DESCRIPTION. 431 



as it does not inhabit holes or crevices ; nor is its 

 body indued with gravel, or any extraneous substances. 

 When put into a vessel of water it very readily expands 

 its large conical tentacles, and dilates its disk to the 

 utmost ; and though, on being touched, it will par- 

 tially contract, it unfolds the instant the annoyance 

 ceases, and is presently full-blown again. 



None of the specimens that I saw exceeded about 

 half-an-inch in height, and the same in expanse. 

 There is scarcely any variation in their colouring. 

 They are ribbed longitudinally with many opaque white 

 lines and bands, differing in breadth, that traverse 

 the ribs ; these lines are separated by interspaces, 

 always narrow, of pale, semi-pellucid brown or drab. 

 The margin is sometimes slightly tinged with reddish- 

 brown. The oral disk is opaque-white, marked with 

 five pellucid radiating lines. The mouth and lips are 

 also pure white. The tentacles are arranged in three 

 or four irregular rows, and are graduated in size, those 

 at the interior row being much the largest, and the 

 exterior ones the smallest. They are all opaque 

 snowy-white, without the least appearance of bars or 

 rings, except that the very base of each is encircled 

 with a narrow ring of dark purplish-red or brown* 

 which passes off in a line behind the tentacle. Some- 

 times this ring is obsolete, except around the base of 

 the twelve largest tentacles that form the innermost 

 circle, where I think it is never wanting. The lips 

 are capable of being inflated and protruded to an 

 immense extent. 



None of my specimens have any yellow spots on 

 the lips, nor the least trace of the minute tubercles 



