80 
SAGARTIAD^. 
that they were but varying phases of the same species ; 
and, as he kindly gave me an opportunity of forming a 
judgment by presenting me with a specimen of each 
colour, I concur with him in this opinion, and have accord- 
ingly so represented them. 
Some of my friend’s observations on this minute species, 
— made in the course of a correspondence concerning its 
claim to be so considered, — will be read with interest. 
“ Pallida is certainly not Candida [= sphyrodet(x\. I have 
now seen, and know both well, and can readily point out 
the distinctions. Pallida may be easily taken for a young 
dianthus at first sight, having a smooth skin, with a rather 
erect body, and long pellucid filiform tentacles The 
basal rings on [? around] the arms of jyallida are even 
narrower than in Candida^ and have no direct communi- 
cation with the edge of the disk ; nor is there any appear- 
ance of a spot; their colour is almost black, but with 
a purplish tinge. The disk is quite transparent. The 
original specimens were almost colourless, but later captm-es 
were of a reddish buff, like some of dianthus ; and one of 
tliese, not more than half an inch in expanse, produced 
about a dozen young ones, about an eighth of an inch in 
height, — slender little things, with tentacles almost erect. 
They resembled their parent in form and colour, as far as 
could be seen in such minute creatures. There was no 
other Actinia besides the red pallida in the glass at the 
time, and the young ones adhered to the side of the glass 
vase, immediately surrounding the larger specimen, so that 
I had no doubt of their origin I have more than 
once suspected that pallida was merely the young of 
dianthus : but surely the latter would not breed when only 
half an inch high.” I may add that the characteristic 
lines of blue, though minute, are a sufficient distinction of 
the species. 
