34 NATURAL HISTORY OF OUR SHORES 



the one named Chrysaora, or one of the colonial forms, 

 Physalia will often graphically describe the experience. 



The anemones feed as follows : A little animal having 

 come in contact with the tentacles is stung and numbed, 

 the neighbouring tentacles close upon it, and it is then 

 thrust bolus into the mouth, and down into the cavity below. 



If the morsel is considered enough for a meal the tentacles 

 remain closed during digestion ; if there is only enough for 

 a snack it is sent down for digestion all the same, but while 

 the process is going on the tentacles are expanded for more. 



Nothing comes amiss to most anemones : the large Tealia 

 will swallow a crab, whelk, cockle, a few limpets, or any- 

 thing else that seems to contain nutriment. If the morsel 

 happens to be larger than the anemone it does not matter : 

 the anemone will stretch to accommodate it. 



The digestion of these animals seems to be remarkably 

 good ; as a rule, within an hour or so, the shells of crab or 

 whelk, or whatever the object has been, are thrown out from 

 the mouth, cleaned of all valuable material, and the tentacles 

 are expanded more widely than before, calling for the next 

 meal. 



Some of the anemones, however, are more dainty ; only 

 small objects minute crustaceans, fry of fishes, or com- 

 minuted material will suit the taste of the " Plumose 

 anemone " (Dianthus), or the " Parasitic " one (Adamsia). 



Anemones reproduce by two methods : one is by division 

 or " fissure," the other by ordinary sexual method. 



In the former case the anemone becomes constricted 

 vertically from disc to base, until on viewing it from above 

 it looks like the figure eight. Usually one of the " halves " 

 is larger than the other. The " mouth " is shared between 

 them, and finally the one becomes truly two, and one of 

 the " halves " now one of " them " moves gently away ; 

 for although anemones are usually fixed, they are not im- 

 movably so, but can glide along on the " foot," as the base 



