218 THE TRUMPET LBCERNAEIA. 



some were as much as one-third of an inch in diameter. 

 They were very beautiful, closely resembling a bell- or 

 trumpet-mouthed monopetalous flower, with a short 

 flexible footstalk, and a small, expanded, sucking disk 

 at the base. The substance was clear, transparent, 

 gelatinous ; the flower-like expansion thin and filmy, 

 with the margin projecting into eight equidistant 

 points. From each of these points radiated about 

 twenty slender tentacular threads, bearing at their ex- 

 tremities orange or yellow globules. The ovaries ra- 

 diated in eight irregular bands from the centre of the 

 flower to the marginal points, and from the centre 

 itself projected a little, protrusile, four-cleft mouth ; 

 closely like the peduncle of a Thaumantias. Indeed 

 I was strongly struck with the resemblance which the 

 creature bore to a small Medusa, and I consider it as 

 a link that connects the normal Actiniae with the 

 Acalephse. 



In some specimens there were eight little oval warts 

 which hung from the outside of the margin, placed 

 midway between the angles or points. Montagu has 

 made these warts the distinctive character of this 

 species ; but I think they are not to be depended on ; 

 for many of my specimens, not at all to be dis- 

 tinguished from these in form, colour or habit, were 

 destitute of the least trace of the warts. It is possi- 

 ble that it may be a distinction of sex. 



The specimens were very difficult to preserve alive. 

 The beautiful groups of globe-headed threads soon 

 contracted and agglutinated into shapeless masses, the 

 hold of the foot loosened, and the animal dropped help- 

 less to the bottom, and decayed. Indeed, I found that 



