286 CAPNEADjE. 



Mouth. Slit-like, coarsely furrowed. Stomach-wall capable of protru- 

 sion, so as to conceal the whole disk. 



Colour. 



Column. A rich apricot-yellow, which here resides in the epidermis, for 

 when this is rubbed off, the colour is white, but when renewed the colour 

 returns. 



Bisk. Pellucid white, with fine opaque white radii. 



Tentacles. Pellucid white, faintly tinged with red, and tipped with 

 opaque white. 



Mouth. Lips deep buff. 



Sizh. 

 Diameter and height of column about an inch; expanse the same. 



Locality. 

 The south of England and south-west of Ireland : deep water. 



This fine species, only inferior in beauty to the one just 

 described, was dredged by Mr. W. Thompson in Wey- 

 mouth Bay, — eight fathoms, gravel, — in September, 1853. 

 As I was at Weymouth at the time, he kindly showed it 

 to me, and I thus had the opportunity of making careful 

 drawings and notes from the life. We considered it as more 

 nearly allied to Corynactis than to any other recognised 

 form ; and, the species augusta being then unknown, I was 

 induced to suggest the specific name heterocera, which Mr. 

 Thompson adopted, from e'repo?, diverse, and fcepas, a horn. 



In confinement, the species appeared hardy. When 

 detached it readily adhered again ; soon expanded after 

 having been provoked to close ; often passing from one 

 condition to the other many times in quick succession. 

 It is subject to very little change of shape, in this respect 

 contrasting with Corynactis, which is most protean. Mr. 

 Thompson observed that it opened slowly, exserting the 

 tentacles of one-fourth of the periphery, while the rest 

 remained closed. These organs were nearly motionless. 



