A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ZONING OF THE SHORE. 11 



Highest is the zone of Actinia equina, L. (A. mesembryanthemum) , 

 lurking in tiny pools and cool crevices quite up to high water of neap 

 tides ; very tolerant of, and indeed happy in, periodical exposure to 

 the air. The vertical height of this region is probably about 12 feet, 

 merging towards the lower margin into a narrower zone characterized 

 by the presence, in crannies, of the lovely Gem Anemone, Bunodes 

 gemmaccus. This zone is not always well marked, and at times, seems 

 almost co-terminous with that of Actinia ; where best shown, it 

 forms a hand beginning some 8 feet from high water of neap 

 tides, and extending to some 4 to 5 feet further than the lower 

 margin of the Actinia zone, i.e., to some 16 to 17 feet from neap tide 

 high water. 



This region, at its lower boundary, passes rather abruptly into 

 that of the extremely common and hardy Anemonia sulcata (Penn.) — 

 the Anthca cercus of Gosse. Of the various species of Anemone, 

 this is the most abundant here ; common equally in rock-pool, among 

 the fronds of zostera, and scattered over the stony surface of many of 

 the bays. Not less than 10 feet vertically is taken up by this species, 

 and so brings us to within 5 feet of the lowest margin of spring tides 

 — an interval filled in by Tealia felina (T. cnissicornis) , whose zone 

 extends well down through the Laminarian region. 



In the deeper parts of the Laminarian zone, the commensal 

 anemone Adamsia rondelctii comes, while from the dee23er water of 

 the Coralline zone (20 to 30 fathoms), we obtain the other British 

 species of the same genus, viz., A. pattiata. Here too a large and 

 pale-coloured varietjr of Tealia lives. 



To tabulate these regions, we have, taken in descending order, 

 the following : — 



1. Actinia equina zone ; Vertical range : — from high water to 12-ft. down. 



2. Bunodes gemmaceus zone ; do. :— 8-ft., beginning at 8-ft. down. 



3. Anemonia sulcata zone ; do. : — 10-ft., " " lG-ft. " 



i. Tealia felina zone ; do. : — the last 5-ft. of the littoral, beginning 



at 26-ft. down (also the higher part of the Laminarian zone). 



5- Adamsia rondeletii zone ; the lower part of the Laminarian and the upper 

 margin of the Coralline zone ; vertical range from 6 to 20 fathoms. 



6. Adamsia palliata zone ; the Coralline zone, from 18 to 30 fathoms. 



All data from high water of neap tides. 



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