372 
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
of resemblance to the above, and possibly also to the form I have 
referred to as Sagartia sp. in my " Revision." How far these or any 
of them are identical with Koren and Danielssen's species I am at 
present unprepared to state. 
(b) S. W. Ireland, in 750 fathoms. 
Actinerus sp. 
Column. — Firm, glabrous, apparently perfectly smooth when fully 
extended, in contracted regions with a tendency to become verrucose ; 
no distinct capitulum ; base bulbous, as in the majority of free Actiniae 
from deep water ; when expanded, the upper portion of the column is 
much wider than the lower ; the body- wall feels thick. Tentacles in 
preserved expanded animal, thick and short, ranged at the margin of 
the oral disc in two or three rows ; the mesogloea of the basal portion 
of the tentacles appears to be much thickened, so that there is in 
contraction a low, circular swollen base surmounted by the longer 
and more delicate distal portion of the tentacle. The tentacular 
crown is retractile, but apparently the circular sphincter muscle is 
feebly developed ; when contracted, the uppermost portion of the 
column is somewhat puckered. The oral disc is provided with low 
radiating ridges, corresponding with the tentacles. In one specimen, 
at all events, a single large oesophageal groove is present. 
Colour in preserved specimens opaque white, inner surface of 
oesophagus madder-brown. Prom a label in the bottle I find that, 
when alive, the tentacles were pale-salmon in colour, and mouth 
burnt-sienna. Mr. Kane's memorandum says: " Upper portion pale- 
rose colour, lower portion white ; disc burnt-sienna, deepening to 
brown-madder ; oesophageal grooves deep-salmon colour." 
Dimensions when alive 4 inches in diameter " when expanded ; 
column 3-3|- inches high, 2 inches in diameter." When preserved, 
the expanded disc of specimen (a) measures 85 mm. x 55 mm. ; the 
base 40 mm. x 16 mm.; height, 65 mm. Specimen (i) contracted ; 
average diameter, 55 mm. ; height, 60 mm. 
This is a fine addition to the Actiniae of the Atlantic slope of the 
British Marine Area, the genus being hitherto unrecorded from this 
side of the Atlantic — that is, if I rightly apprehend Prof. Yerrill's 
descriptions and figures of his genus Actinerus. (A. E. Verrill, Am. 
Jour. Sci. XVII., 1879 ; Actinerus, g. n., p. 474 ; A. nobilis, n. sp. cf. 
Eep. U. S. Fish. Com. for 1883 [1885], p. 534, pi. vii., pp. 23, 23a ', 
A. saginatus, n. sp.. Am. Jour. Sci. xxiii., 1882, p. 315 ; Bull. Mus. 
Comp. ZooL, 1883, p. 58). I prefer to suspend my judgment as to 
