196 SEASIDE DIVINITY. 



to the starry petals of its floral namesake, is one 

 of the most common. It is not so beautiful as 

 many of its fellow ocean-flowers; its stalk or 

 body, instead of the graceful bell-shape and 

 brilliant appearance which distinguish many 

 other species, is of uniform thickness, smooth, 

 and of a dull crimson colour ; the edge of its 

 disk is surrounded by a single row of tubercles, 

 and the tentacula are numerous and slender. 



This very common species is far surpassed in 

 beauty by many other less known denizens of our 

 sea-shores. A few of these will be here described, 

 although no language can do justice to the 

 beauty of these singular creatures, when seen to 

 advantage in their native element. 



The Cereus, frequently found on the Welsh 

 coast, and also on the south-western shores of 

 England, has its body marked with longitudinal 

 furrows, or sulci. Its summit, when expanded, 

 is furnished with slender tentacula, from a hun- 

 dred and twenty to two hundred in number; 

 the body is of a pale chestnut colour, the ten- 

 tacula of a sea-green, varied with purple. 



The daisy anemone (Actinia bellis) is a re- 

 markably beautiful species, also found on the 

 south-western shores of England, and also in 

 other localities. A cylindrical stalk from one to 

 three inches in length, and of a fine red colour, 

 supports the disk or body. When expanded, it 

 exhibits a radiated surface or disk much larger, 

 in comparison with the size of the body, than 

 that of any other varieties. The surface of this 



