THE KOSY ANEMONE. 
51 
tliese, and wc have a good specific character. I believe, 
with Mr. Wallace, that “ the two doctrines of ‘ permanent 
varieties’ and of ‘specially created unvarying species’ 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 
formulaj, differ indefinitely in individual cases. In the 
present work 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 Woolhousc 
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 Ehodymmia 
* Zoologist, p. 5S83. 
£ 2 
