A naturalist's rambles on the Devonshire coast (Page 29) (5981270830)

THE TENTACLES. 20

arranged in about six rows ; the innermost series con-

tains about twelve tentacles ; the next about the same

number ; the third about twice as many ; the fourth

is ag-ain doubled ; the fifth increases in the same pro-

portion, and the sixth contains about thrice as many

as the fifth. This ratio, if accurately carried out,

would give a total of seven hundred and sixty eight

tentacles to one Actinia, a number which is not far

from the mark, though as in other species, the rows

are not quite regular. The inmost series of tentacles

is usually erect, or even inclines inwards, the others

decline more and more towards the circumference,

until the outmost two or three rows lie quite flat upon

the disk, to which the exterior one of all forms an

exquisite fringe ; all the rows are small, but they

diminish outwardly in size, and more rapidly the

nearer they approach the edge ; those of the outmost

row are very minute, the longest (for they are not

equal) not exceeding the sixteenth of an inch in length,

and some being only tiny tubercles : they are slender,

and set so close together, that I counted sixty in

an inch.

The mouth is oblong, sometimes contracted to a

slit, at others showing a sub-oval, or lozenge-shaped

opening, with the lips within finely crenated. Deli-

cate depressed lines diverge from the mouth to the

circumference of the disk, by tracing which we shall

find that the convex space included between two lines

leads to and terminates in a tentacle ; the disk may

in fact be described as formed of the roots of the ten-

tacles soldered together. Viewed from outside, with

a strong light behind, the substance of the disk is

English: Actinea bellis (Pennant, 1777) accepted as Cereus pedunculatus (Pennant, 1777)

a naturalists rambles on the devonshire coast cereus pedunculatus files from the biodiversity heritage library sagartia elegans high resolution natural history zoology

1853

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