Ill 



A paper was read comprising " Descriptions of a few Jn'oatebraied 

 Animals obtained at the Isle of France," by Robert Templeton, 

 Esq. It was accompanied by coloured drawings of the new species 

 described in it, which were exhibited. 



Of these animals two belong to the Radiated division of the ani- 

 mal kingdom. They may be characterized as follows : 



Actinia sanguineo-punctata. Act. Jlavescenti-rufescens, 

 punctis sanguineis cotifertis pei- scries longitudinales numerosas 

 dispositis ornata ; ore guttis cceruleis quinque circundato ; tenta- 

 culis viridcscentibus, hyalinis. 



Hah. vix uncialis, super saxa. 



Xenia Desjardiniaka. Xen. pallide livido-ccertilea ; polypis 

 8-, rariiis dradiatis. 



Hab. super lapides prope Black River. 



The mass from which the polypes arise is spread over the sur- 

 face of the stones to the extent, in many places, of more than a foot. 

 It is usually about an eighth of an inch in thickness, and appears to 

 be composed of an infinite interlacing of tubular stems. From the 

 sides of these stems are given off peduncles, each of which termi- 

 nates in a disc having a central mouth and eight (rarely nine) rays. 

 These rays are simple on their under or outer surface, pectinated 

 along their edges, and furnished on the upper or inner surface with 

 short processes, having cupped or sucker-like extremities. The 

 discs are perpetually in motion, waving from side to side as though 

 in search of objects ; and when anything comes in contact with 

 their rays or tentacula, the suckers instantaneously close in upon it, 

 and the tentaculum doubles itself up like a finger and conveys the 

 prey to the mouth : if the object be large, two or three of the tenta- 

 cula are employed. When the prey is so large as not to admit of 

 its being swallowed, the tentacida relax their hold and allow it to 

 escape. 



The remaining two belong to the Annulose type, "and appear to 

 represent two genera among the Annelida, nearly allied to the 

 SerpulidcB. 



Anisomelus. 



Os tentaculis simplicibus octo, per paria dispositis, filiformibus, 

 prehensilibus instructum. 



Branchia? simplices, tentaculiformes, pedibus baud multo longi- 

 ores, in segmentis corporis quatuor anterioribus sitae. 



Testa cylindrica, calcarea, erecta, ad basin in saxis immersa. 



Obs. Numero et symmetria tentaculorum, necnon branchiarum 

 simplicitate?, a Terebelld caeterisque generibus affinibus distinguitur. 



Anisomelus luteus. 



Long, corporis vix 4^ unc. 



Hab. in saxis corallinis apud Black River. 



