XXX. Description of Peachia hastata, a new genus and species of the Class Zoophyta; with observations on the Family Actiniadae.

Abstract

IN the month of January 1854, and afterwards in March of the same year, the Rev.Charles Kingsley found, in the vicinity of Torquay, many specimens of an Actinia, which he kindly forwarded to me.As it appeared not only to be an undescribed species, but to have characters which separate it generically from others, I venture to lay before the Linnean Society my observations concerning it.The body (Tab.XXVIII.fig. 1) is spindle-shaped or clavate, 4 inches in length, and 1 inch in greatest diameter, pellucid, very pale red, with numerous slender whitish lines, running at equal distances down the whole length.These do not vary in width, and are evidently the edges of the internal septa, seen through the translucent integument.The red colour is dependent on a thin epidermis, which, as the animal is apt, when in a sickly state, to distend itself greatly in parts, bursts, and separates into torn shreds, displaying the pellucid body beneath.The oval disk is very protrusile ; it is surrounded by a single circle of twelve (eleven in one specimen) tentacles.These are short, thick at the base, tapering to a point ; and are frequently carried recurved over the margin, bike rams' horns (fig.2).Their markings are peculiarly elegant.Each tentaculum is pellucid-white, as to its ground colour ; but its upper side, or that which faces the disk, is variegated with arrow-heads of white and brown, in two parallel lines (fig.3).The arrows point towards the base of the tentacle, and the colours are arranged alternately, one of white with one of brown fitting into its angle, and so on : there are about six of white and six of brown in each of the two rows ; but towards the extremities they have a tendency to become confluent.The disk is somewhat similarly marked with arrows or Vandykes ; but they point in the opposite direction towards the circumference.The arrows of the outermost circle are strongly marked, and form a star or flower of twelve points, of deep brown ; of which the points diverge again, to embrace partially the bases of the several tentacles.Within this circle there is a similar one of white, and within this, another of small brown arrows, which are not united.,The' mouth is very evertile, but does not rise into a cone.Its lips are grooved interiorly, and the grooves are deep brown, and appear to be confluent at some distance down the throat.Prom the mouth protrudes a singular organ, to which I know of no parallel in this class of animals.It is a sort of fleshy proboscis, the tip of which dilates into a clubbed head, divided into short papilla?(figs. 2 a and 4 a).The papillae were about twenty in number in my largest specimen, with a tendency to form groups, slightly radiating ; each papilla consisting of a pellucid sheath and of a dark brown core.VOL.