208 NATURAL HISTORY 60CIETY OF DUBLIN. 



FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 6/1865. 



The Eev. Samuel Hattghton, M. D., E. E. S., &c, President, in 

 the Chair. 



The Minutes of the preceding General _Meeting"were read and con- 

 firmed. 



The following paper was read : — 



On a Mode oe Eissiparotts Bepboduction obsebved in Anthea 

 cebeus. By Edward H. Bennett, M. D., M. C, E. B. C. S. I. 



I have adopted the title of this paper, which is printed on our list for 

 this evening, in order that I might avoid the danger of heing charged 

 with bringing a well-known fact before the Society as anything new. 

 I am well aware that fissiparous generation has been often observed in 

 the Class Actiniae ; but, as far as I can see, the mode of division which 

 I am about to describe has not been recorded — at least, not with any 

 accuracy. 



The observation which I have made is as follows : — One morning 

 last summer, in July, I brought to town from the shore at Seapoint 

 three specimens of Anthea cereus (the ash-coloured variety), and put 

 them into a large aquarium, already well-stocked. They were unin- 

 jured, and at once attached themselves to the stonework of the aqua- 

 rium, expanding their tentacles to the full. I had on previous occasions 

 failed in getting this species to do well in the vessel, from some fault 

 in its management, and consequently watched these with some interest. 

 During the evening of the day on which they were put into the vessel 

 I was surprised to see one of them, the finest specimen, moving about 

 in a most unusual manner, while the others were quite motionless, and 

 almost concealed amongst the stonework. The species is always rather 

 restless as compared with others, but this individual seemed to be suf- 

 fering from some extreme excitement, constantly in rapid movement 

 along the stonework, and waving its long ash-coloured tentacles in the 

 wildest manner. Late at night, when I was going to bed, the Anthea 

 was on the highest point of the stonework, in the centre of the vessel ; 

 in the morning it was attached high up the front glass of the vessel, 

 and was still in the same state of excitement. Its position on the front 

 of the vessel afforded the best possible opportunity for the examination 

 of its structure and movements. I made a most careful examination of 

 it, and assured myself that it was perfectly free from any injury. 



On my return home, at about 3 p. m., I at once examined it, and 

 was surprised to find that there was now in the centre of the base a 

 small, irregular opening ; the base itself was no longer circular, but 

 had extended itself in the vertical direction to the utmost, and formed 

 a long narrow oblong. So great was its extension lengthwise, that the 



