236 HISTORY OP BRITISH ZOOPHYTES. 



red, or yellow, or variegated of diverse vivid hues, equalling 

 the tints of the loveliest roses ; hence has the Actinia been 

 distinguished by simple but expressive names the sea-ane- 

 mone, the marygold, the animal flower, or by such botanical 

 synonyms as comparison with vegetable efflorescence would 

 justify/' 



Not less glowing is the description of them which is 

 found in an excellent little book, ' Chapters on the common 

 things of the Sea-side, by Anne Pratt/ "Perhaps the zoo- 

 phytes best known as such to visitors at the coast, are the 

 beautiful sea-anemones, which offer their loveliness to every 

 eye, and need no microscope to reveal their tints or form. 

 Clustered by thousands on sea-side rocks or sands, adorning 

 the sides of rocky pools with flowers which resemble mary- 

 golds or China-asters in their form, but which are brighter 

 in their colours than any flowers which our garden can 

 show ; redder than roses, of richer purple than the violet, 

 and wearing the rainbow hues of the gorgeous cactus-flower, 

 which the painter in vain essays to copy, there are few ob- 

 jects in nature more calculated to attract our notice than 

 are these living flowers." 



One reason why the beauty of these creatures is not more 

 generally observed, is, that it is manifested only when they 



