MARINE ZOOLOGY 



the variety rustica is also a resident there. 

 The species is certainly not known at 

 Hastings, and the fact may indicate a 

 difference of temperature of the water 

 between these localities. 



ACTINIIDi« 



67. Actinia mesemhryanthemum, Ellis and 



Solander. 

 Characteristic of this species are the 

 vivid blue dart-charged spherules around 

 the margin of the disc, outside the ten- 

 tacles. It occurs at Hastings in several 

 varieties of colours, viz. vars. a, /3, f, i and 

 \ of Gosse, the colours being respectively 

 liver-brown, dark crimson, dark olive-green 

 with broken lines of light green, and liver- 

 coloured with green spots. Very common 

 at low water. Hastings. 



BuNODIDi^ 



68. Bunodes gemmacea, Ellis and Solander. t 

 Brighton. 



69. Bunodes c/avata, Thompson. t 

 Brighton. 



70. Tealia crassicornis, Muller. 



A large and handsome anemone with 

 wide and low column, the outer surface of 

 which is provided with suckers. By these 

 means the animal attaches to itself grains 

 of sand and shell, covering itself to such an 

 extent that it has often the appearance of a 

 piece of stucco. The tentacles are short 

 and thick, and generally barred with pink 

 and white. The tentacles are occasionally 

 found budding, the buds being produced 

 from all sides. Common at low tide and 

 from deeper water. Hastings. 



iLYANTHIDi^ 



71. Ilyanthus mitchellii^ Gosse. 



A rare species, and as such deserving 

 fuller notice. A dozen specimens were 

 obtained on one occasion from a trawler. 

 Length of a specimen, i\ inches. The 

 colouring of the column varied as follows : 

 In one instance it was wholly of an orange 

 or light tomato-colour ; in others, and 

 more generally, there was below the ten- 

 tacles a flesh-coloured band, then a narrow 

 or broad zone of tomato-colour extending 

 to a quarter or half the length of the 

 column, followed by a broad band of flesh- 

 colour and another of tomato-colour of 

 about equal depth, extending to the base. 

 In one specimen the whole of the column 

 was of a pale flesh tint, with the exception 

 of two zones of a very pale tomato-shade. 



The disc and tentacles were coloured as 

 follows : Lip, opaque white, with an outer 

 ring of brownish purple, then a wider zone 

 of cream-colour and the space extending to 

 the tentacles of brown-purple. The ten- 

 tacles were in two rows ; the core of ten- 

 tacle was of a light golden or straw colour, 

 with bars upon the inner face of purple- 

 brown, or in some of the outer tentacles of 

 dark-grey ; the outer face of the tentacles 

 appeared grey or curry-coloured. Around 

 the base and upon each side of the tentacles 

 swerved a cream-coloured line, not how- 

 ever uniting upon the outer side. Goni- 

 dial radii cream-coloured ; stomach a light 

 tomato, with a line of deep orange-colour 

 running down each ridge of the folds. The 

 specimens were taken at the beginning of 

 the year, and the white or salmon-coloured 

 ova were clustered like grapes upon the 

 mesenteries. Locality, 25 miles off Beachy 

 Head. 



ZoANTHID^ 



72. ZoanthuSy sp. 



Upon scallop shells. Not uncommon. 

 Hastings. 



ALCrONARU 

 Alcyonid^ 



73. Akyontum digitatum. 



The only common coral upon the Sussex 

 coast. It forms lobed, rounded masses 

 upon rocks at low water and upon shells 

 and rock from deeper water. The skeleton 

 is spicular, and the polyps are white, with 

 eight tentacles, fringed laterally with papillae. 

 The colour of the colonies is milk-white or 

 orange. Common. Hastings. 



CTENOPHORA 



74. Pleurobranchia pileus. 



Animal almost spherical, barely ^ inch 

 in diameter, with eight longitudinal rows of 

 swimming paddles, beneath each of which 

 runs a circulatory canal terminating blindly 

 at either extremity. The flash of the 

 irridescent paddles in the sun as the little 

 balloon-like body ascends in the water is a 

 sight well worth seeing. Very common 

 during most years, in the summer, at 

 Hastings. 



75. (?) Pleurobranchia rhodopis, Chun. 



A large species of about the size and 

 shape of a walnut, and of similar structure 

 to the foregoing species. It was taken in 

 the trawl in profusion a few years ago. The 

 specimens were examined at the time, but 

 for want of reference were left undeter- 



83 



