120 THE SEA-SIDE AND AQUARIUM. 



of profound contemplation, alike to the naturalist 

 and to the philosopher. 



" We cannot excuse our neglect of them by saying, 

 what is true with respect to not a few of the most 

 interesting objects in nature, that they are too small 

 to be seen without the aid of the microscope; for all 

 Actinias can be seen by the naked eye, and several of 

 them, when fully expanded, are of considerable mag- 

 nitude. The very names by which they are com- 

 monly known, shew that their beauty has been both 

 seen and appreciated. Even more than a hundred 

 years ago, when little was known of their nature, and 

 when zoophytology was yet in its infancy, before our 

 naturalists had made them an object of study, more 

 common observers had given them appropriate Eng- 

 lish names. Ellis knew that it would be understood 

 what he meant when he spoke of them as Sea-ane- 

 mones. He says, t Their tentacles being disposed in 

 regular circles, and tinged with a variety of bright, 

 lively colours, very nearly represent the beautiful 

 petals of some of our most elegantly fringed and 

 radiated flowers, such as the carnation, marigold, 

 and anemone.' Nay, not only has the resemblance 

 been acknowledged by man, but, in one case at least 

 on record, it forced itself on a connoisseur, who had 

 more practical acquaintance with flowers than any of 

 our florists or botanists. A distinguished naturalist 

 (Mr Couch) mentions, that when he was one day 

 admiring the beauty of a Sea-anemone, as on a 

 sunny day it lay, with fully expanded tentacula, in a 



