THE YESTLET. 271 



The animal is hardy in the aquarium, bearing even the 

 confinement of travel with more impunity than many 

 commoner species. It is large and handsome, with a striking 

 and noble aspect, and as it lives habitually expanded, and 

 manifests considerable vivacity, it is a very desirable 

 acquisition. The appearance of its felty tube is, however, 

 repulsive ; but this I have found by no means essential to 

 its comfort, and have managed to dispense with it, by the 

 following device. Having prepared a glass tube of suit- 

 able size, by cementing it perpendicularly to a stone of 

 sufficient weight to maintain its stability in an upright 

 position, I carefully removed the animal's own case, and 

 dropped the denuded body into the new lodging. The 

 CeriantJius, in every instance, became immediately at 

 home, presently lengthened itself, and expanded at the 

 margin of its new abode ; and, as if the protection hereby 

 afforded were sufficient, it threw off a new natural coat, 

 only to such an extent as did not interfere with the sight 

 of the body through the glass. 



Another advantage is secured by this treatment ; for 

 whereas naturally the animal burrows in the mud, so that 

 only the expanded flower is visible, and when put into a 

 tank sprawls uncouthly along the bottom, the upright 

 glass tube exposes the entire animal to observation, while 

 it is protected from injury. I have specimens now which 

 have been kept for many months in these circumstances, 

 and are still in the highest condition. 



In handling the animal during the process of stripping 

 off the coat, it contracts by strong, sudden, and repeated 

 jerks, at each becoming shorter. In these contractions 

 the water in the visceral cavity is forcibly ejected from the 

 terminal pore. This is not placed at the extreme point, 

 which is marked by a depression, and by the convergence of 

 lines, but is considerably excentric. I have also seen water 



