50 * GRANNY * DESCRIBED. 



This circumstance excited the greatest surprise 

 and pleasure in the mind of the late Professor Flem- 

 ing, in whose possession this famous Actinia then 

 was. 



Up to this date (January 1860) there has been 

 no fresh instance of fertility on the part of Granny, 

 whose health, notwithstanding her great reproductive 

 labours and advanced age, appears to be all that 

 her warmest friends and admirers could desire. Nor 

 does her digestive powers exhibit any signs of weak- 

 ness or decay; on the contrary, that her appetite is 

 still exquisitely keen, I had ample opportunity of 

 judging. The half of a newly opened mussel being 

 laid gently upon the outer row of tentacula, these 

 organs were rapidly set in motion, and the devoted 

 mollusc engulphed in the course of a few seconds. 



The colour of this interesting pet is pale brown. 

 Its size, when fully expanded, no larger than a half- 

 crown piece. It is not allowed to suffer any annoy- 

 ance by being placed in companionship with the 

 usual occupants of an aquarium, but dwells alone in 

 a small tank, the water of which is changed regularly 

 once a week. This being the plan adopted by the 

 original owner of Granny, is the one still followed 

 by Dr. M'Bain, whose anxiety is too great to allow 

 him to pursue any other course, for fear of accident 

 thereby occurring to his protegee. 



A portrait of Granny, drawn from nature, will 

 be found on Plate 2. 



