THE WONDERS OF THE SHORE. 119 
of rough calcareous matter. . . . The general 
form is more or less cylindrical, commonly wider at 
top than just above the bottom. . . . This is 
but the skeleton; and though it is a very pretty 
object, those who are acquainted with it alone, can 
form but a very poor idea of the beauty of the living 
animal. . . . Let it, after being torn from the 
rock, recover its equanimity; then you will see a 
pellucid gelatinous flesh emerging from between the 
plates, and little exquisitely formed and coloured 
tentacula, with white clubbed tips fringing the sides 
of the cup-shaped cavity in the centre, across which 
stretches the oval disc marked with a star of some 
rich and brilliant colour, surrounding the central 
mouth, a slit with white crenated lips, like the orifice 
of one of those elegant cowry shells which we put 
upon our mantelpieces. The mouth is always more 
or less prominent, and can be protruded and ex- 
panded to an astonishing extent. The space sur- 
rounding the lips is commonly fawn colour, or rich 
chestnut-brown, the star or vandyked circle rich 
red, pale vermilion, and sometimes the most brilliant 
