The general form of this genus is that of an expanded flower on a short column; the name Beadlet is applied on account of the little bead-like projections on the margin of the disc. The tentacles number nearly two hundred in a fully grown individual, and are arranged in several rows; but when the animal is disturbed and the tentacles retracted, its form is almost hemispherical. It is interesting to note that _A. mesembryanthemum_ not only exists in varieties distinguished by distinct colours, but that the same individual will sometimes change its tint, as may be observed when it is kept in the aquarium; and it may be mentioned, by the way, that it is very easily reared in captivity, either in the natural or the artificial salt water, for not only may the same individuals be kept alive for years with only a moderate amount of attention, but their offspring may be reared without difficulty. On Plate II. (fig. 8) are two illustrations of the beautiful _Actinoloba dianthus_, which grows to a length of five or six inches, and is easily distinguished by its expanded and frilled disc, its very numerous short and slender tentacles, and its tall, pillar-like body. Its colour is somewhat variable, being either salmon, flesh-colour, cream, white, red, orange, or brownish; but whatever be the tint of the body and tentacles, the margin of the mouth is always red or orange. When young it may easily be mistaken for another species, as its disc is not then frilled, and the tentacles are much fewer in number. This pretty anemone usually inhabits deep water, and is frequently brought in, attached to shells and stones, by trawlers, but it may be commonly observed in the dark crevices of rocks, a little above low-water mark, where it is usually seen contracted into a ball, or even so much flattened that it looks like a mere pulpy incrustation of the rock. It is very common on the rocky coasts of Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall, as well as in many parts of Scotland and Ireland. Like the Beadlet, it is easily kept alive in the aquarium, where it commonly multiplies by natural division; but as it does not generally expand in full daylight, its beauty is often better observed at night by artificial light. On Plate II. (fig. 5) we have an illustration of the beautiful Dahlia Wartlet (_Tealia crassicornis_), which may be readily recognised by its thick, banded, horn-like tentacles, and the numerous little adhesive warts that almost cover the surface of its body. This species is as abundant as it is beautiful, for it is to be found in plenty on almost every rocky coast, where it may be seen in the rock pools and in the crevices of rocks near low-water mark. The diameter of its cylindrical body often reaches two or three inches, while the expanded tentacles embrace a circle of four or five inches. Specimens even much larger than this are sometimes obtained by dredging in deep water.