SEA- ANEMONES. 121 



shallow rock-pool, a bee, on honey intent, deceived 

 by appearances, pounced upon the marine flower. 

 The tentacula, being at the very surface of the water, 

 instantly caught the unfortunate intermeddler, and, in 

 spite of its struggles, swallowed it up." * 



The Anemones, perhaps, are the most interesting 

 of all the occupants of the Aquarium. Residents in 

 Edinburgh can easily command a supply. There are 

 three species extremely plentiful at Joppa and all 

 along the Frith of Forth. Many pools are thickly 

 studded with specimens, varying in size from a silver 

 threepenny-piece to a cheese-plate. 



The first I shall refer to is the Bellis, or Sea-daisy. 

 The members of this class are especial favourites of 

 mine, from their suitableness to the Aquarium. They 

 vary considerably in appearance some are red, violet, 

 and purple, others nearly white. Some specimens 

 possess tentacles, that in colour and character look, 

 at a little distance, like a mass of brown eider down, 

 spread out in a circular form. A better comparison, 

 perhaps, presents itself in the smallest plumage of a 

 bird, beautifully stippled, and radiating from a centre. 

 This centre is the mouth of the animal, and is of a 

 light yellow colour. 



From its corners there branch out a pair of yellow- 

 ish white horns, that taper to very delicate points, 

 and are ofttimes gracefully curled like Ionic volutes, 

 or rather like the tendrils of a vine. 



The appearance presented by half a dozen of these 

 * Dr Landsborough's " Brit. Zoophytes." 



