"^o 



214 



• KNOV^^LEDGE ♦ 



[Oct. 5, 1883. 



SEA ANEMONES 



AT THE FISHERIES EXHIBITION. 



By Thomas Kimber. 



v.— THE DAISY. 

 (^Continued jrom page 188.) 



" Hail, holy liglit, offspring of Heaven fii'st-born." — Hilton. 



BEND and distort any plant as we may, the strongest 

 proof that it is wrested from its original and inherent 

 nature will be in the ceaseless efforts which it evinces to 

 raise its struggling branches to the skies. In like manner 

 sea anemones follow this law of vegetable life, though 

 feeble, indeed, must be the ray in those sea-depths where 

 some of the largest and brightest species flourish and 

 bloom. 



Darken the top of the aquarium, and Daisy bends her 

 stem that the disk may face the lighter side of her home, 

 and though some actinia' are impatient of a strong light, it 

 would seem that utter and continued darkness are incom- 

 patible with full health in any species, and the free ex- 

 pansion of their flower. 



The daisy — as before pointed out — differs from all other 

 anemones in having comparatively a very slender column, 

 whose average diameter is not more than one-fourth that of 

 the disk ; she is prolific, and in many cases both viviparous 

 and oviparous. The fully-formed young are discharged from 

 the gonidal grooves, whence the ova also make their appear- 

 ance. The shape and marking of the newly-born daisy are 

 readily recognised, the chief distinction between the young 

 and their parent being, apart from size, the small number 

 of tentacles — not more than a baker's dozen — and these are 

 larger in proportion in the young than in the adult. 



It has been frequently noticed in anemones generally 

 that a large animal has large offspring, the reason being, it 

 is very naturally concluded, that a large body allows more 

 space for the fuller development of the young before they 

 are brought into the world than it is possible in the case of 

 a small parent that is equally productive. The mature ova, 

 however, are observed to be of the same size in the same 

 species. 



Bellis is sometimes obtained from deep water, but its 

 favourite resorts are pools, crannies, rock fissures, and other 

 similar hiding-places between tidal limits. In many such 

 cases daisy is difficult to get at, for when the disk can be 

 seen and reached, the base is found to be fixed in some 

 crevice which the animal has chosen for safety. A hammer, 

 steel chisel, and great patience are then necessary, as with- 

 out these three requisites there is a strong probability that 

 in tearing away the animal the central portion of the Ijase 

 will be left behind. The creature so mutilated will after- 

 wards occasionally expand its bloom and look healthy for a 

 time, but seldom survives its proper period. Cases, how- 

 ever, are met with in many species in which immoderate 

 wounds and lacerations heal, and lost parts are restored. 

 The safest way, and the most satisfactory to both parties 

 — daisy and her captor — is to cut ofl' a piece of the con- 

 glomerate to which she is usually attached. 



Still colonies are not unfrequently met with in situa- 

 tions more favourable to the collector, as in superficial 

 fissures, and shallow hollows of coarse sand, or pudding- 

 stone, where, at ebb tide, only a few inches of water cover 

 them. In these situations they are frequently so crowded 

 that their disks pressing upon each other lose their circular 

 shape. The flower is puckered and frilled, filling all the 

 interstices, and presenting a continuous surface of distorted 

 disks. The amount of bright colour thus displayed is in- 

 considerable, but the effect upon close inspection of the 



convoluted and fringe - like pattern is pleasing for its 

 novelty. Mr. Gosse mentions a variety of this species 

 (" Actinologia," p. 3.3), at Weymouth, which he names 

 Sordida. These anemones are met with on fetid mud, and 

 are dingy in appearance. Tlieir bases simply rest on the 

 slime, but when removed to a vessel of clear sea-water, they 

 very soon become attached to the bottom or side. They 

 differ widely from the Cornish mud-dwelling variety 

 described on page 188. 



The Daisy is a hungry creature, and will eat varaciously 

 bits of meat, fish, oysters, worms, or almost any animal 

 substance. For the most part bellis is stationary, and 

 when in sound health is nearly always open. She is 

 essentially a southern beauty, more of a French than an 

 English belle, somewhat Irish, and very little Scotch. 



Daisy has been found on the south-west shores of Scot- 

 land, in EatHin Island, Dublin Bay, and the south and 

 west coasts of England and Ireland. She is constantly 

 being captured at Boulogne and in the Channel Islands ; 

 she is also found by myriads near Oporto. The older 

 writers, Lamark and Blainville, give the shores of the 

 Mediterranean as her chief habitat, but pre-eminently the 

 Bay of Naples. 



In Dana's great American work there are three brilliant 

 anemones named and described, which have some of the 

 leading traits and habits of Bellis — Actinia decorata from 

 a Lagoon of Honden Island, A. Fuegiensis, and A. Iin- 

 patiais from crevices of rocks and tide-pools in Orange 

 Harbour, Terra del Fuego. 



The examples of daisy in the Fisheries are not numerous, 

 and are scattered in various small vases and tanks, but 

 amongst them are a few very good specimens. By the way, 

 all the tanks now (Sept. 21), are in excellent condition, the 

 water in them is bright, and the greater part of, if not all, 

 their denizens appear in vigorous health and are seen to 

 great advantage. Only a week or two ago this was not 

 the case, and just criticisms were beginning to make their 

 appearance in the daily press. The improvement, however, 

 has been prompt and so far very complete and eflectual. 



This department continues to be one of the most attrac- 

 tive in the Exhibition — more particularly when illuminated 

 in the evening, and all the tanks, in consequence, are then 

 excessively interviewed, without regard for the comfort or 

 welfare of their occupants. Frequent renewals of the less 

 hardy are therefore indispensable under the present pres- 

 sure of visitors. 



Where practicable, the anemone and other tanks should 

 be looked at during the early part of the day, as by the 

 electric light anything like a careful and quiet examination 

 of them is impossible. 



Electric Lighting in Mills. — A mill situate on the 

 banks of the Doria, near Turin, is lighted by means of 

 sixty-four Swan lamps. The current is supplied by a 

 Gramme dynamo, driven by the water-wheels of the mill. 

 The speed of the dynamo does not exceed eight hundred 

 revolutions per minute. The installation is reported to 

 give great satisfaction. The Swan lamps have replaced 

 colza oil.- — Electrician. 



Edison System in the House. — Mr. Shaw Lefevre has 

 purchased the Edison plant which has been in use at the 

 House of Commons during the past Session. He intends, 

 owing to the success attending the existing installation, to 

 adopt the light as a permanency, and to considerably extend 

 its \ise. The existing plant consists of 2.50-light dynamos, 

 and 276 lamps, with all necessary fittings. The new plant 

 will comprise an Armington and Sim's high-speed engine, 

 and two L (250-light) dynamos. The total number of fresh 

 lamps to be employed will be 214. 



