SEA-ANEMONES. 131 



course, instantly closed its tentacles, and, as the 

 water was somewhat opaque, I could not observe 

 what I was doing. But, pushing down my hand, I 

 clutched as large a portion of sand as possible, exactly 

 over the spot where I had noticed the creature disap- 

 pear. I then drew my fingers and thumb together, 

 expecting to feel the shrinking object of my search, 

 but only felt what appeared to be a slimy annelid. 

 I have a peculiar instinctive antipathy to worms, and 

 therefore instantly drew up my hand, when, to my 

 surprise, I found it held the bulb of the pretty Bellis. 

 What I thought was a worm was only the drawn-out 

 body of the fair Daisy. 



There is no necessity for specially feeding these 

 animals, at all events not oftener than once a month. 

 Some writers assert that a single meal in twelve 

 months is sufficient; yet they are very greedy crea- 

 tures, and will devour any kind of fish shell or 

 otherwise that comes within their reach. The last 

 " Crass" that I captured had swallowed a Crab'"" of so 

 large a size, that its tentacula could not meet, when 

 contracted over the poor victim. 



The Anemones, moreover, possess the power of 

 ejecting a poisonous secretion, that has the effect of 

 speedily paralysing any animal that comes in contact 

 with them, and even imparts to man a sensation of 



* I am really at a loss to conjecture why Mr Lewes, in his 

 recent <e Sea-side Studies," would venture to assert that Ane- 

 mones never devour Crabs. I have repeatedly seen illustrations 

 of the fact. 



