219 



Tenby neighbourhood in March 1903 Bunodes geînmacea was to be 

 found sparingly here and there in one of the bays, by the middle of 

 April it was abundant with often two or three large ones together. In 

 March of that same year a careful study around St. Catherine's Rock, 

 Tenby, demonstrated to one of us the occurrence of Actinia ^ Tealia etc.: 

 as usual, together with some species of Sagartia {nivea, venusta, troglo- 

 dytes, hellis) but no S. rosea and no Actinoloba dianthus. By the middle 

 of April reasonably large specimens of the two last-named species were 

 taken in fair numbers at the same spot. Have we to do here with a 

 case of special sheltering during the winter months ? It is of interest 

 that the rocks surveyed were rather isolated and stood out of sand. 



VII. Anemones eat almost any prey that blunders into their ten- 

 tacle-net, but it is of interest that molluscs seem able to avoid the 

 danger in some cases. Trochi and Littorinae may fall victims, espe- 

 cially to Tealia, but have been watched pushing their way unheeding 

 through the tentacles of Actinia etc. We think they must be protected 

 by the abundant mucus on their skins which makes it difficult for the 

 nematocysts to penetrate, and so for the tentacles to get a firm hold. 

 The same applies to some of the Nudibranchs; a Goniodoris nodosa 

 which fell into the clutches of an Anthea was finally left free by the 

 anemone after nearly two days struggle, but it died soon afterwards 

 from the effects. Larger Nudibranchs seem to be safe from the nemato- 

 cysts of Anemones, and EoUs papillosa is the most formidable enemy 

 the latter possess, at any rate on the British coasts. It will rasp at the 

 base, column, or spherules of an Actinia or at an Anthea without mercy, 

 and many are killed in this way; we have not seen Eolis eat the tentacles 

 of an anemone though Gosse claims to have found this; perhaps the 

 tentacles are more efficiently protected by the nematocysts. As Eolis 

 approaches an Anthea, if the tentacles of the latter touch the slug's 

 papillae, the anemone contracts in great alarm and retreats as effect- 

 ively as possible. It's best pace is, however, nothing much, and the Eolis 

 keeps up with it and goes on gnawing. Once we observed this for some 

 21/2 hours till the anemone had moved quite an inch and had chanced 

 to back against a closed Tealia, it then mounted on top of the Tealia, 

 and thus escaped, for Eolis seems always to avoid this species. Later 

 on, the fugitive redescended from the Tealia but as it moved always in 

 one direction it was now on the far side of Tealia away from the slug 

 and therefore safe. 



Anemones generally move for about 12 hours after such an attack. 



Of other enemies we have once noticed Trochus xiziphinus nibbling 

 at the base of an anemone , we have seen crabs worry them and once 

 eventually make off with the prey the anemone had gathered. We be- 

 lò* 



