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166 THE AQUARIAN NATURALIST. 



by the decay of such matters appear to diffuse them- 

 selves rapidly through the water, act as a virulent 

 poison, and speedily destroy the vitality of the occu- 

 pants. Nevertheless, as there are exceptions to every 

 rule, we are not surprised at finding some Anemones 

 whose habits are by no means so refined. The 

 Actinia bellis is a littoral species, and the common- 

 est of its genus on the coast of Cornwall, where it 

 is generally found in crevices in pools, the bottom 

 of which is covered with Corallinae and Nullipores. 

 Yet it will sometimes forsake these "wells of pure 

 water" for what is little better than a Stygian bog. 



March 14, 1846. This morning," writes Mr. Cox, 

 I visited the beach L. W. M." (low-water mark, 

 we presume) "back of Mr. Sulley's hotel, Green 

 Bank. It is composed of mud, sand, and decomposed 

 algse ; many of the stones when lifted presented a face 

 as black as the skin of an African, and sent forth a 

 rich aroma of sulphuretted hydrogen. It is thickly 

 studded with stones, varying from two ounces to 

 thirty pounds. There are a few remnants of stunted 

 rocks thinly scattered, from four to eight inches high ; 

 these are covered with Fucus vesiculosus and serratus. 

 In turning the stones over, I was surprised to find in 

 this Pandorian locality herds of the Actinia bellis in 

 prime condition jackets as red as a Kentish cherry 

 so pugnacious, that when touched, water issued in 

 full streams from nearly all the tentacula ; the ground 

 is nearly covered with them," &c. 



In some countries the Actinia is occasionally used 

 as an article of food. 



Speaking of the Actinia crassicornis, Dicquemare 



