170 BIRTH OF A YOUNG ONE. 



whether of night or of a closet, it would presently 

 elongate itself to about two inches in height, the 

 thickness being consequently diminished to about 

 half an inch. Whether the tentacles were expanded 

 or concealed, this curious habit of elongation was 

 almost invariably practised in the dark. Some other 

 Actiniae have the same habit. 



I find several, mostly of small size, in the crevices 

 of the rocks near low water around the bathing pools. 

 They are generally enveloped in small gravel, from 

 which, if closed, their six-fold star appears prettily con- 

 spicuous. One that I brought home produced a 

 single young in the night, which I found in the morn- 

 ing adhering to the bottom of the vessel beside its 

 parent. It is comparatively large, being about one 

 fourth of the diameter of the mother ; — there are only 

 twelve tentacles in a single row, but with a tendency 

 to serial arrangement, for the alternate ones are much 

 smaller than the rest. It is interesting to see the 

 characteristic colouring distinctly shown in this new- 

 born young: the tentacles in particular have the 

 bands across the upper surface as numerous, as vivid, 

 and as well-defined, as in any adult. Probably twelve 

 tentacles is the normal number of the infant Actinia 

 in all species, constituting the inner row. In a week 

 or two other tentacles begin to appear, not in a regular 

 series, but here and there from between the bases of 

 those already formed. 



There seems a greater readiness in this species to 

 produce young in captivity than in any other that I 

 have kept. Most of the specimens in my vessels have 



