154 GENUS ACTINIA. [November. 



subglobular form, without any appearance of a disposition 

 to dilate. Ti:ie great heat of the weather induced me to 

 darken the chamber wherein the animal was kept; and I 

 walked out to continue my researches on the shores of the 

 isla«d. On my return, which was in about two hours, I 

 found my Actinia expande^, and adhering to the bottom 

 of the vessel, in the manner of other sjKcies of the genus; 

 whilst its air-bladder was detached, and floating on the 

 surface of the water. Its tentacula assumed the appear- 

 ance of a white flower, and formed a fine contest with the 

 green-olive ground of the body, and the yellow band of the 

 border. I will here remark, that every time that I wished 

 the animal to dilate itself, 1 was obliged to darken the 

 place \Vhtrein it was kept, either on board the ship, or on 

 shore; and that it contracted itself in proportion as the 

 light was let in upon it. It should seem, from the above 

 remark, that the organs of sensation of these animals are 

 very delicate, since the light so soon aflfects them. They 

 prefer the evening, or the night, to perfectly unfold them- 

 selves, and display their flower-like tentacula. 



The negligence of the person to whom I had entrusted 

 the care of my Actinia, (in not changing the water daily, 

 as I had been accustomed to do,) during the time that we 

 made an excursion to the famous Animal flower Grotto, 

 situate in the north end of the island, occasioned the death 

 of this fine siJecimen, that I had carefully preserved alive 

 for the space of ten days. This was a^mortifying circum- 

 stance, as I wished to ascertain whether or no the animal 

 possessed the faculty of reproducing its air-bladder, which 

 was detached as before mentioned. 



(To be continued.) 



