HALF AN HOUJl WITH SEA- ANEMONES. 125 



with their bright colours and flower-like appearance. 

 Thus Mr. Jonathan Couch mentions that " on one 

 occasion, while watching a specimen that was 

 covered merely by a film of water, a bee, wandering 

 near, darted through the water to the mouth of the 

 animal, evidently mistaking the creature for a flower ; 

 and, though it struggled a great deal to get free, 

 was retained till it was drowned, and was then 

 swallowed." 



We now purpose dwelling briefly upon such 

 species as the seaside visitor, under favourable 

 circumstances, and at the proper places, may expect 

 to find. The plumose anemone (Fig. 62, Adinoloba 

 dianthus) has already been referred to. It can 

 readily be identified from its tall column, its crown 

 of short tentacles grouped in bunches or tufts, as 

 well as by the thickened parapet which surrounds 

 the column just beneath them. Its colour is very 

 variable, sometimes being light olive, fawn-brown, 

 orange, flesh-colour, or pure white, according to 

 circumstances. The latter are such agencies as 

 light and shade, and perhaps there is imported into 

 the differences of colour an adaptation to that of 

 the objects most numerous in the neighbourhood. 

 This species is remarkable for its power of spon- 

 taneous division, and Mr. Gosse, speaking of this 

 peculiarity, and alluding to the power of movement 

 possessed by its muscular foot, says : " "When a 

 large individual has been a good while adherent to 

 one spot, and at length chooses to change its 



