604 ZOOPHYTES. 



GENUS III. XENIA. SAVIGNY. 



Akyonidce carnosce, lobatce et subramoscE, polypis subacrogenis, basi et 

 latere gemmatis. 



Fleshy Alcyonidse, erect lobed and subramose, polyps subacrogenous, 

 budding both at base and from their sides. 



Instead of the thin incrusting plate of the Anthelise, the Xenise 

 form lobed masses, each lobe a clump of polyps, owing to their acro- 

 genous growth and lateral as well as basal budding. It appears, 

 therefore, that the Xenise and Anthelise, differ far more essentially 

 than the Zoanthse and Mammillifera, which we have thrown into a 

 single genus ; since in the latter case, there is simply a difference as 

 to the extent of the lateral coalescence between the polyps. See p. 423. 

 In some species the animals are nearly an inch across, when fully 

 expanded, and resemble star-shaped pinks, with fringed petals, usually 

 of some shade of blue, rose, or lilac. In the living group, as it appears 

 beneath the water, some of the flowers are fully open, while others 

 are half closed, and all are constantly changing their appearance from 

 bud to blossom, and from opened flower to bud again. 



This genus was instituted by Savigny, for a Red Sea species. The 

 Conwlaria of Quoy and Gaymard, are true Xeniai. 



1. XENIA CMBELLATA. (Savigny.) 



X. polypis caruleo-glaucis, tentaculis longis, papittis longis, utrinque ter- 

 seriatis, stirpe quadripollicari. 



Polyps bluish-glaucous, tentacles long, papillae long, in three series; 

 base 4 inches thick. 



Red Sea. Savigny. Ehrenberg. 



Ehrenberg states that Savigny's figure is erroneous in giving but 

 two rows of papillfe on the sides of the tentacles. The characters 

 mentioned are hardly sufficient to distinguish the species. 



In Savigny's figure the tentacles are a third of an inch long, and 



