204 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[Sept. 1, 1S69. 



Pig. 163. Sea Anemones. 



1,2,3. Actinia sulcata, 4. Phymactes St. Helena. 5. Actinia capensis. 6. Actinia Peruviana. 7. Actinia St. Catharinx. 



8. Actinia amethystina. 9. Comactis viridis. 



which had taken a very copious repast ejected a 

 portion of it about twenty-four hours later, and in 

 the middle of the ejected food were found thirty- 

 eight young individuals." According to Dalyell, an 

 accouchement is here a fit of indigestion. 



The lower class of animals have, in fact, as the 

 general basis of their organization, a sac with a 

 single opening, which is applied, as we have seen, 

 to a great variety of uses. It receives and rejects ; 

 it swallows and it vomits. The vomiting becomes 

 necessary and habitual — the normal condition, in 

 short, of the animal — and is perhaps a source of 

 pleasure to it, for it is not a malady, but a func- 

 tion, and even a function multiplied. In the sea 

 anemone it expels the excrement, and lays its eggs; 

 in others, as we have seen, it even serves the pur- 

 poses of respiration; so that the animal flowers may 

 probably be said to enjoy their regular and periodi- 

 cal vomit. 



The sea anemones multiply their species in 

 another manner. On the edge of their base certain 



bud-like excrescences may often be observed. These 

 buds are by-and-by transformed into embryos, 

 which detach themselves from the mother, and soon 

 become individuals in all respects resembling her. 

 This mode of reproduction greatly resembles some 

 of the vegetative processes. Another and very 

 singular mode of reproduction has been noted by 

 Mr. Hogg in the case of Actinia ceillet. Wishing to 

 detach this anemone from the aquarium, this gen- 

 tleman used every effort to effect his purpose ; but 

 only succeeded, after violent exertions, in tearing 

 the lower part of the animal. Six portions 

 remained attached to the glass walls of the 

 aquarium. At the end of eight days, attempts were 

 again made to detach these fragments ; but it was 

 observed, with much surprise, that they shrank 

 from the touch and contracted themselves. Each 

 of them soon became crowned with a little row of 

 tentacula, and finally each fragment became a new 

 anemone. Every part of these strange creatures 

 thus becomes a separate being when detached, while 



