46 SAGAETIADiE. 



the wall of the stomach, almost to as great an extent as 

 B. crassicomis. This is specially seen when the specimens 

 hang from the perpendicular face of a rock. 



According to Mr. Holdsworth, S. miniata increases by 

 spontaneously separated fragments of the base, like A. 

 dianthus. He says, — " I have had two young ones of 

 miniata produced from bits of the base detached from a 

 large specimen, which had been fixed for a long time. It 

 was anchored too firmly ; so it cut its cable, and started 

 for fresh quarters." According to the same careful observer, 

 double individuals are not uncommon — a fact which points 

 to a more decidedly fissiparous habit. 



. The following note contains all the original information 

 that I possess of the generative process. Examining a 

 small specimen, about the middle of August, I found that 

 it had given birth to several ova or gemmules. I had just 

 removed it from a stone in one of my tanks, to which it 

 had been attached many months. It had protruded the 

 filaments copiously, and these were now partially retracted 

 and coiled up, forming a white coat almost entirely in- 

 vesting it. Under a one-inch objective, as these were 

 twining and twisting, I saw among them several olive- 

 yellow bodies, which seemed to have a motion independent 

 of the filamental currents ; and I isolated one. It was of 

 a sub-nautiloid form, irregularly convolute, much like a 

 Bursaria, about l0 6 00 ths of an inch in long diameter, 10 ^ 00 ths 

 in lateral, and about - x (/Vo ths in transverse ; of a dull clear 

 olive, but granular, richly clothed everywhere with small 

 cilia, by means of which it revolved freely in all directions. 

 Others which I saw were much less than this one. 



Dr. T. S. Wright, however, seems to have witnessed the 

 birth of perfectly-formed young. " Four young ones," he 

 observes,* ''produced by as many specimens of Actinia 



* Proe. Roy. Phys. Soc. 



