SEA ANEMONES. 129 
and rejects, it swallows and it vomits. This vomiting becomes 
necessary and habitual—in short, it is the normal condition of 
the animal, and, perhaps, is a source of pleasure; it certainly 
is not a malady, but a function, and a function often repeated. 
In some species of the anemone the young are formed on the 
outside of the bottom of the purse; they detach themselves from 
the mother, and soon become individuals in all respects resembling 
their parent. Mr. Rymer Jones had a mutilated anemone which 
produced twenty larva in a month, and seventy in a year. But 
Mr. Hogg relates an instance of production extraordinary indeed ! 
A carnation anemone in the aquarium adhered so forcibly to the 
sides of the case, that in detaching it he tore away some of its 
base; six pieces remained attached to the glass, which, for many 
days, indicated the place where the anemone had been. In about 
a week attempts were again made to detach these fragments, 
but with surprise it was observed that they shrank from the 
touch, and contracted. Each of them soon became crowned with 
a row of little tentacles, and finally each fragment became a new 
anemone! Every part of these strange creatures becomes a perfect 
animal when detached, while the mutilated parent continues to 
live as if nothing had happened. . 
The anemones enjoy, like the fresh-water hydra, the property 
of reproducing a damaged organ. If their tentacles be amputated 
they speedily replace them, and the experiment can be repeated 
ad infinitum. If the creature be cut in two, the lower part of the 
body produces a crown of tentacles, and completes itself. As for 
the upper half, it continues to seize and engulf its prey without 
seemingly being aware that the food passes out as quickly from 
the lower opening; but the anemone soon learns to prevent this 
waste. The lower opening gradually closes, and finally shuts; thus 
a new base is formed, round the outside of which a crown of 
tentacles appears, and a new mouth is produced ; so the creature 
catches and devours its prey at both ends at once. Thus a curious 
animal is the result—two perfect anemones joined to each other 
by their bases. In due time they separate, a rupture taking 
place at their point of juncture, and two perfectly independent 
animals commence their new existence. If the section instead 
J 
