i8 CORALS AND CORAL LSLANDS. 



took out half-a-dozen, and placed them in a jar with an Actinia 

 {Ant/iea Jias;el/ifera). On looking at them about three hours 

 after, I found that, instead of climbing like the others to the 

 top of the water, they remained just where they had fallen, 

 closely withdrawn into their shells. Supposing them to be 

 dead, they were taken out, when they directly began to emerge; 

 and w^hen returned to the jar with the other Monodontas, they 

 were in less than five minutes clustered round its mouth. On 

 placing them again in the jar with the Actinia, though kept 

 there for two hours, they did not once show themselves out of 

 the shell. Once more placing them along with the other shells, 

 they exhibited their former signs of life and activity. The ex- 

 periment was repeated several times with a large Littorina, 

 with the same result, evincing fear of the Actinia on the part 

 of the Mollusks." 



Gosse gives the following fish story, which is much to the 

 point. Speaking of the Aiithca cercus, or Opelet, a British 

 species, he says (p. i68) : — " I one day saw an amusing exam]jle 

 of its power of passive resistance. A beautiful little specimen 

 of the variety alabastrijia., which had been sent to me by Mr. 

 Gatehouse, I had occasion to remove from one tank to another. 

 There was a,half-growm Bullhead (Coitus bubalis) at the bottom, 

 which had been in captivity rather more than a fortnight. As 

 he had not been fed during that time, I presume he was some- 

 what sharp-set. He marked the Anthea falling, and before it 

 could reach the bottom, opened his cavern of a mouth and 

 sucked in the hojine boucJie. It was not to his taste, however, 

 for as instantly he shot it out again. Not discouraged, he re- 

 turned to the attack, and once more sucked it in, but with 

 no better success ; for, after a moment's rolling of the morsel 

 around his mouth, out it shot once more ; and now the Bull- 

 head, acknowledging his master, turned tail, and darted into a 

 hole on the opposite side of the tank in manifest discomfiture." 



He adds : — " But if you, my gentle reader, be disposed for 

 exploits in gastronomy, do not be alarmed at the Bullhead's 

 failure : only take the precaution to ' cook your hare.' Risso 

 calls this species ' edidis^ and says of it — * On le mange en 



