THE SHOEES OF BRITAIN. fl 



animal. For example, if, with a sharp knife, a Po- 

 lype be cut into two by a horizontal section, midway 

 between the tentacles and the base, the upper por- 

 tion will adhere to a rock, close the bottom of the 

 stomach, and take its former shape ; the under part 

 will throw out rudimentary tentacles around the 

 centre, which will soon be in a condition to take 

 food, and the orisdnal form and functions will be 

 displayed by this portion also. Ka} r , it has even 

 been found that if, as often happens, the animal, 

 being violently removed from its support, leave be- 

 hind any fragments of its base still adhering, each 

 of these torn portions will, in a short time, acquire 

 all the parts of the perfect animal. These powers 

 strongly remind one of vegetable life ; for it is as if 

 one were making cuttings, and consequently new 

 plants, of a fuchsia or verbena. The ordinary mode 

 in which the Polypes continue their race is very 

 plant-like; the young grow from any part of the 

 surface like little buds, and when they have at- 

 tained the form of the parent, drop off; often, how- 

 ever, they are vomited through the mouth. Any 

 of my young readers who live near the coast may 

 easily verify these observations ; but I would not 

 recommend the artificial mode of increasing the 

 animals, because, though it may well be doubted 

 whether they are susceptible of pain, such experi- 

 ments have an appearance of cruelty at least, which 

 it is well to avoid. In some situations you will 

 find in abundance Actinia ge?7imacea } the most lovely 

 of our native animal flowers, which I will describe. 

 When closed, it is of a rounded or sometimes oval 



