40 NATURAL HISTORY OF OUR SHORES 



of white threads, acontia, which look like skeins of fine 

 darning cotton. They are thrown out both by the mouth 

 and from conspicuous pores at all parts of its column. 

 These threads when untangled can be drawn out eight or 

 ten inches. Examined under the microscope they are seen 

 to be composed of innumerable spindle-shaped bodies of 

 carbonate of lime embedded in a glutinous matrix. (I 

 think they are some modification of stinging cells, and this 

 may have been investigated and reported, but I have not 

 seen allusion to them.) This anemone has also a very 

 offensive and nauseating odour, a feature I have not ob- 

 served in any other species. 



Now, the advantage that the crab gains from its partner- 

 ship is not so obvious. It has been said that it is protection 

 from fishes that would grind up the hermit, his protecting 

 borrowed shell, his plan of closing the orifice with his big 

 claw notwithstanding for fishes with pavement teeth, 

 st>me of the shark and ray tribe, for instance, could crunch 

 the lot and that such fishes would not care for the com- 

 bination of crab and stinging, evil -smelling anemone, but 

 this I am not sure of. The hermit crab is abundantly 

 found in the stomach of dog-fishes and wrasses, that have 

 some plan of snapping him up, unless they catch him when 

 changing his home, which he frequently does. 



The anemone, however, benefits obviously, nor is it alone 

 in its appreciation of the hermit crab as a caterer. A fine 

 nereid worm lives within the shell with the hermit, and 

 peeps from the door when a meal is spread. A colony of 

 zoophytes are also usually attached to the shell near its 

 opening, all anxious for the crumbs that fall. 



Then another species of anemone has copied the habit of 

 this one (unless it is the other way about). This other 

 anemone is Adamsia palliata (the " Cloak anemone ") ; but, 

 curiously, this one selects another species of hermit crab, 

 the " purple " one, Pagurus prideauxii. It has been 



