genera belonging to the Mollufca, that of Adtinia is 

 perhaps the mod elegant and curious. Many fpecies 

 of this genus have been called by the name of Sca- 

 Anemonics, from a general refcmblance which they 

 bear, during their expanded ftate, to that flower. The 

 fpecies here reprefented, feems in a peculiar manner 

 worthy of this name. I have therefore given it the 

 title of the Anemone A&inia. 



Though extremely common on feveral of the Euro- 

 poean coafts, and on our own in particular, it does not 

 feem diftin&ly mentioned by Linnaeus in the Syftema 

 Naturae, It adheres firmly to the rocks, fo as to be 

 frequently left above water at the ebbing of the fea ; 

 but it is generally found adhering at fome little depth 

 below the furface of the water. Its general colour is 

 a deep red, more or lefs vivid in different fpecimens, 

 and of the fize reprefented in the annexed plates. 



When in a ftate of contraction, (as at Fig. 1.) it has 

 the appearance of a very obtufe cone, with an orifice at 

 the top, which it can at pleafure clofe entirely ; but 

 which is generally fo far open, as juft to exhibit a few 

 of the interior branchy tciiLacula or central parts. {Fig. 

 2.) but when expanded, it prefents a moft curious and 

 beautiful appearance, [Fig. 3.) it then difplays a triple 

 row of circular tentacula of an oblong form, with ob- 

 tufe points, of a yellow colour, and varied with red in 

 fuch a manner as to bear a very confiderable refcm- 

 blance to the flower from which it is named. In this 

 ftate the central tentacula are not protruded, but a 

 large cavity appears in the middle, into which, if any 

 extraneous fubftance is introduced, or even if any of 



the 



