G8 On Tealia tuberculata and T. crassicornis. 



large as those which he describes. He himself shows that 

 the normal arrangement corresponds with that in T. crassi- 

 cornis so far as the latter goes, and that the irregularity in 

 T. tuberculata is due to deficiencies in the outer cycle of the 

 tentacles. Further, it is not uncommon to find in adult 

 individuals of other species of Actinia? possessing numerous 

 tentacles similar departures from the regular type. Even in 

 Bunodes verrucosa, in which, as a rule, the regular arrange- 

 ment is singularly conspicuous, we have observed a somewhat 

 similar numerical deficiency (Proc. Roy. Dubl. Soc. vol. vi. 

 p. 321). Indeed, in large specimens, one could hardly expect 

 to find the full number of tentacles always present in the 

 outer and, therefore, newer cycles ; for to preserve such 

 regularity in growth the tentacles in each cycle should be 

 simultaneously developed, and it should be remembered that 

 such an absolutely symmetrical development of mesenteries 

 as this would suggest is not usually met with among Actinia? 

 with numerous mesenteries. Mr. Cunningham himself can 

 hardly consider the irregularity in the tentacles to be of 

 specific importance ; for were he to do so, to be logical, he 

 should exclude the individuals which he has described as 

 well from the genus Tealia, as defined by himself, as from the 

 species T. crassicornis. Thirdly, as to the greater number of 

 tentacles observed by Mr. Cunningham in T. tuberculata com- 

 pared with the number assigned by Gosse to T. crassicornis, we, 

 do not see why this should not be compatible with the identity 

 of the two species. The individuals referred to T. tuberculata 

 are evidently larger than those found along the shore between 

 tide-marks, which formed the material on which Gosse based 

 his description of T. crassicornis ; and it seems reasonable to 

 suppose that the number of tentacles increases with the 

 growth of the animal. Fourthly, as to the tubercles being 

 arranged in vertical rows in T. tubercidata, we have shown 

 that the same is the case with T. crassicornis (I. c. pp. 319, 

 320). We do not think that the fact that Cocks's and Mr. 

 Cunningham's specimens were attached to the valves of 

 Lamellibranchs, instead of being found in the clefts of rocks, 

 is anything more than a different habit necessarily assumed 

 by the animals in the different regions from which they were 

 obtained. We may add that we have never seen a T. crassi- 

 cornis brought from deep water except on a shell or stone. 

 Mr. Cunningham points out that the surface of the column 

 is almost always bare of pebbles and sand, though furnished 

 with suckers ; we have invariably found this to be the case 

 with specimens of T. crassicornis dredged in deep water. 

 From what we have already said it is apparent that we 



