REPORT ON THE HEX ACTINIAE 3 



provided with an epidermis, a distinct mesogloeal sphincter and 

 only 6 pairs of perfect mesenteries. Haddon makes the dis- 

 tinction rest upon the occurrence of gonads in the mesenteries 

 of the first cycle which he has found in certain Phellias. It 

 does not seem to me that this peculiarity deserves the im- 

 portance that Haddon has assigned to it, and I may again refer 

 to the genus Aiptasia as providing ammunition for use against 

 my friend's proposition. In A. pallida and in A. sp. (Bermudas, 

 McM.) gonads occur in the mesenteries of the first cycle, and yet 

 I imagine that no one would therefore suggest the assignment 

 of these species to a different subfamily than that which shelters 

 A. annulata, etc. We may, apparently, find occasionally an 

 infringement of the right of sterility usually enjoyed by the first- 

 cycle mesenteries, but it does not seem to me that we should 

 at present legitimize the infringement by granting it the rank of 

 a subfamily characteristic. 



In the present collection I have found no representatives of 

 either the Sagartiinae or Phelliinae, but a representativ^e of the 

 Metridiinai occurred. 



Subfamily Metridiin.e, Carlgren. 



Sagartiidae in which the column wall is perforated by cin- 

 clides and in which only the mesenteries of the first cycle are 

 perfect. 



7. Metridhim diantlms (Ellis) Oken. 



Synonyms. — Actinia dianthus, Ellis, 1767. 

 Actinia plumosa, Miiller, 1776. 

 Metridium dianthus, Oken, 1815. 

 Actinoloba dianthus, Blainville, 1830. 

 Actinia marginata, Lesueur, 1 81 7. 

 Metridium marginatum, Milne-Edwards, 1857. 

 Metridium fimbriatum, Verrill, 1865. 

 ? Actinia priapus, Tilesius, 1809. 



(For a more complete synonymy see Andres, '83.) 



As may be seen from the above synonymy, I have united into 

 a single species three forms which have been usually regarded 

 as distinct, though several authors have recognized the possi- 

 bility of their identity. I wish it to be understood, however, 



