7300 Notices of New Books. 



quit its hold, and descend into the jar, but it did not; and, after 

 stretching itself for some days, it ruptured its body across the centre, 

 apparently by its own weight, and died. 



*' Notwitl)standing these excellent authorities, however, I can un- 

 hesitatingly afBrm, both that the species travels as freely as any in 

 captivity, and that it may be removed from its attachment with the 

 utmost ease and impunity. In ' The Aquarium' (p. 192) I had given 

 evidence of both these facts, and experience has since confirmed them 

 in numberless instances. Instead of repeating my own observations, 

 however, I will fortify them with the authority of ray friend Mr. Mer- 

 riman, of Bridgenorth, who has favoured me with the following remarks 

 on this subject : — 



" ' Dr. Johnston's statement is not confirmed by my experience any 

 more than yours. I have a very fine specimen of A. Dianthus, which 

 persisted in crawling up the side of my glass, a circular one, until 

 part of its disk was actually above " high-water level." A few days 

 ago it became necessary to empty my glass. Accordingly I drew off 

 the water, and the Dianthus hung in the most disconsolate way, 

 looking very like an old wet kid-glove. Finding I could not finish 

 my operation without entirely removing him, I worked him off with 

 the back of my nail. Of course at the first rude touch on his base he 

 shrank up into a ball, in which shape he continued, when I dropped 

 him into some water to remain until I could restore him to his own 

 home. While here he became quite like a ball of cotton, so many 

 were the nettling threads that he threw out on all sides. In two 

 hours' time I put him back into the glass, having taken the pre- 

 caution to place a bit of slate upright behind him, that 1 might not 

 have the same difficulty again. In less than six hours he had stuck 

 as firmly to the slate as he had previously done to the glass, and he 

 has continued most magnificent ever since.' 



" In spite of Sir John Dalyell's assertion that this species is * less 

 hardy than most,' the fuller aquarian experience of the present day 

 enables us to afi^rm that no British species is more readily preserved 

 in confinement than A. Dianthus. There are probably thousands of 

 specimens of this fine anemone now living in the aquariums of Great 

 Britain and Ireland ; and a large number of these have been several 

 years in captivity. They continue to live and flourish, expanding 

 and erecting themselves with the greatest freedom ; nor do they seem 

 at all affected by the turbidity of the water, provided it be free from 

 impurity. I have had some specimens of rather large size continue 

 for many months in water so loaded with green Alga spores as to be 



