THE SNOWY-DISKED ANEMONE. 93 



compressorium are seen to be covered with very 

 minute but close-set and numerous hairs. The move- 

 ment of extraneous particles indicates the presence of 

 vibratile cilia also upon the surface. The cavity of 

 the tentacle is large, the walls being proportionally 

 thin. They contain, imbedded in their substance, 

 but in no great numbers, the usual filiferous capsules, 

 which are of the ordinary appearance in the Actinue, 

 linear, slightly curved and minute, averaging about 

 j^th inch in length. The projected thread too is 

 short, being generally about six times as long as the 

 capsule. 



THE SNOWY DISKED ANEMONE 



I fouTid this species,* April 20th, the same day as 

 A. rosea, and in situations not very dissimilar. It was 

 on the north side of the limestone promontory of Petit 

 Tor, where the rock forms those large somewhat 

 cavernous pools already described, isolated only at 

 very low tides, and dark with the shadow of the slimy 

 sponge-covered precipitous rocks that overhang them ; 

 and where Laminaria digitata grows and waves 

 abundantly, and affords many a nidus for profuse 

 forests of parasitical Corallines of the genera Sertii- 

 laria, Plumularia and Laomedea. The little shining 

 red orifices of thousands of Saxicava ruyosa hang 



* Actinia nivea, mihi. Body elongate, cylindrical, studded with suck- 

 ing warts : tentacula about 120, in four series, sub-equal in size and 

 length. Oral disk ribbed divergently ; mouth conical, a slit with 

 slightly tumid lips. Body yellowish brown, becoming pale and nearly 

 white towards the base ; disk and tentacles snowy white. Inhabits 

 tubular holes in rocks beneath low-water mark. 



