaces of stones at St. Columb Porth. 

 I'olzeath, between Padstow and Port Isaac, is the locality where I have 

 found most specimens. A number of small specimens occurred 

 attached to the lower side of stones which were more or less fixed 

 in pools on tlie reefs. The greater number, many of considerable size, 

 were found in situations very similar to those mentioned by Gosse ; 

 shallow pools, or low detached rocks surrounded by fine sand, which 

 also lined the floor of all the pools and covered the anemones with the 

 exception of the tentacles. So exactly did the grey and olive freck- 

 lings of these organs resemble the sand and byssal threads of the 

 Mytih'.s colonies which abounded there, tliat only prolonged scrutiny 

 and even feeling with the hands enabled me to ascertain the numbers 

 present. The summit of the column was almost invarialjly covered 

 with fragments of shell and sand attached by the suckers on promi- 

 nent warts ; and even when exposed the general hue of the column 



