A C R O C O M I A A C T I N I A. 



28 



compared with that of many lerpents. In the speci- 

 men alluded to, the tail was nowhere more than half 

 an inch in diameter, or only about one-sixth of that 

 of the body near its insertion. Nothing further is 

 known of its habits, than that it was found in a plan- 

 tation and had been eating fruit. From the number 

 of persons who have visited Java since it was found 

 without meeting with another specimen, it must be 

 rare as well as singular. 



ACROCOMIA (Martius). A genus of palms, 

 natives of tropical countries, belonging to the Lin- 

 naean class and order, Moncecia Polyandria ; natural 

 order, Palmae. There are eight species described. 



ACROSTICHUM. A genus of plants containing 

 nine species of foreign ferns, in the Linnaean class 

 Cryptogamia Filices. There are three divisions of 

 this genus, founded on the forms of the leaves ; viz. 

 undivided, divided, and pinnate. All the species of 

 this genus are natives of the warmer parts of both 

 continents, but they are much more abundant in 

 America than in the ancient continent. 



ACROTRICHE (Robert Brown). A genus of 

 plants consisting of three species of evergreen, green- 

 house, New Holland shrubs. They belong to the 

 LinniEan class and order, Pentandria Monogynia ; na- 

 tural order, Epacridece. Generic character: Calyx 

 having two bracteas attached ; corolla funnel-shaped ; 

 fruit, a drupe of five cells. 



ACT^E A (Baneberry). A genus of plants belong- 

 ing to the Ranunculus family, comprising only a few 

 species ; one of which, the Actcea Spicata, Black Bane- 

 berry, or Herb Christopher, is a native of Britain. 

 This species has a creeping root, and a triangular, 

 leafy, smooth stem. Its flowers are white, and grown 

 in a dense egg-shaped cluster. Its berries are about 

 the size of currants, and have a purplish-black colour ; 

 they are said to be poisonous. The root, given cau- 

 tiously, has been useful in some nervous diseases. The 

 whole plant yields a fetid odour, which is said to be 

 relished by toads7 Sheep and goats eat it ; while cows, 

 horses, and swine refuse it. 



ACTINIA (Linnaeus, Lamarck, Cuvier). The first 

 genus of the class Acakpha. These beautiful and won- 

 derfully organised animals, when expanded in search 

 of their food, may be compared to full-blown flowers, 

 elegantly striped, spotted, or variously marked with 

 the most vivid hues ; their trivial name is the SEA 

 ANEMONE, which flower they greatly resemble. 



The animal possesses a cylindrical, fleshy, simple, 

 and very contractile body, attached by its base to 

 rocks placed within the reach of the flowing tide ; 

 they rarely exert any locomotive power, though they 

 certainly possess the facult}' of removing from one 

 place to another ; their mouth, which is the only 

 opening to the body, is terminal, and furnished with 

 teeth, surrounded by one or more ranges of tubular 

 radiated tentacula, disappearing when the animal con- 

 tracts its orifice, in which state it is not unlike a ripe 

 fig, or a small closely drawn purse. The coriaceous 

 skin which covers the Actinia enables them to assume 

 various forms, they are sometimes flattened, conical, 

 or cylindrical. The Actinia verrucosa, or Great Ac- 

 tinia, inhabits the coasts of Great Britain, and many 

 other northern countries, in some of which they are 

 considered delicacies for the table. In the tropical 

 climates numberless elegant species abound. 



They feed on small molluscous insects, shell-fish, 

 shrimps, &c., but principally small sea-crabs, which 

 they draw into their mouths with their tentacula, 



ejecting the shells or other indigestible portions by 

 the same opening ; these tentacula, being tubular, ap- 

 pear to attach themselves by creating a partial vacuum 

 in each of them, as no viscous fluid is absolutely 

 perceptible on touching them, but a gentle suction is 

 distinctly experienced. The whole interior of the 

 body forms but one cavity or sac; and from the 

 sjreat expansibility of the mouth, large shell flsh 

 may be swallowed without injury ; but when the 

 shell is so situated as not to be readily discharged by 

 the mouth, it is said to be forced through the body, 

 making a wound near the base, which readily heals, 

 without occasioning any apparent inconvenience to 

 the animal. 



They possess the power of changing their place ; 

 but their locomotion is extremely slow, and performed 

 by the animal detaching itself at the base, reversing 

 its body, and using its tentacula as legs, these being 

 probably furnished with a viscous exudation, and a 

 roughness well calculated to effect the office. 



The Abbe Dicquemarre details some curious expe- 

 riments on the extraordinary reproductive powers of 

 these animals, in the Phil. Tran., vol. 63, p. 361. 



He, in the first instance, cut off the tentacula, which 

 were again produced in about a month, repeating this 

 a second and third time with the same result. The 

 upper part of one of the animals being also cut off, the 

 base was found a few days afterwards to have fallen 

 from its place, but it soon recovered its limbs. 



After cutting one of them in two, the abbe pre- 

 sented a piece of a muscle to the detached part, and 

 the limbs seemed eager to take it ; they drew it into 

 the mouth, and it was swallowed ; but as the body was 

 wanting to receive it, the piece came out at the oppo- 

 site end, just (says the abbe) as a man's head, being 

 cut off, might be supposed to let out at the neck 

 whatever was taken in at the mouth : it was offered a 

 second time, and again received and retained till the 

 following day, when it was thrown out. In this 

 manner it was fed for some time, the pieces, when they 

 did not pass through, appearing considerably altered 

 on their reappearance at the mouth. If the base itself 

 of any of these anemonies be injured by an incision, the 

 wound generally proves fatal to the animal. 



On being put under an exhausted receiver, these 

 animals did not seem to experience any ill effects, or 

 to exhibit any inconvenience from being deprived of 

 atmospheric air ; if their tentacula were expanded 

 when thus placed in an air pump, they remained so, 

 and not the least contraction could be perceived on 

 withdrawing the air. 



Some of these actinia lived upwards of a year 

 without any other food than the auimalcula afforded 

 them from the sea-water. 



When shell-fish, pieces of fish, or raw meat, were 

 offered, if not too large, they were always swallowed. 

 The shells, even if closed, they ejected in the course 

 of a day or two, but perfectly cleared of their con- 

 tents. 



The animals are all of them viviparous, and bring 

 forth their young alive at the mouth, and the abbe 

 states that he witnessed their production several times ; 

 they were generally from eight to twelve in number. 

 Though at this age some of them were nearly imper- 

 ceptible, they immediately attached themselves to the 

 nearest object, and expanded their tentacula in search 

 of food. 



These animals, though destitute of eyes, were 

 evidently affected by light. When a candle was 



