THE VESTLET. 
271 
The animal is hardy in the aquarium, bearing even tlie 
confinement of travel with more impunity than many 
commoner species. It is large and handsome, with a striking 
and noble aspect, and as it lives habitually expanded, and 
manifests considerable vivacity, it is a very desirable 
acquisition. The appearance of its felty tube is, however, 
repulsive ; but this I have found by no means essential to 
its comfort, and have managed to dispense with it, by the 
following device. Having prepared a glass tube of suit- 
able size, by cementing it perpendicularly to a stone of 
sufficient weight to maintain its stability in an upright 
position, I carefully removed the animaFs own case, and 
dropped the denuded body into the new lodging. The 
Cerianthus, in every instance, became immediately at 
home, presently lengthened itself, and expanded at the 
margin of its new abode ; and, as if the protection hereby 
afforded were sufficient, it threw off a new natural coat, 
only to such an extent as did not interfere with the sight 
of the body through the glass. 
Another advantage is secured by this treatment ; for 
whereas naturally the animal burrows in the mud, so that 
only the expanded flower is visible, and when put into a 
tank sprawls uncouthly along the bottom, the upright 
glass tube exposes the entire animal to observation, while 
it is protected from injury. I have specimens now which 
have been kept for many months in these circumstances, 
and are still in the highest condition. 
In handling the animal during the process of stripping 
off the coat, it contracts by sriong, sudden, and repeated 
jerks, at each becoming shorter. In these contractions 
the water in the visceral cavity is forcibly ejected from the 
terminal pore. This is not placed at the extreme point, 
which is marked by a depression, and by the convergence of 
lines, but is considerably excentric. I have also seen water 
