ACTINIA. 255 



diameter, but when expanded it is five inches in height and 

 four in diameter. Sir J. G. Dalyell says that a good speci- 

 men, expanded, is six inches in height and five in diameter. 

 He prefers the name A. plumosa, which certainly is very 

 descriptive, and remarks, " Of all the Actinia inhabiting the 

 Scottish seas, this species is probably the largest, and cer- 

 tainly it is the most beautiful." The tentacula are very 

 numerous, and form a dense fringe of singular beauty. To 

 be convinced that it is more than entitled to all that is said 

 of its elegance and beauty, a person has only to look at the 

 splendid figure given of it by Sir J. G. Dalyell, in plate xlix. 

 Dr. Johnston states that it is of a uniform white, olive, 

 cream, or flesh colour. Sir J. G. Dalyell says, " Remarkable 

 diversity of colour is incident to it. It occurs of snowy 

 white, of peach-blossom, lemon-yellow, orpiment-orange, 

 and the like ; but it is equally beautiful under every hue/' 

 In Sir John's magnificent figure already referred to, the 

 body is reddish-brown, the mouth orange, the disc lilac, 

 and the gorgeous plumes a mixture of yellow and white. 

 We have repeatedly found it in the west of Scot- 

 land, but the specimens were always milk-white. The 

 first time I saw it was at Millport, in the island of Cum- 

 brae. Observing, from the deck of a steamer, three or 



