36 THE WEYMOUTH ANEMONE. 



it quite common in these ledges, of wliich it appears 

 characteristic. 



Its habit is to lurk in narrow fissures, in the cavi- 

 ties of the under sides of stones, or not infrequently in 

 the deserted holes of Pholas or Saxicava. The disk 

 is wide and flat, and as it is very expansile, it spreads 

 itself to a considerable distance around the margin 

 of its hole. So essential is it to its comfort, however, 

 that it should have a retirement, that if it be put 

 into an Aquarium, though it may at first affix itself 

 to a flat stone or to the surface of a shell, it will crawl 

 along upon its base till it finds some loose stone, 

 beneath which it will insinuate itself till it is quite 

 concealed, or a narrow crevice or fissure, as between 

 two contiguous stones, into which it may thrust its 

 body. 



The Weymouth Anemone is very easily distinguished 

 from any other species that I am acquainted with, by 

 several constant characters; and though there are three 

 well-marked varieties, they are all easily recognised 

 as constituting but one and the same species. The 

 marks common to all, and yet peculiar, are the fol- 

 lowing. The exterior surface is rough with numerous 

 sucking glands, arranged in close-set perpendicular 

 ridges of pale-yellow warts, with a crimson freckled 

 skin showing between. Every wart has a crimson 

 speck on its summit ; and as these are small and nu- 

 merous, they impart a general red hue to the whole 

 body. The tentacles are not numerous, and are 

 chiefly marginal ; they are pale pellucid-yellowish in 

 one variety, and in another lovely rose-colour, but in 

 either condition are studded with transversely-oval 



