SEA-ANEMONES AND CORALS. 



you used to catch in them the tiny little fishes that 

 lived in the pool left by the sea-waves in the hollow of 

 that large rock near our house ? Now, there are many 

 other animals living in the little pools left by the tide 

 on the beaches and between the rocks and stones, which 

 are both beautiful and curious ; and which, if you knew 

 a little more about them, would interest you quite as 

 much as the little fishes you liked to see swimming about 

 in your Aquarium last summer. 



Have you ever heard of a Sea- Anemone ? Do not 

 fancy, from its name, that it looks any thing like the 

 pretty white or pink Anemones that delight you so 

 much in the woods in spring ; and yet the Sea- Anem- 

 ones are so called, because, though they are as much 

 animals as Berty's little dog Pinky, or your pussy-cat, 

 they yet have a look like a flower. But this is only 

 when it pleases them to spread out their little bodies, 

 and flaunt all their pretty fringes ; and, as you will see 

 when I tell you a little more about it, they can shut 

 themselves up, and look as ugly and dull as they please. 

 In this they differ very much from a flower, which can- 

 not fold up its leaves and put them away when it likes. 

 It is true that some flowers close at night, and open in 

 the day ; but it is not because they want to do so, but 

 because the state of the atmosphere causes them to 

 shut and open. 



Some day next summer, at Nahant, we will go at low 

 tide in search of a Sea- Anemone ; and, if we are for- 

 tunate, we shall find somewhere among the rocks near 

 Sunken Ledge one of these ocean flowers. It will be 

 rather slippery on the wet sea-weed, but we shall not 

 miml one or two tumbles, if we find what we are seek- 



