GOSSE S ACTINOLOGIA BEITANNICA. 
103 
seeing this Anemone increase by the discharge of ova or young, but only 
by a process of spontaneous division; that the discharge of young does 
sometime happen, we can, however, testify, once having had in our posses¬ 
sion a countless brood, born in this manner, the production of a venerable 
Dianthus. We do not know that this increase by 11 spontaneous division’ ’ 
has been properly investigated: Mr. Gosse but slightly alludes to it, not 
entering into any special details. We have a theory on the subject—a 
theory it must remain till we can find proofs, and we give it pro tanto. 
In the intersepta (we use Mr. Gosse’s terms), we have the ovaries at¬ 
tached to the free edges of the secondary and tertiary septa, and running 
down into the base, enveloped in a thin, semi-transparent membrane. 
Perhaps the normal way for the ova or young Anemones, on becoming 
detached from the ovaria, to escape from the chambers of the parent, 
would be through the stomach, and thence into the throat, from whence 
the tide would wash them away; but if, instead, they got entangled in 
the lower portion of the cavity of the parent, and so into the extreme 
border of that part which is more properly called the disc, here they 
would act as foreign bodies, and the natural impulse would be to get 
rid of them by rupturing this thin border from the remaining portion. 
This being done, and the ova still growing, these ruptured bits would 
soon become smooth, then spherical or oval in outline, and at last the 
tiny tentaculse of the young Actinia would make their appearance. 
But we leave these guesses to notice the first species in the next genus, 
Sagartia, which is the last one this Part contains, i. e. Beilis, the 
well-known “ Daisy Anemone.” We were somewhat impatient to see 
whether it would be made a new genus or not, but all our author says 
is:—“ But for the needless multiplication of genera, I should be tempted 
to separate it from the other Sagartia.” Well, perhaps so, and yet who 
that is accustomed to watch it with a “ philosophic eye” but would be 
tempted to do so ? Why, if it was a Mollusc, and J. E. Gray to “ come at 
it,” especially if he had the advantage of studying it from life, he would 
never rest satisfied till he had made it a genus—perhaps he would make 
it a sub-genus. Part I. ends without finishing the history of this Actinia, 
and with a notice of the plate we must conclude too. Plate 1 is a 
coloured lithograph, containing figures of Actinolobia dianthus ; Sagartia 
lellis , troglodytes, rosea (three figs.), venusta, and sphyrodeta (three 
figs.). It is a very difficult thing to print in colours, with effect, such se¬ 
mi-transparent things as Sea-Anemones, and while we could not consci¬ 
entiously say that any of these figures are perfection, yet we do say that 
they are the best of the kind executed in Britain (especially that of Sa¬ 
gartia venusta and S. rosea), we have yet seen, and are a very great boon 
to collectors. In fine, this work promises to vie in splendour with any 
of the British monographs of Yan Yoorst; and we feel confident that, 
from the extreme interest and popularity of the subject, and from the 
esteem in which Mr. Gosse, as a writer on these subjects, is held, 
the success of this monograph will be complete; and it is a perfect 
novelty to get so much print and illustration for the sum of eighteen- 
pence. 
