4058 Notices of New Books. 



finely crenated. Delicate depressed lines diverge from the mouth to 

 the circumference of the disk, by tracing which we shall find that the 

 convex space included between two lines leads to and terminates in a 

 tentacle ; the disk may be in fact described as formed of the roots of 

 the tentacles soldered together. Viewed from the outside, with a 

 strong light behind, the substance of the disk is exquisitely beautiful, 

 — the diverging but almost parallel fibres resembling the grain of a 

 beautiful piece of wainscot, and each ending abruptly with a rounded 

 point, where the tentacle springs up from the surface on the opposite 

 side. 



" The colours of this very lovely Actinia I have not found to vary 

 much. The base is white, which as it ascends becomes flesh-colour- 

 ed, then lilac, passing (at about the point where the disk expands) into 

 a dull grayish purple, more or less tinged with brown. The upper 

 part of the stem, and the whole of the outer surface of the disk, are 

 studded with pale spots, which are the extremities of tubular glands, 

 one use of which is to attach, by a kind of suction, minute bits of 

 shell, gravel, &c, to the surface, for concealment as is supposed. I 

 have not seen this habit commonly resorted to by this species, but I 

 have witnessed it. 



" The upper surface of the disk is of a rich, deep, umber-brown, 

 often mottled with gray at the first row of tentacles, and merging into 

 gray, lavender- colour or white, towards the third or fourth row. The 

 tentacles are tapered to a point : they are grooved longitudinally on 

 the upper side ; they are commonly dark brown at the base, and yel- 

 lowish brown through the rest of their length, blotched and speckled 

 with white. Those of the inmost row, and frequently some of the 

 others, have one or two broad rings of pure conspicuous white near 

 the basal part, and a broad spot of white divided by a brown line 

 lengthwise, on the disk just at their foot. There is some diversity in 

 the proportions of brown and gray in different individuals, but the 

 yellowish brown tentacle studded with whitish specks is, I think, cha- 

 racteristic. 



" There is, however, a very marked variety ; for although I at first 

 was disposed to consider it distinct, it must, I feel sure, be referred to 

 this species. In a specimen before me from Capstone Hill, Ilfra- 

 combe, the disk and tentacles are unrelieved by any trace of white 

 or gray, being of an uniform dark brown, except that the tentacular 

 ridges that cross the disk are bounded on each side by a fine line of 

 scarlet, scarcely visible except with a lens ; its effect is however to 

 give a tint of chocolate to the surface. The outside of this specimen 



