THE BEADLET. 181 



by no means unusual to see examples of the red varieties. 

 in which the spherules are pale red, — the blue pigment 

 being defective. 



The name Actinia, originally applied to the whole race 

 of Sea- Anemones, is derived from atcrlv, a ray ; the specific 

 appellation, mesembryanthemum, is the name of the fig- 

 marigold, so called from its opening at noon, (fie<r7)fi/3pia, 

 = yu.eo-0?, r/fiipa, mid-day) : the term beadlet alludes to the 

 marginal beads. 



As no species is more abundant, nor more easily pro- 

 cured than this, since it affects the most exposed rocks, 

 and does not seek the protection of hollows, so none is 

 more easily reconciled to captivity, and few are more 

 beautiful. It requires no special treatment ; a surface for 

 the support of its base, and water sufficient to cover it, 

 are enough ; nor is it essential to its existence that the 

 latter should be veiy pure, for it will continue to drag on 

 life when its fellows have died out. Yet few species more 

 immediately resent negligence of this kind, or more grate- 

 fully express their appreciation of a pure and limpid 

 element. Widely as the species is distributed in a state 

 of freedom, we scarcely ever see it except where the water 

 is habitually clear. It is a curious fact, for which I am 

 indebted to Mr. E. L. Williams, jun., that " the Mersey 

 estuary is the only place on our coasts in which he has 

 not found this species ;" which he attributes to the foul- 

 ness of the water. This absence would be less remarkable, 

 were it not that Tealia crassicornis is abundant there ; but 

 Actinia is clean and Tealia is dirty in its habits. In the 



plete; that is to say, in the large individuals where 192 tentacles or there- 

 abouts may be counted. He has recognised also that these pouches 

 communicate directly with the sub-tentacular chambers of the first cycles ; 

 and that they contain little muscular fibre, but carry navicular thread-cells 

 of various forms, and of which the interior thread is indistinct, together 

 with transparent vesicles, and pigment-globulea." —Milne-Edwards, Hitt. 

 Corallaires, i. 240. 



