THE SHORES OF BRITAIN. 7 1 



animal. For example, if, with a sharp knife, a Po- 

 lype be cut into two by a horizontal section, midway 

 between the tentacles and the base, the upper por- 

 tion will adhere to a rock, close the bottom of the 

 stomach, and take its former shape ; the under part 

 will throw out rudimentary tentacles around the 

 centre, which will soon be in a condition to take 

 food, and the original form and functions will be 

 displayed by this portion also. Nay, it has even 

 been found that if, as often happens, the animal, 

 being violently removed from its support, leave be- 

 hind any fragments of its base still adhering, each 

 of these torn portions will, in a short time, acquire 

 all the parts of the perfect animal. These powers 

 strongly remind one of vegetable life ; for it is as if 

 one were making cuttings, and consequently new 

 plants, of a fuchsia or verbena. The ordinary mode 

 in which the Polypes continue their race is very 

 plant-like; the young grow from any part of the 

 surface like little buds, and when they have at- 

 tained the form of the parent, drop off; often, how- 

 ever, they are vomited through the mouth. Any 

 of my young readers who live near the coast may 

 easily verify these observations; but I would not 

 recommend the artificial mode of increasing the 

 animals, because, though it may well be doubted 

 whether they are susceptible of pain, such experi- 

 ments have an appearance of cruelty at least, which 

 it is well to avoid. In some situations you will 

 find in abundance Actinia gemmacea, the most lovely 

 of our native animal flowers, which I will describe. 

 When closed, it is of a rounded or sometimes oval 



