POLYPS AND CORALS. 61 



Column of imiform texture, without a distinct fold, cov- 

 ered with persistent verrucse, arranged in vertical lines, 

 usuallj'^ decreasing in size and number towards the base, 

 the upper one in each row more prominent, and forming 

 a row of pustuliform verruca, or of swollen clenticula- 

 tions around the margin below the tentacles. Tentacles 

 elongated, contractile, numerous. Verrucee usually, but 

 not always, adhesive, often concave at summit but not 

 perforated. 



BuNODES ixoRNATA Vcrrill. 



Actinia inornata Simpson, 1. c, p. 376, 1855. 

 Plate 1, figures 4a, 4b, 5. 



Base broad, larger than column, which is short, cylin- 

 drical, about as broad as high. Surface of colinun covered 

 with permanent, oval verrucee, which are not very numer- 

 ous, rather distantly arranged in vertical rows, most nu- 

 merous above, many of the rows gradually disappearing 

 at about the middle and but few reaching the base, where 

 the verrucse become more distant and less prominent. 

 Tentacles long, curling, loosely arranged, in two or three 

 mixed rows close to the margin, about seventy in number. 

 They are highly contractile, not retractile, but can be 

 enclosed by the contraction of the margin of the disk 

 and column. Mouth elevated, with numerous lateral 

 folds and a well developed sulcus at both ends, each bor- 

 dered by a prominent, rounded lobe. Disk with a broad 

 space between the mouth and tentacles. Height two 

 inches. 



Color dark olive, paler above, slightly brownish on the 

 lower part of the column, darkest around the mouth. 



Near Hong Kong, on a stone in gravel, at low- water 

 mark, April, 1854. Dr. Wm. Stimpson. 



In alcohol the body has a hemispherical form, the sides 

 strongly sulcate, and minutely wrinkled transversely. 

 The upper verrucee are distinct, and concave ; those below 

 inconspicuous. 



