I 



BEAUTIFUL VARIETIES. 31 



but the yellowish brown tentacle studded with whitish 

 specks is, I think, characteristic. 



There is, however, a very marked variety; for 

 though I at first was disposed to consider it distinct, 

 it must, I feel sure, be referred to this species. In a 

 specimen before me from Capstone Hill, Ilfracombe, 

 the disk and tentacles are unrelieved by any trace of 

 white or grey, being of an uniform dark brown, ex- 

 cept that the tentacular ridges that cross the disk are 

 bounded on each side by a fine line of scarlet, 

 scarcely visible except with a lens : its effect is however 

 to give a tint of chocolate to the surface. The out- 

 side of this specimen difi'ers not materially from the 

 common state ; it is, however, of a particularly bright 

 crimson, instead of purplish. (See fig. 3.) 



That this is a variety of A. hellis is manifest, be- 

 cause I have another on the table from the same 

 locality, which beautifully connects the two states. 

 This is a very handsome specimen ; the disk is deep 

 brown, almost black, with the fine lines of scarlet 

 diverging from the centre as in that just described. 

 The tentacles are some of them brown with one or 

 two specks only of white near the base, and others, 

 mottled in the ordinary manner with dark brown, 

 light brown, grey and white ; what is strange is that 

 these varieties of colour are disposed in groups, a 

 cluster of tentacles of the former hues, and then a 

 batch of the latter. The scarlet runs up around the 

 base of each tentacle, flushing its lower parts in a 

 very elegant style ; and the oral aperture is marked 

 around the very edge with conspicuous white tooth- 

 like lines. This specimen was remarkable for the 



