50 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[Makcii 1, 1SG9. 



SEA ANEMONES. 



rpiIERE are few more interesting objects than a 

 -*- marine aquarium, especially if — as in my 

 case — the possessor lives in an inland town far away 

 from the "music of the sea," and' the beautiful 

 treasures of the shore that may still be found in 

 nook and cranny or crystal rock-pool, by any one 

 who loves nature's beauties well enough to seek 

 where he may find them. 



May I give you a little sketch of one of my small 

 aquaria, as I see it while penning this little bit of 

 " gossip ? " 



In the centre stands a fine plumose anemone — 

 (Actinoloba dianthus) full 4 inches high, with its 

 beautiful fairy plume bending gracefully, like a tree, 

 before the breeze ; to the left, a little behind, upon 

 the tip of a piece of rock, is a fine Anthem (par. rus- 

 tica) waving its satin-like tentacles constantly, 

 never still. On a line with Anthea a little to the 

 right, expanding its ruddy disc surrounded by fronds 

 of the bright green sea-lettuce {JJlva latissima), is 

 a strawberry; and how appropriate is the name when 

 the animal is closed, embedded as it is in green. Next 

 this, a little forward, is a fine parasitic anemone 

 (Sagartia parasitica) with its decisive-looking head, 

 stretching out a beautiful brown-dashed white star 

 of countless rays, magically changing from bloom 

 to bud, from bud to bloom. At the front, 

 shadowed by the Ulva and rooted among the 

 stones that it likes best, is a variety of the 

 daisy anemone (S. bellis). I think it must be Stel- 

 late/, as it is always frilled, never fiat or coin- 

 like. It is pale brown mottled with white, and 

 has one deep brown tentacle very different from the 

 rest. It sometimes erects a column 2 inches in 

 height. The snowy anemone (S. nivea), too, so 

 delicately white, blooms quietly near the base of a 

 dark-coloured weed ; but what is it that rises from 

 among this same weed, so seemingly allied that (not 

 being wiser) you might take it for its flower ? It is 

 a tube worm (Sabella), with a delicate spiral fan of 

 feathers at the end of its tube, the base being firmly 

 embedded in the sand. Upon the tube, close to the 

 flower, a prawn every evening makes its stand, now 

 and then in mere wantonness sailing or flashing 

 from its resting-place and again returning and most 

 unceremoniously disturbing Sabella, who does not 

 at first like such rough behaviour, and forthwith 

 retires, but by and by gets more reconciled to it, and 

 even suffers its plumes to be ruffled by Mr. Prawn, 

 who has doubtless learned that he may venture thus 

 near with impunity, although I know his experience 

 teaches him differently with regard to the ane- 

 mones, as Anthea has had him by the antenna?, and 

 he has had to lug and tug for his life, leaving a por- 

 tion of those necessary organs with the enemy 

 withal. 



xVlthough imperfectlyjdescribed,'[this little^ aqua- 



rium is a perfect picture, with its base of sand 

 crowned by rock and shingle intermingled with 

 green and red weed {Ulva and Griffithsia), and 

 brightened by the living beauty of the animals. 



Now, let me say a few words about the animals 

 I have in captivity, 



A specimen of the handsome variety smaragdina 

 of A. cereiis, the "opelet,"— increased by fission. 

 For three weeks prior to division it was exceed- 

 ingly restless, much more so than usual — moving 

 about the glass, and never during that period 

 erecting a stem or column, but keeping the disc 

 pressed close to the base, so that it was only \ inch 

 or less in thickness, and always keeping an elliptical 

 or long oval form. At the end of that time the 

 division took place. I did not actually see it, much 

 to my regret, although I had been anxiously looking 

 forward to it, being from home at the time. It 

 split not quite across the middle, the larger part 

 curling up and showing an indication of a mouth, 

 the lesser part not showing any indication of one. 

 Both portions, unfortunately, ultimately sloughed 

 away. 



Another interesting case of propagation, by rup- 

 ture of the base, has occurred in one of my glasses. 

 This time S. vemista, the orange disc, was the actor. 

 It is a pretty specimen with a white centered disc 

 surrounded by a ring of vivid orange, and having 

 semi-pellucid white tentacles. It was situated upon 

 the edge of a piece of rock, a station it had occupied 

 since August Gth. On Saturday, December 5th, at 

 10 p.m., it had thrown out a lobe of the base over the 

 angle of the rock, the lobe stretching about 1} inch 

 downward. On Sunday, December Gth, at 10 a.m., 

 another lobe, exactly opposite, was stretched 

 along the level surface of the rock, and the 

 suckers at the end of this and the other lobe 

 were attached firmly to the rock. The animal 

 then began to pull itself strongly, but with 

 an almost imperceptible movement, along the 

 level surface, and by 11'30 had torn off from the 

 base a small portion, about |x| inch. This con- 

 tained a number of acontia (nettling threads) which 

 for some hours after were moving about, after 

 which they were gradually drawn into the still 

 shapeless fragment, the piece assuming the form 

 (i.e., the bud) of an anemone about two days after. 

 It has since continually varied its form and size, but 

 at present, by the aid of a pocket lens, I cannot dis- 

 cern tentacles. It has thrown out a nettling thread 

 upon being annoyed. I may mention that the 

 parent, when it came into my possession, was a 

 poor wasted thing ; but by regular feeding it has 

 regained its beauty both of form and colour, being 

 now a plump (and for a Birmingham anemone) 

 healthy animal. 



Several gems (Bunodes gemmacea) have been born 

 in one of my glasses, one of them, the offspring of 

 the pretty blush-pink variety, measured, when born, 



