THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA. 127 



ANEMONIA STIMPSONII sp. nov. (?). 



(PLATE VI, FIGS. 3, 4.) 



Among the many Actiniaria which people the waters of 

 Santa Barbara 1 one of the most beautiful is a species of 

 Anemonia to which is given the specific name Stimpsonii 

 out of profound respect to the memory of one of our best 

 students of marine animals, Dr. William Stimpson. This 

 anemone was found abundant in the pools and reefs of 

 Santa Cruz island, where it was first seen, but it was also 

 collected at various points on the main land. 



A. Stimpsonii is a small Actinian of bright red color, with 

 blood-red crimson stripes on the smooth body, especially 

 on the region of the external body wall near its attachment. 

 When the tentacles are retracted they are wholly hidden, 

 and the body forms a wart-like structure on the base of 

 attachment, not unlike a Metridium, but of bright crimson 

 color. When expanded the margin of the circumoral 

 region is reflexed, by which the tentacles are widely ex- 

 panded. 



The tentacles are brownish in color, stumpy, without 

 lateral appendages, and armed with powerful lasso-cells. 



The region between the single row of tentacles and the 

 mouth is smooth, destitute of appendages. The ring 

 about the mouth has a whitish color. The mouth is circu- 

 lar, slightly linear. The base of the tentacles is whitish 

 with a white spot at the tips. Tentacles, smooth, men- 

 ocyclic. The whitish spots at the bases of the tentacles 

 are conspicuous. 



When the polyp is wholly expanded the upper region 

 of the body immediately contiguous to the base of the ten- 



1 Santa Barbara lies between the region from which most of the specimens of 

 west coast Echinoderms recorded by Verrill (Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. I, part II, 

 No. 2) and those of Stimpson (op. cit.) were taken. It therefore presents an in- 

 teresting collecting ground for this group, and affords interesting facts in the study 

 of the geographical distribution of west coast Echinoderms. 



