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FAMILY VL— ILYANTHID^. 
When Johnston published his second edition of the 
“ British Zoophytes,” a single Free Anemone alone was 
recognised : I shall have to include in the family at least 
a dozen, known to inhabit our seas, with two or three 
others as yet obscurely indicated ; a number considerably 
greater than M. Milne Edwards assigns to the whole world, 
in his “ Histoire Naturelle des Coralliaires,” published 
little more than a year ago. 
The IlyanthidcE form a very natural group, readily dis- 
tinguished by the important character, that they possess 
no adherent base ; the column, which is generally length- 
ened, terminating below in a rounded, often more or less 
retractile, extremity. Hence they are characteristically 
unattached ; but many of the species, perhaps all, possess 
an adherent power in the entire surface of the column, by 
means of which they can readily crawl over a solid body. 
Most of them inhabit tubes, which may be membranous 
and free, as in Cerianthus ; membranous and investing 
epidermically, as in Edv:ardsia ; or mere burrows in the 
sand or mud, as in Ilalcampa, Feachia, and Ilyanthus. 
Most of them have the habit of distending the hinder part 
of the column with water, assuming the form of a blown 
bladder. 
A remarkably vigorous and spasmodic contractility in 
this family indicates a more intense muscular force, and 
points to a higher physiological rank, than the preceding 
families possess. 
Q 2 
