182 THE- OCEAN WORLD. 



The modern aquarium exposes the spectator to many wonderful 

 surprises. Coiled up against the transparent crystal walls of the basin, 

 he observes living creatures of the most brilliant shades of colour, 

 and more resembling flowers than animals. Supported by a solid 

 base and cylindrical stem, he sees them terminate like the corolla of a 

 flower, as in the petals of the anemone : these are the animals we call 

 Sea Anemones curious zoophytes, which, as all persons familiar with 

 the sea shore may have observed, are now seen suspended from the 

 rocks, and presently buried at the bottom of the sea, or floating on 

 its surface. These charming and timid creatures are also called 

 Actinia, as indicating their disposition to form rays or stars, from the 

 Greek d/crlv, a ray. 



The body of these animals is cylindrical in form, terminating 

 beneath in a muscular disk, which is generally large and distinct, 

 enabling them to cling vigorously to foreign bodies. It terminates 

 above in an upper disk, bearing many rows of tentacles, which differ 

 from each other only in their size. These tentacles are sometimes 

 decorated with brilliant colours, forming a species of collarette, consist- 

 ing of contractile and often retractile tubes, pierced at their points with 

 an orifice, whence issue jets of water, which is ejected at the will of 

 the animal. Arranged in multiples of circles, they distribute them- 

 selves with perfect regularity round the mouth. These are the arms 

 of this species of zoophyte. 



The mouth of the Actinia opens among the tentacles. Oval in 

 form, it communicates by means of a tube with a stomach, broad and 

 short, which descends vertically, and abuts by a large opening on the 

 visceral cavity, the interior of which is divided into little cells or 

 chambers. These cells and chambers are not all of the same dimen- 

 sions ; in parting from the cylindrical walls of the body, they advance, 

 the one increasing, the others getting smaller, in the direction of the 

 centre. Moreover, they have many kinds of cells, which dispose them- 

 selves in their different relations with great regularity their tenta- 

 cula, which correspond with them, being arranged in circles radiating 

 more or less from the centre. 



The stomach of the sea anemones fulfils a multitude of functions. 

 At first, it is the digestive organ ; it is also the seat of respiration ; and 

 is unceasingly moistened by the water, which it passes through, imbibes, 

 and ejects. The visceral cavity absorbs the atmospheric air contained 



