112 POPULAR HISTORY OP THE AQUAIIIU:H. 



its foot to the sides of the glass, turn over the other por- 

 tion to a plane with the surface of the water ; so that half 

 the body and authers are suspended by a dry portion of 

 the disc from the air, and the other haK by the more solid 

 attachment to the glass ; but it cannot, like the "Water- 

 snails, float on the surface wholly in this inverted position. 

 The tentacles present a very beautiful and animated appear- 

 ance when the body is partly suspended. They are moved 

 about in the most graceful curves, and while each separate 

 tentacle seems to have a will and spirit of his own, yet a 

 harmony of motion, and unity of purpose, is seen to pervade 

 the mass. 



In watching the tanks at the Eegent^s Park, I noticed 

 a circumstance showing the very quiet and patient habits 

 of the Anthea. A very large, healthy specimen, fixed to a 

 piece of rock near the bottom of the water, with his ten- 

 tacles beautifully tinted, lay twirling some of them with a 

 gentle and graceful motion, quite active enough to show 

 that the Zoophyte was alive and wide awake. Several dis- 

 engaged threads of confervse had been drawn up from the 

 bottom by means of numerous bubbles of air. On their 

 way up, some of them being attached to the bubbles at 

 both ends, had looped round some of the longest of the 



