CERTAIN STICHODACTTLIN^ TO THE MADREPOEAEIA. 637 



and Miclielotti (1860, p. 45) describe a West-Indian form, 

 Actinotryx Sancti-Thomcd, which lately has been transferred by 

 McMurrich (1889, p. 42) to the genus founded by Milne-Edwards 

 and Haime. The only important difference is that in the latter 

 the oral tentacles are compound while they are simple iu the type, 

 characters which can only be regarded as specific. 



McMurrich found the Antillean species to be not uncommon 

 at the Bahamas, and describes in some minuteness its form 

 and structure. It is extremely abundant in Jamaican waters 

 in the region of active coral -growth, forming carpet-like expan- 

 sions of considerable extent, and I have been able to confirm 

 and supplement somewhat the previous descriptions. R. rliodo- 

 stoma has not been studied anatomically, while the account of 

 It. hryoides, collected by Haddon (1893, p. 121) from Torres 

 Straits, though ia preparation, has not yet appeared. JS"othing 

 is known of JR. musciformis, Duch. & Mich. (1866, p. 132), 

 since it was first described. The details to follow will therefore 

 have reference mainly to B. Sancti-Thomce. 



The genus Ricordea was proposed by Duchassaing and Miche- 

 lotti (1860, p. 41) for another West-Indian anemone, repre- 

 sentatives of which " sont simples dans leur jeuuesse, c'est a 

 dire qu'ils n'ont alors qu'une seule bouche, et deviennent com- 

 poses lorsque lear developpement est complet. A cette derniere 

 epoque, ces aniraaux ont 5 bouches situees au centre du disque 

 recouyert, partout ailleurs, de tentacules courts, obtus et non 

 .entierement retractiles." The authors pertinently add, " Le 

 genre Bicordea est, aux autres Actinines, ce que les Meandrines 

 sonfc aux CaryopTiyllees." 



a. Jlorida, the only species known, was also obtained by 

 McMurrich (1889, p. 47) at the Bahamas, and described under 

 the name Seteranthus fioridus ; but the original generic term was 

 restored in a later paper (1896, p. 188). It occurs in abundance 

 in Jamaican waters under conditions similar to those oi B. Sancti- 

 ThomcBf that is on the sea-floor in the region of active coral- 

 growth. The polyps are so numerous and closely associated as 

 to give rise to the appearance of irregular compact patches on 

 the sea-bottom, when viewed through a water-glass. 



While the two previous genera are restricted to tropical waters 

 Corynactis is cosmopolitan in its distribution. C. viridis, AIL, is 

 found in European seas ; C. glohulifera, Ehr., in the Eed Sea ; 

 C parvula, Duch. & Mich., and G. myrcia (Duch. & Mich.), in 



