; MA U.K. 





" The many longitudinal fibre* that we discover lying parallel to 

 each other, .-n th<- i-,-i 1. ..f the semi-transparent akin, are all iiwurtetl 

 ill the eereral clawi round the animal'* mouth, and are plainly the 

 tendoru or muscles fur muring and directing the claws at the will 

 of the animal : these may be likewise traced down to tbu adhering 



A strong light incommode* the Aciiniir, noiae ttartle* them, they 

 are affected by odour*, and fresh water causes them to die. Theae 

 variou* feeling* originate in their great irritability, which appear* to 

 increase according to their sufferings. They can rapport a temperature 

 a* low a* 45*, and np to 140", Kahr. ; but beyond thaw extreme* they 

 perish. They are often left exposed to the air during spring-tides ; 

 but in such caaea they always retain a great quantity of water, which 

 they squirt out with force when molested. 



T ties* angular creature* hare a power of reproduction equal to that 

 so well known in the FVeah-Water Polyp (Polyptu nridit, Bory., / 

 ri'ridu). They may be cut perpendicularly or across, and each cutting 

 will gire origin to a new animal. The young Actinia are seen issuing, 

 already formed, sometimes from the mouth ; and sometime* the base of 

 the old animal is dissevered, a portion remaining attached to the rock, 

 where it continues to live, increasing in size, becoming more and m..re 

 rounded, while, in a short time, a mouth, stomach, and tentacula are 

 formed, presenting a complete Actinia. At length, the side-portion* 

 of this base gire out globules, which are detached, fix themselves upon 

 adjacent rocks, where they grow, and produce a new colony like the 

 parent animal. 



The Artinirr feed upon small crustaeeous and molluscous animals 

 and fishes, which they seize with their tentacula, and afterwards 

 disgorge what they cannot digest. They are found in every sea, some 

 suspended from the vault* of sub-marine reefs, others coveting the 

 more exposed aides of rocks with a sort of flower-like tapestry, and 

 some confining themselves to the smooth sands, on the surface of 

 which they spread out their tentacula, and even withdraw under the 

 sand when danger threatens. Each species, indeed, generally selects a 

 peculiar haunt Some of the species hare the power of stinging, like 

 the A caUplur, which depends on their possessing in their structure 

 the same organ a* the Acalephtr, and other forms of polypes, and known 

 under the name of Thread-Cells, or Stinging Hairs. 



Many of the species are used as food in tropical countries, on the 

 coast* of which they are more numerous than in colder climates. 



The genera comprising the family Actiniada- form several natural 

 groups: 



A. Suck at hare the tentacula reduced t Ike form of tulitrdet. 

 A single species, constituting the genu* Oitcoioima of Leuekart. 

 belongs to this division, which cannot be regarded as certainly 

 established, the genus referred to having been founded on a specimen 

 preserved in alcohol, which alters materially the forms of sea-anemonies. 

 Khrenberg asserts that it is his Actinia trericirrhata, which has very 

 small and numerous tentacula. Ex. Ditcoioma minimi forme. 



\ 



B. Kuch Fm-AnttMnitt at hare limple ttniacula. Of these the 

 following aro the principal genera : 



1. Mill nai, Cuvier (Adiniata, Blainville), free Artmite haring more 

 or lew globose bodies inflated at one end. and having ut the other a 

 disk covered by a great number of very short t.ntaeulo. I'uviet- placed 

 this genus among .-,...IM. but the olwervation* of Lesueur 

 and tjuoy. who have seen the living animal, place it without a question 

 among As many of the usual!. iussro 

 capable of swimming and of inflating their suctorial disks, it is by no 

 means sure that such is always the ha '/at ; indeed, we 



lave observed an allied and undeacribed animal which inhabit* the 

 Mediterranean, swimming at the surface of the sea in winter, but 

 when confined in a glass at at.-i it adherud to the sides in Uio manner 

 of an ArtniiK properly so called. 

 Example, Minyat cyanea. 



2. Motckata, Renieri. vermifonn and free, and, according to De 

 liloinville, incrusted with adhering substances. It is said to live floating 

 m the sea. Both Ehrenberg and 1 lujardin have sup|Kiaed that there 

 was some iitJri regarding this genus, and that it might have been 

 founded on specimens of A ctinia (Crilirina) lieilit. It is more probably 

 however identical with the Eduardtia of M. do Quutrefages (' Aunales 

 des Sciences Naturelles,' 1842), founded on some remarkable vermiform 

 Artiniatlte which are invested with a sort of tube to which sand and 

 gravel adhere. Three species of Edwardtia have been discovered by 

 the author of the genus on the west coast of France, and a fourth iu 

 the Grecian Archi|ielago by Professor E. Forbes, the habit* of whieh 

 are very remarkable. It can move up and down freely in it* mem- 

 branous tube, and when kept for some time in sea-water, the tube 

 liaving been injured, it came out of it about 

 twisting its bod y in the manner of some Annelida. On being si; 

 with sand and gravel, it proceeded to construct another tube, rolling 

 itself up in the sand and secreting glutinous matter for the membranous 

 lining. It eats voraciously, and attacks such animals as come within 

 reach of its tentacula. It lives buried ia sand, and in places a few 

 inches below sea-level. 



3. Iluanthut, Forbes ('Annals of Natural History,' vol v., 1840.) 

 A single species only is known. 



The body is free, and tapers 

 posteriorly to a point, whieh is 

 probably buried in the soft mud 

 among which it lives. The mouth 

 is round, and surrounded by nu- 

 merous long filiform tentacula. 

 The flu " m was found 



in four fathoms of water in Loch 

 Ryan. 



4. Actinia, Linnaeus, now re- 

 stricted to such species as have 

 simple tubular retractile tenta- 

 cula, and adhere by a broad blue. 

 Khrcnberg has separated such 



as have a glandular 

 epidermis, under the name of 

 '. From the gland* 

 protrude long filaments, the uses 

 of which are unknown. The 

 tentacula of all the species ore 

 (contrary to the supposition of 

 Ehrenberg) perforated at their 

 extremities. The subgenus 

 Adamtia has been constituted, 

 by Professor E. Forbes, for the reception f the curious parasitical 

 . I '.'</<! macalata, which envelopes the mouths of dead shells, generally 

 selecting such as have been previously invested by the Atryonidiuin 

 "liiiKitum. As such shells are frequently inhabited at the same time 

 by the Hermit Crab, not a few naturalists have mistaken the . 

 dencefor some necessary and mysterious friendship of the zooph 

 the crustacean. 



A large nimiber of species of Actinia- have been described, but many 

 of them not with sufficient distinctness, and it is probable many more 

 v. ill be ultimately ascertained. The following are common species on 

 the British coasts : 



The Stout- Armed Animal-Flower (Actinia orosmemaw, Miiller) is 

 three inches brood, with a leathery unequal envelope of an orange 

 colour; the teutactila iu two ranges, usually marked with a rose- 

 coloured ring. Its abode is commonly in the sand. 



The Purple Animal-Flower (Aniitia Mim mliraniiiln muni} has a HO ft 

 skin, finely striated, usually of a beautiful purple, often clouded with 

 green. The tentacula, to the number of a hundred, vary mueh in 

 colour. When i! mi this species may be sean ornamenting 



the sea-rocks with its beautiful colours "purple, violet, blue, pink, 

 yellow, and green, like so many flowers," says M. Lamouroux, " in a 

 meadow." 



The White Animal-Flower (Actinia Dianthtu, Ellis) is four or 

 inches broad, of a white colour ; the margins of the mouth are 

 expanded into lol--, all furnished with innumerable tentacula. There 

 is an inner iiiw of these, still 1 



In his ' Hi i; i-h Zoophytes/ I 'r. Johnston* enumerates twenty species 

 of the genu- found in tin amis. It is, however, a 



question whether all those arc really dill.-i-ent species; as few animals 



