TJIL FAUNA OF LIVERl'UOl, 



Actinia Troglodites. 



Has been found in pretty good numbers upon the Leasowe shore and near 

 Egreniont slip. I have kept as many as eight or ten together for upwards 

 of six weeks. They were often veiy Ul used for want of a fresh supply of sea 

 water, but seemed to be most tolerant under the infliction. It was seldom 

 until after ha^ing been kept for ten or twelve days in the same water, that 

 they began to droop considerably, and they were speedily restored by a 

 change. No food was given at any time. At first they threw off a great 

 number of germs or ova, which, before they were extruded, could be plainly 

 seen through the external envelope, and especially at the bases of those 

 specimens which had not attached themselves, and could be tui-ned over for 

 examination. It appeared quite clear to me that these genus, young 

 actinte, (or whatever they may properly be called,) made their exit through 

 breaches of continuity in the outer envelope, near its junction idth the basal 

 disk, and sometimes through ragged apertures in the base itself; in fact, I 

 have hooked out the germs which were just on the point of emerging -with 

 a blunt probe, which was delicately used, and did not make the opening. 

 The germs were about the size of a pin's head, and perfectly globular ; they 

 showed, by careful watching, a very sluggish motion. Three or four were 

 put into a ^vide-uecked !{ oz. bottle, ha\dng a ground glass stopper, with 

 some sea water, and were intended for a microscopic inspection in the 

 evening ; they were quite forgotten, however, and at the expiration of two 

 months one was found to have become developed into a perfect but very small 

 actinia, the oral disk with the tentacles being fully and beautifully expanded. 

 It is now (aft«r six months) alive, but has never increased in size; it con- 

 tinues closely shut up, when there is a fresh supply of wat«r, for some days, 

 but after a week, and from that to a fortnight, fuUy expands again. For 

 this reason the water has not been changed more than six times since it has 

 been in my possession. Xo pabulum of any kind has ever been given. 

 It seems to make no difference whether the stopper is kept in the bottle or 

 not, so far as the animals health is concerned. These creatures were shy 

 of expanding dming the day, and then were as flat as a coin. I used always 

 to pay them a ^■isit before bedtime, kno\\Tng that I should be repaid by a 

 \'iewof their full-blown expansion during the previous darkness ; the stimulus 

 of candlelight used to set their tentacula in active motion, without making 

 them " retire for the night." 

 Actinia Cobiacea. 



By far the most common actinse of the shores, greatly varied in size and colour. 

 At Hilbre Island rich brown spotted specimens, with white tentacula, are 

 found, which Mr. Alder thinks to be the fty of this species. 



Some time ago, whilst examining the contents of the tubular organs in the com- 

 partments between the septa of this species, the field of the microscope was 

 covered -nith numerous transparent spicula, verj' much like the raphides of 

 " Lemna," but truncated at each end ; some of these were obseiTed to foi-m 

 the anterior part of what I suppose to be spei-matozoa. The posterior por- 

 tion of each spiculvun had a veiy slight but sufficiently obrious attachment 

 to a wavy neck, a small cUiiun being placed at each imdulation ; the rest of 

 the body tapered off as in the spermatozoa of other creatures : they were 

 liring and moring. It was remarkable to see so many of the ciystaUiiie 

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