ACTINIAD^3. 363 



displayed in the greatest perfection. Had these singular 

 facts been known to Linnaeus, how eagerly and effectively 

 would he have impressed them into the support of his 

 favourite theory ! Like the flowers of the field, the heads, 

 or 'flores,' of these polypidoms expand their petaloid 

 arms, which after a time fall, like blighted blossoms off a 

 tree ; they do become ' old ir. their youth,' and, rendered 

 hebetous and unfit for duty or ornament by age or acci- 

 dent, the common trunk throws them off, and supplies its 

 wants by ever-young and vigorous growths. The pheno- 

 mena are of those which justly challenge admiration, and 

 excuse a sober scepticism, so alien are they to all we are 

 accustomed to observe in more familiar organisms. Faithful 

 observation renders the fact undeniable ; but besides that, 

 a reflection on the history of the Hydra might almost 

 have led us to anticipate such events in the life of these 

 Zoophytes. ' Verily, for mine own part/ observes Baker, 

 'the more I look into Nature's works, the sooner am 

 I induced to believe of her even those things that seem 

 incredible.' " 



ACTINIAD^E. All persons accustomed to wander by the 

 sea-shore must have admired the livid green, dark little 

 jelly-masses adhering to the rocks, called Actinia, from a 

 Greek word signifying a ray, and left in some little pool 

 by the ebbing tide, living as they do principally within 

 high and low water mark, and expanding their broad sur- 

 faces and fringing feelers to the finger of inquisitive youth, 

 so often thrust into the centre, to feel the effect of the 

 suction and rasping, as the poor animal draws itself up in 

 the form of a little fleshy hillock. 



Some few years ago it might have been necessary to 

 explain what we meant by an Actinia, or " Sea-anemone ;" 

 thanks to the universal distribution of aquaria, this 

 beautiful class of radiates is no longer unfamiliar to the 

 world. Nevertheless, much as people read, and hear, and 

 write, and observe in the matter, we do not hesitate to say 

 that the natural arrangement of these animals is as little 

 known in the world of naturalists, as their very existence 

 was a short time ago to the world at large. A familiar 

 instance of this position may be given in a few words. 

 Dr. Johnston (Hist. Brit, Zooph.) describes three distinct 



