A. EF. Verrill—The Bermuda Islands; Coral Reefs. 273 
Phymanthus crucifer MeMurrich. Actinaria Bahama Is., p. 51, pl. ii, fig. 1, 
pl. iv, figs. 6-11 (anatomy), 1889. Duerden, Actinaria around Jamaica, p. 
452, 1898 ; Jamaican Actinaria, pt. ii, p. 139, pl. x, figs. 1, 2, pl. xi, figs. 1, 
2 (anatomy), 1900; Actinaria of Porto Rico, p. 368, pl. iii, fig. 15, 1902. 
Epicystis crucifera Verrill, Amer. Journ. Sci., vi, p. 496, 1898. MeMurrich, 
Bolletino Mus. Zool. Anat. Comp., Turino, vol. xx, p. 12, 1905. 
This is also a large and very handsome species, not uncommon on 
the reefs and ledges, where the water is apt to be much agitated. 
It buries itself nearly up to the tentacles in holes and crevices of the 
rocks, into which it can withdraw when disturbed. It adds to its 
ability to conceal itself, by fastening bits of broken shells, ete., to 
the conspicuous suckers on the upper part of the column. 
It is also frequently found on the sand flats in shallow water, 
attached to a stone several inches below the sand and expanding its 
broad undulated or frilled disk on the surface of the sand, where it 
often presents a very elegant appearance. 
When fully extended the body of the larger specimens may be 6 
to 8 inches or more long and 2 to 3 inches in diameter, while the 
disk and tentacles may expand to the breadth of 6 to 8 inches, but 
specimens of about half these dimensions are much more common. 
In full expansion the edge of the disk is usually curved into six to 
twelve wavy undulations, or they may become deep sinuous frills ; 
sometimes they disappear and the broad disk is then usually con- 
cave, but changeable. Occasionally there are only four great undu- 
lations of the disk. The tentacles, which are very numerous, and 
form three or four crowded rows, are of moderate length, stout and 
tapered, but not very different in form or length. They are generally 
crossed by several raised, flake-white, transverse ridges or bars, 
usually bilobed or dilated at the ends, and containing large batteries 
of nematocysts.* Sometimes these are interrupted along the median 
line, and frequently they are reduced in number, but I have never 
* Mr. Duerden, in his recent work (Actinians of Porto Rico, 1902, p. 368) adopts 
Phymanthus Edw., 1857, for the generic name, and quotes Carlgren’s opinion 
that this species is congeneric with P. loligo, of the Red Sea, the type of that 
genus. Whether that be the case or not (for the difference is considerable), 
Epicystis must be adopted for the American genus, on the ground of priority. 
The genus Epicystis Ehrenberg was established, with a brief diagnosis, for EF. 
crucifera in 1834. It was the first of the three species mentioned by Ehrenberg, 
and the only one that can be considered typical, for the other two belong to 
genera previously established. Phymanthus was not named till 1857, and there- 
fore, if they are to be united, the Red Sea species must take the name Hpicystis 
loligo (Ehr.). But the latter has clusters of papilla on the tentacles, so conspic- 
uous that Ehrenberg referred it to Actinodendron By. 
