SEA-ANEMONES. 9 



fishermen who have handled them, when adhering to oysters, for years, 

 and never knew that they were aught else than spots of slime. Once, 

 when out on the shore at a very low tide, and busy overturning stones, 

 in search of creatures thus concealed, a fisherman, wondering what we 

 were about, came and accosted us : 



Fisherman " What have you got, mister ? " 



Self " Some little sea-flowers ; " and we pointed to certain little 

 hemisjiheres of pellucid but limpid pearl, on a stone held in our hand. 



Fisherman " What ! them grease-spots ? " 



Self "Yes. And you should see them when the tide's up. Then 

 every one opens into a little flower. They're only shut up now." 



With an expression that indicated doubt of our veracity, or sanity, 

 Piscator turned away, muttering as he left, " Guess you'd better shut 

 up, my blossom ! " 



However, Ave took our " grease-spots " home, proud enough of 

 them. After time given for rest they came out finely. Pretty things 

 they were. There was one especially, over which we Lad both joy and 

 sorrow the one to have found it, and the other when it died. It was 

 a wee but winsome thing, about a third of an inch when unfolded, and 

 all parts of it, column, and disk, and petals, were each and all of a 

 soft, limpid emerald. Oh, we thought, if that could be transformed 

 into a hai-d substance, what a gem it would be! That was the only 

 time we ever saw an entirely green anemone. The green opelet of 

 Great Britain is only so as to its tentacles, and even these are tipped 

 with red. We have often obtained from the rocks in the East River 

 very pretty small anemones, of an orange hue. 



Generally the sea-anemone will not spread her beautiful form in a 

 bright light. Often, when all seemed sulky and there was a general 

 collapse, we have restored the whole coterie to good-humor, simply 

 by covering up the aquaria for an hour or two, and then uncovering, 

 when the flowers will fully open. It was a great transformation to 

 see, when this change took place with our favorite a fine, large, fawn- 

 colored Metridium, marginatum, obtained from Newport. When in 

 healthful expansion it was larger than a good-sized dahlia; and al- 

 though of a subdued neutral tint, yet in form and color we thought 

 our marine-flower the superior of its terrestrial rival. 



Somewhere we read the lucubration of a philosopher that there 

 was no humor in Nature, but all was serious. The observation struck 

 us as very learned, but very silly. No humor in Nature ? Nonsense ! 

 Come out from your candle-light cogitations unto some real observa- 

 tions in the sunny light of Nature's beaming face, and I can show you 

 humor. Ay, fun, if you will yes, even practical jokes. A large 

 actinia took a notion to swallow a large scallop, which it had captured. 

 After considerable stretching it got the bivalve down into its stomach, 

 and in due time the contained mollusk was digested. But what about 

 the shell ? Why, this it could not .get it up again ! It was a double 



