396 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNRTY GENTLEMAN, September 21, 1858. 
after, know to wliat class to refer any subject by its generic 
name i — 
Adherent Actinia. — 1. Non-re tractile tentacles. 
2. Retractile tentacles. 
Non- retractile —A. With circular base, body forming a column, 
— Anthea. 
B. Annular base, lobed— Adamsia. 
Retractile. — a. Tentacles terminating in knobs- Corynactis. 
b. Tentacles truncated— Gapnea. 
C. Tentacles conical, a. Emitting filaments— 
Sagartia. b. Not emitting filaments— 
Warted Runodes , smooth Actinia. 
Non-Adherent^ — 1 . Tentacles simple, retractile— Ilnanthus. 
2i Tentacles non-retractilo— Arachnitis. 
3. Body worm-shaped, and enclosed in a 
protective sheath— RJdwardsia. 
4. Body pear - shaped, with posterior 
orifice— Reactica .* 
By reference to the above, it will be found an easy matter 
to refer any unknown Actinia to its class, and hence the 
naming of it will be considerably simplified. A few de¬ 
scriptive notes of species may here prove useful to those who 
take an interest in this subject, and it will be best, perhaps, 
to arrange them in accordance with the foregoing formula. 
Anthea cereus. —This is the only species of the genus 
formed to receive it. Its very distinctive character renders it 
a fine ornament to an artificial rockery in an aquarium. It 
adheres like other Actinia), but loosely, and is easily detached. 
The tentacles are not numerous, seldom amounting to more 
than 150. In structure, the tentacles are worm-like, long, 
taper, and flexible ; and when the creature is in health they 
are very regularly expanded, and fall over on all sides very 
gracefully, and are perpetually in motion. The specimens 
vary in colour, from a pale dove-colour to white and brown, 
but deep slate appears to me to be most common. When the 
sunlight glances through the tank, the slate-coloured speci¬ 
mens acquire a bluer tone, and the mind at once likens them 
to those mats of dyed wool which are commonly used in bed¬ 
rooms. Indeed, our domestic name for them is “ marine 
doormkts.” Anthea cereus is by no means a hardy creature 
in confinement, and it would be unwise to keep more than 
two in the same vessel. It dislikes warmth, must not be 
handled, or in any way disturbed, and is most safe to keep 
from October to April. The aquarian must not think himself 
particularly unfortunate at the loss of his specimens, for the 
most experienced find it difficult to keep them for any length 
of time. To preserve it for any long period, it should be 
fed once a week, and will then take a piece of prawn or oyster 
with unmistakeable relish. The clinging power of the ten¬ 
tacles renders it inadvisable to keep in the same vessel with it 
any lively creatures, for they may in an instant be seized by 
one of the long snake-like arms, and so drawn to destruction. 
The figure of this Actinia, appended to the last paper, was 
sketched from a very fine white specimen in Mr. Hall’s stock. 
Mr. Sowerby’s figure of one which allowed a thread of con¬ 
ferva to hold one of its tentacles in suspension is most happy, 
and that gentleman’s description of it is graphic and enter- 
taming. 
Adamsia palliata. —Mr. Gosse was the first to do justice 
to this very curious creature. It is the only species of its 
genus at present known, and it stands alone and unique in its 
beauty and curious construction. Instead of a sucking base 
and a cylindrical column, the body is, apparently, annular, so 
as to embrace, like a ring of flesh, the whole of the inner 
mouth of a whelk shell. The Adamsia is usually found in 
company with the hermit crab ; the tw r o being joint tenants 
of the shell, and the crab scrambling in and out as he likes, 
over the seemingly tender body of the beautiful creature. 
When taken in hand for the first time, the aquarian is sorely 
puzzled to understand the theory of the structure of the 
Adamsia; for it has the appearance of having, at some pre¬ 
vious time, filled up the mouth of the shell, and then been 
bored through, and the wounds healed over, and the mouth 
and tentacles newly formed, to suit the case. And there it is, 
oncircling the mouth of the shell, its body covered with spots 
and wrinkles, the ground usually white, dotted with rosy- 
puipic and pink, with a warm flush of reddish-brown and 
* “ Sowerby’s History of the Aquarium,” page 94. 
fawn on the upper part; the long, oval disc lias a large 
mouth and puckered lips, well furnished with short tentacles 
of the purest ivory whiteness. The latter set close together i 
like a double row of teeth, and never assuming that full j 
expansion common in Sagartia and JBunodet. That the I 
annular form is apparent only is explained by Mr. Gbste, as j 
follows : — “ The Adamsia is evidently an Actinia of a lofl$ ; 
oval form, capable of development, in its long diameter, into j 
two lengthened wings. Its instinct invariably leads it to j 
select, as its support, the inner lip of some univalve shell, 
having adhered to which, the lateral expansions creep along i 
the shell, following its surface until they have surrounded the j 
aperture, and meet each other on the outer lip. Here the 
•meeting edges unite by mutual adhesion, and seem to grovV ; 
together; yet the suture isalways distinctly visible, both by a i 
slight depression, and by a pale line, which assumes a zigzag 
form, owing to the terminations of the body-striae fitting into 
the interspaces of the opposite ones.” Adamsia is well fur¬ 
nished with the barbed threads, of which mention has been 
made, and the creature has the power of entangling and pierc¬ 
ing an offending animal almost instantaneously. A single 
filament, under a high microscopic power, shows millions of 
capsules, so that the creature is in itself a storehouse of am¬ 
munition for assault and defence, independent of the power j 
of its tentacles. This is a rare species, and one very difficult ! 
to keep. A vessel should be appropriated to it alone, with a j 
bottom of clean shingle, and a few r healthy tufts of Algse. So 
scarce is it, that in the course of a whole year not so many as 
a dozen find their way to London, and, as it is hazardous to j 
keep, the dealers are reluctant to supply it. I purposed to j 
engrave it for The Cottage G ardener, but was unable to 
obtain a specimen for the purpose. 
Corynactis Almanii. — This is one of the miniature 
Actiniae, not so small but that its delicate lines and graceful 
form are clearly perceptible to the eye, but best viewed by the 
aid of a lens. It is here figured from a group on a block of 
hard sandstone in one of my own vessels, where the pretty j 
creatures have flourished since last autumn, when I had a 
great variety of stock up from Poole and Weymouth, and, 
among other things, the beautiful bottle which was figured in 
No. 500 of The Cottage Gardener. Those who are fa¬ 
miliar with the trumpet-shaped animalcules, will recognise hi 
Corynactis a very near relative, for it is little else than ten¬ 
tacles and stomach. The column is formed of very thin and j 
pellucid membranes, and is capable of contracting to the I 
smallness of a grain of mustard seed. When extended and 
expanded, the edge of the disc is the part most brightly 
coloured, sometimes bright scarlet, the remainder of the 
creature being pale pink, and the tentacles white. Some 
specimens are green, and others take various shades of 
crimson and rose; but, whatever the colour, Corynactis is a 
perfect gem, fairy-like in its transparent delicacy. The ten¬ 
tacles are in two rows near the edge, and spreading outw T ards 
over the rim, and in two more rows towards the centre, 
numbering altogether about a hundred. I counted 120 on 
the largest of mine not long since, with the help of a powerful 
lens. They are very short and cylindrical, and terminate in 
knobs, that have the appearance of semi-transparent beads. 
This species feeds w r ell, and bears confinement most patiently. 
In feeding, it reminds one of the passage of a monad into the 
stomach of a vorticella, for the Actinia expands its mouth, 
and often shows the wdiole of the stomach; and when the 
prey is taken, the mouth closes again, and the morsel is per- 
ceptible through the pellucid walls of the stomach. If the 
water is the least foul, Corynactis not only dies, but disappears 
in a day or two; but if kept bright by the dipping process I j 
have already described, and the standard of density carefully 
maintained, I know no reason why these lovely and minute 
creatures should not be preserved for years, and increase all j 
the while. 
Captila SANGUINEA is a creature possessing but little in¬ 
terest, except to the genuine naturalist. Its colour is a vivid i 
carmine or vermilion, but as it is scarce, and does not live 
long in confinement, it is seldom seen in tanks. Its distinctive 
peculiarity is seen in the form of its tentacles, which are trun¬ 
cated, very short, and in a single row; and when expanded 
they are so regular and square in outline, as to look like 
embattlements surmounting a tower; and the frill-like re¬ 
flection of the lobed skin with which it is covered, may, by a 
