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brought within their reach by the graceful vibrations of their 

 tentacula. The crustaceans whether they scented the dainty 

 morsels or not we cannot determine have hurried to the spot in 

 order to appropriate as plunder what has been legitimately obtained 

 by others. Each prawn is helping himself, drawing the coveted 

 bits from the grasp of the helpless and disappointed zoophytes: and 

 see how he scampers off with both hands full to a place of retreat. 

 But look once more. You observe an anemone in the act of 

 swallowing a piece of decayed shell-fish his mouth opens wider 

 and wider and now the morsel has disappeared. Here is a prawn 

 just arrived almost too late he feels with his finger and thumb 

 about the lips of the closed mouth there is apparently nothing for 

 him ; yet he seems to know what he is about ; and true enough ; 

 for see how artistically, how professionally he introduces his hand 

 into the mouth of the anemone ! He will not be defeated. Nor 

 has he any compunction. He thrusts his hand down, and down, 

 and yet deeper still, into the very stomach of the animal. He has 

 actually got possession of every particle that had been swallowed ; 

 and now he is off with all possible speed lest his ill-gotten booty 

 should be snatched from him by a prawn more valiant than himself. 

 This colony of plundered zoophytes is formed by a species of 

 anemone common only on certain parts of the coast it is the 

 Actinia lellis, described by naturalists. It sometimes escapes de- 

 tection from the fact, that almost the whole body is often concealed 

 within the chink of a rock, whilst the expanded disc and the sur- 

 rounding tentacula are partially obscured by the shade of adjacent 

 sea weeds. It assumes a variety of shapes ; it can change its locality 

 at pleasure ; and, having apparently an aversion to the solitary life ? 

 it is usually found in clusters of perhaps a dozen or more individuals 

 huddled together in close compact. The species can scarcely be 

 mistaken. In the same pool are other species of the same genus. 

 The most abundant of all the anemones, Actinia mesembryanthemwn, 

 is seen on all sides. It inhabits nearly every place at the sea side- 

 adhering to stones or to the sides of piers, and is easily recognized, 

 either as a gelatinous rounded body, not unlike a ripe cherry, when 

 closed during the recess of the tide, or, when in the full enjoy- 

 ment of the returning waters, it exhibits the form of the flower from 

 which its name has been derived. A careful examination of some of 

 the deeper pools in this neighbourhood will probably expose to view 

 very fine specimens of the larger species Actinia coriacea, and 

 Actinia crassicornis. The former of these is abundant on many 

 parts of the shore, sometimes buried in the sand, and gregarious, or 



