THE WONDERS OF THE SHORE. 197 
with pink ; but most have the disc and the innumer- 
able arms striped and ringed with various shades of 
grey and brown. Shall we get them? By all means 
if we can. Touch one. Where is he now? Gone? 
Vanished into air, or into stone? Not quite. You 
see that knot of sand and broken shell lying on 
the rock, where your Dahlia was one moment ago. 
Touch it, and you will find it leathery and elastic. 
That is all which remains of the live Dahlia. Never 
mind; get your finger into the crack under him, - 
work him gently but firmly out, and take him home, 
and he will be as happy and as gorgeous as ever 
to-morrow. 
Let your Actiniz stand for a day or two in the 
dish, and then, picking out the liveliest and hand- 
somest, detach them once more from their hold, drop 
them into your vase, right them with a bit of stick, 
so that the sucking base is downwards, and leave 
them to themselves thenceforth. 
These two species (Mesembryanthemum and Cras- 
sicornis) are quite beautiful enough to give a beginner 
amusement: but there are two others which are 
