268 ANTHEA. 



without showing any tendency to do so, at length per- 

 formed this feat. On the evening of the 6 th of June, 

 I ohserved it in the ordinary bell-form assumed by 

 Actiniae when at rest, with the tentacles protruded 

 only as regards their tips. I immediately touched it 

 both on the body and the tentacles, in the hope of 

 inducing further contraction, by the irritation; but 

 the power seemed to have reached its limit, for the 

 animal opened under the annoyance instead of closing. 

 But on the next night I observed it quite contracted ; 

 the campanulate shape was again assumed, and the 

 tentacles were quite withdrawn. I have no reason to 

 suppose that the specimen was unhealthy; it after- 

 wards expanded its tentacles, and allowed them to 

 hang loosely about, just as before. 



The finest specimens that I have seen are at Ilfra- 

 combe, between Capstone and Lantern Hill ; there is 

 a group of the fine green variety in a tide-pool, all of 

 which expand fully six inches in diameter, with ten- 

 tacles four inches long. 



The crimson extremity of one of the tentacles I 

 submitted to examination under pressure. The walls, 

 which were very mucous, seemed almost wholly com- 

 posed of filiferous capsules of a linear form, slightly 

 curved, about ^^th of an inch in length. The pro- 

 jected thread varied much in length, from four to 

 twenty five times that of the capsule. Those of the 

 body of the tentacle did not differ from those of 

 the tip. 



The numerous convoluted bands with which the 

 body is filled, and whicli are considered to be ovaries, 

 are covered with close- set short cilia, the vibration of 



