STRUCTURE OF THE ANEMONE. 1G3 



vividty present to the mind of many zoologists, and of 

 every real worker ; for in truth, only by such methods 

 can any solid result be reached, and no one even super- 

 ficially acquainted with the present state of Zoology 

 will be disposed to underrate the importance and extent 

 of that band of distinguished investigators whose re- 

 searches daily unfold fresh discoveries. Not, there- 

 fore, as throwing any shadow of scorn on these men 

 and their methods, nor as if I were brinoino- a 

 neglected principle into prominence, am I tempted to 

 insist on the only method of successful pursuit in these 

 studies ; but simply to distinguish those students of 

 Zoology who wish to increase the circle of knowledge by 

 some small addition of new fact, from students who wish 

 merely to ascertain what is known. In Zoolooy as in 

 all other departments of intellectual activity, there are 

 men contented with ''information,^' whose ambition 

 never passes beyond erudition. They want to know 

 what is known. Others there are who, less solicitous, 

 it may be, about what is known, are intensely moved 

 to know for themselves ; and these are the workers 

 who extend the cii^cle of the known. 



What is known of the reproductive system of 

 Anemones ? Not much, and that little confusedly. Our 

 English text-books are somewhat precise ; but the pre- 

 cision is for the most part that of error. I carried 

 with me to the coast this amount of definite error, 

 which gradually revealed itself as error in the course 

 of a series of investigations. That the reader may 

 follow clearly the course of reasoning presently to be 



