142 THE SEA SHORE 



The natural division of the anemone has frequently been spoken 

 of as by no means an uncommon occurrence, but, as far as our 

 experience of captive anemones go, this mode of multiplication 

 does not seem to take place except as the result of some mechanical 

 force applied, or as a means by which the animal may relieve itself 

 of a solid body that it is unable to eject. Thus, on one occasion, 

 when a stone had slipped so that its narrow edge rested across the 

 middle of the disc of a large Mesembryanthemum, the animal, 

 apparently unable to free itself from the burden, simply withdrew 

 its tentacles and awaited results. In a few days two individuals 

 were to be seen, one on either side of the stone, both undoubtedly 

 produced as the.result of the pressure applied. This instance seems 

 to be exactly akin to artificial division, for it is far more likely that 

 the animal was severed by the simple pressure of the stone than 

 that it divided itself to be relieved of its burden. 



On another occasion an anemone that had almost entirely sur- 

 rounded a mussel on which it had been feeding, gradually released 

 itself of the shell by a longitudinal division of its body ; but here, 

 again, it is probable that the fission was the result of pressure 

 applied rather than of any power on the part of the animal. 



A few of the British sea anemones are shown on Plates II. and 

 III., and although the coloured illustrations will probably suffice 

 for purposes of identification, yet a short description of each one 

 represented may be acceptable. 



The most common and most widely distributed species is un- 

 doubtedly the familiar Beadlet (Actinia mesembryanthemum 

 Plate II., figs. 1, 2, 3), which is to be found on every bit of rocky 

 coast around the British Isles, and even on some stony beaches 

 where there are no standing rocks between the tide-marks. 



The colour of this species is exceedingly variable, but the most 

 abundant variety is of a liver-brown colour, with crimson disc and 

 tentacles, brilliant blue spots round the margin of the disc, and a 

 line of bright blue around the base. In others the prevailing 

 colour is deep crimson, orange, yellowish brown, or green. Fig. 1 

 represents a variety commonly known as the Strawberry Beadlet 

 (Fragacea), which is distinguished by its superior size, and in which 

 the dark-red ground is often conspicuously spotted with green. 



Two members of the same genus are also shown on Plate III. 

 One of these A. glauca (fig. 3) is of a bluish -green colour ; while 

 the other A. chiococca (fig. 4) is bright scarlet, with deep 

 crimson disc and white spots round the disc. 



