VOL. 1.XIII.] . PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 467 



has a power of throwing up so easily what it has swallowed down ? This was 

 the case with an anemone of the 3d species, and of a middle size, which had 

 been fished lately. 



On the 8th of October, the same sea anemonies (of which he had clipped out 

 the upper part with the mouth and limbs, instead of which new ones were repro- 

 duced, perfect enough to enable them to eat) were divided a 2d time, and again 

 renewed, so as not to be distinguished from those which had undergone no ope- 

 ration. And having taken particular care to feed one of these halves clipped the 

 ad time, he saw it grow stronger and stronger every day, and perform with equal 

 facility the same functions as any other complete original anemone. The only 

 difterence or exception is, that its basis is not yet perfect enough, to enable the 

 animal to adhere or fix itself to the glass; he makes no doubt however, but this 

 new anemone will, in a short time, acquire the only powers yet wanting, to 

 render it a perfect one, see fig. 16 and 17. Might not we ask, on all these facts, 

 what is become of the original animal? is it that which continued adhering by 

 its basis to the glass? or is it the upper half? Are there animals among which 

 an individual is not a simple being? 



p. s. Just as this essay was concluded, Mr. D. found out a 4th species of sea 

 anemonies, of the size of the 2d, and of an elegant form, having the appearance 

 of a cluster of white or flesh-coloured feathers.* These anemonies are found 

 in oyster beds, &c. He observed that there grows, or comes out of their body 

 and mouth, a sort of threads about the size of a horse-hair, which being exa- 

 mined with a solar microscope of 5 inches diameter, appear as if made up of a 

 prodigious number of vessels, in which a liquor is seen to circulate. The largest 

 of these unite together, much in the same manner as the optic nerves do in man. 

 Such an organization is doubtless intended for very important purposes. Some 

 young ones of this species, which still adhered to each other by a string of com- 

 munication, shut themselves up in the same instant, when this string was 

 touched in the middle. As he could not directly contrive a total section of this 

 large species, he tried it on the young ones; and these shooted out again after 

 the operation ; and so have the old ones done since, Mr. D. has met with a 

 sort of monster among these anemonies, viz. one which seemed to inclose or 

 contain 3 others, 2 of which were united at their basis, and the 3d lay, as it 

 were, concealed in the folds. 



Nature has resources little known to us; it seems some times to vary its ope- 

 rations, with an intent, as it were, the more to stimulate our curiosity, and 

 perhaps to disclose her secrets to those who are endowed with a degree of saga- 

 city or patience, sufficient to follow and investigate the effects offered to our ob- 



* This species is the Jctinia plumosa, 

 3 2 



