82 A MANUAL 



common pocket lens a rapid circulation of water was 

 plainly to be seen in the central hollow of each 

 transparent tentacle. Minute black specks of an 

 irregular oblong form were hurled along by the 

 current, rising, eddying, falling in uncertain motion. 

 In four out of every five of the tentacles there was a 

 black coil of thread, sometimes apparently entire, 

 but more frequently as though broken, which slowly 

 circulated and occasionally remained at the summit 

 of its receptacle, swaying to and fro in the current. 

 When perfect these coils seemed to possess an inde- 

 pendent motion of their own, writhing and wreathing 

 themselves snake- or eel-wise. What these eels and 

 black dots are is more than I can say. Mr. Gosse 

 speaks of having seen a small Annelid in the ten- 

 tacles of an anemone, but he does not think it 

 probable that they would occur in large numbers in 

 such a position. Further observation is requu^ed on 

 this point, as in most others which concern this little- 

 known class of animals. The circulation and the 

 specks may frequently be noticed in the tentacles 

 of the " daisy." 



The " snowy" anemone agrees with the " orange- 

 disced" and "orange-tentacled" in habit as well as 

 in the shape and arrangement of tentacles. They 

 all lengthen out their base into an acute oval, open 

 freely in pure water, close rapidly when danger 

 threatens, and are restless, changing their position 

 frequently, and seeming to prefer the sides rather 



