THE SEA-ANEMONE AND SOME ALLIES 255 



reverse their action, and all the mouth-cilia unite in sweeping 

 the food down the gullet. These observations were made by 

 Professor G. H. Parker, of Harvard University, in 1896. 



The mouth opens to receive the food, which is sometimes 

 quite large, and the gullet (Fig. 129, 4) passes it down by 

 ciliary action aided by muscular activity in the gullet-wall. 



FIG. 128. Photograph of Living Sea-Anemone. Natural size 



At the inner end (Fig. 129, 5) of the gullet, food passes into 

 a large space which extends radially between mesenteries (par- 

 titions) (Fig. 129, 12, 13) to the body- wall. Thus there is no 

 distinct alimentary canal separate from a body-cavity. This 

 fact shows the sea-anemone to be a less specialized animal, 

 and hence a lower form, than any we have yet studied. Those 



