VOL. LXV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 633 



pearetl to be daily recovering strength. On the 26th I found it at the bottom 

 of the vessel. On the 1st of July it climbed up the sides almost to the surface 

 of the water; and this it repeated on the 15th and '22d, above a year after the 

 time it had been cut. On the 23th a crab (cancer lanosus, cancer venenatus) 

 half dried, fell into the vessel, and after continuing in it some hours, infected 

 and tinged the water in the same manner as if husks of walnut or pieces of soot 

 had been thrown into it, which had such an effect on the piece of anemony, 

 that it threw up a great quantity of its intestines. On the 30th it laid hold of 

 the side again, but was considerably shrunk. In the beginning of September it 

 received a 2d injury, from another piece of anemony, which having been 

 damaged in the same manner by the former accident, suddenly putrified and in- 

 fected the water : more of the intestines were now discharged ; and this last ac- 

 cident, added to the former one, affected the creature to such a degree, that it 

 wasted gradually till the 8th of October, when it was totally dissolved. The 

 sea anemonies are undoubtedly susceptible of irritation to a very great degree ; 

 but is all that has been described to be considered as the mere effect of irrita- 

 bility ? Allowing that to be the case, will it not follow, that we are more in the 

 dark concerning that faculty than is generally thought ? It is usual to ascribe to 

 it the palpitation that is perceivetl in the flesh of oxen, when cut from the 

 animal, in the severed pieces and hearts of some reptiles, as the sloth, and other 

 involuntary spasmodic motions ; but is it possible that determinate motions, that 

 actions which seem to imply will, such as clinging, &c. which in our experiment 

 were continued for the space of 13 months, and, but for an accident, might 

 probably have been carried on much longer, should arise from mere irritability, 

 without any other cause ? The upper part of another sea anemony, of which 

 the inferior was become a perfect animal, lived 6 months after its being cut, and 

 seemed to feed by suction on pieces of muscle I put in its way. 



Sea anemonies, cut diametrically and perpendicularly, wei-e not essentially 

 hurt by that operation ; which might be expected to disorder more than any the 

 whole animal economy, and to be particularly injurious to the basis of this 

 animal, which is its most essential part, and in some species is exceedingly 

 tender. The two sides soon came together, but were some time in contact 

 before they connected. The junction however was at last so perfect, that no 

 visible scar remained on the robe, the continuity of the little blue edge was not 

 in the least interrupted, and the mouth was perfectly restored. These semi- 

 anemonies have long since acquired the appearance of the perfect animal, and 

 perform all its functions, such as moving from place to place, swallowing, &c. 

 This leads to the reflection, that if, as has been asserted, the power of loco- 

 motion in these animals depends on a certain combination of straight and cir- 

 cular tubes, it is not requisite, in order to exert it, that the continuity of these 



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