THE EOSY ANEMONE. 51 



these, and we have a good specific character. I believe, 

 with Mr. Wallace, that " the two doctrines of ' permanent 

 varieties' and of 'specially created unvarying species 1 are 

 inconsistent with each other."* In other words, I would 

 say a species is permanent, a variety transitory. There is 

 no doubt, however, that the latter may be maintained 

 within certain limits by breeding in and in ; though there 

 will always be a tendency to revert to the original and 

 normal character, which marks the permanent species. 



Though I believe this distinction to be a good one, it 

 does not therefore follow that we can put it in practice 

 without any difficulty. We find a specimen; — we know 

 nothing of its antecedents ; — at most we can trace it only 

 through a few generations ; and thus we are precluded 

 from applying our test of permanency to it. The only 

 resource is the practical skill and judgment which expe- 

 rience and observation gradually give ; and these, as they 

 cannot be communicated to another, nor be reduced to 

 formula), differ indefinitely in individual cases. In the 

 present w^ork I must beg my readers to believe that I use 

 the best light I have, to arrive at right conclusions. 



Under all its variations, which are not very numerous, 

 S. rosea is a lovely little species. When left by the 

 receding tide, it protrudes from its tiny cavity in the over- 

 hanging rock, and droops, a pear-shaped button of orange- 

 brown, with a cluster of brilliant purple tentacles just 

 showing their tips from the half-opened centre, and a drop 

 of water sparkling like a dew-drop, hanging from them. 

 Then it is beautiful. But a more charming sight is seen 

 when, as at the rock near Lidstep, or on the Woolhouse 

 reef, you gaze down into a narrow basin worn by the 

 waves of ages in the solid limestone, and, having first care- 

 fully lifted the broad fronds of Laminaria and Rltodymenia 



* Zoologist, p. 5S88. 

 E 2 



