73 



The shape of this species is subject to variation, being 

 either conical or cylindrical. The cylindrical, the C. Sessilis 

 of Bellamy, is low and may be said to be blended with the 

 rock on which it stands : while the conical ones, which have 

 a foot-stalk, when arrived at a certain size, may frequently 

 be removed by the fingers. This I considered to be the 

 Turbinolia Borealis of Dr. Fleming, which is described as 

 being " widely conical and slightly bent," and said to become 

 detached by age, but Dr. Johnston tells me it is the C. 

 Smithii of his work. 



ZOANTHUS. Cuvier. 

 Generic Character: Polype mass compound; polypes dis- 

 tant, united at their bases by a trailing fleshy baud, or 

 broad fleshy base. Animal an Actinia. 

 ZOANTHUS COUCHII. Johnston. Polype-mass com- 

 pound ; polypes distant, when contracted hemispherical, 

 when expanded, pedunculated, united at their bases by 

 an encrusting fleshy band; tentacula in several circles. 

 PI. sv., fig. 2. 



Eab. On flat slates and rocks in deep water from one to 

 ten leagues from the shore, throughout the Cornish part of 

 the British Channel. Common. 



This, in being compound, differs from all other European 

 species of the order, and approaches very closely in form to 

 the Actinia sociata of Ellis. It is a very small species, and 

 composed of a number of Actinias united together at their 

 bases by a thin, encrusting fleshy band. It is of a light 

 sandy or opaque red colour, and its surface is minutely glan- 

 dular. In its contracted state it is sub-conoidal ; resembling 

 both in shape and size a split pea. When living, except that 

 it is glandular, its surface is plain, but when preserved it 

 becomes corrugated. When semi-expanded, which is its fa- 

 vourite state, it elevates itself to about twice its former height 

 and becomes contracted about its middle into an hour glass 

 form. The upper portion is lighter than the lower, and the 

 superior or oral surface is marked by a central depression 

 or mouth, and from it radiate to the circumference, numerous 

 rows of whitish glandular looking bodies, which are the 

 tentacula in a contracted state. When the creature is fuilj 

 expanded, the tentacula become distended and elongated to 

 about the length of the transverse diameter of the body ; and. 

 they are generally darker at their extremities than towards 

 the base. Like all the Actinias, the present species possesses 

 a power of considerably altering its shape; most frequently it 

 is in the shape of an hour glass, at others the oral surface is 

 contracted to a mere point, and then occasionally, is again 

 enlarged to nearly twice the size of any other part ; sometimes 

 the mouth is depressed, and at others is elevated into an 



