182 GLAUCUS; OE, 



Let your weeds stand quietly in tlie vase a day or 

 two before you put in any live animals ; and even 

 then, do not put any in if the water does not appear 

 perfectly clear : but lift out the weeds, and renew the 

 water ere you replace them. 



Now for the live stock. In the crannies of every 

 rock you will find sea-anemones (Actiniae); and a 

 dozen of these only will be enough to convert your 

 little vase into the most brilliant of living flower- 

 gardens. There they hang upon the under side of 

 the ledges, apparently mere rounded lumps of jelly : 

 one is of dark purple dotted with green ; another of 

 a rich chocolate ; another of a delicate olive ; another 

 sienna-yellow ; another all but white. Take them 

 from their rock ; you can do it easily by slipping 

 under them your finger-nail, or the edge of a pewter 

 spoon. Take care to tear the sucking base as little 

 as possible (though a small rent they will darn for 

 themselves in a few days, easily enough), and drop 

 them into a basket of wet sea-weed ; when you get 

 home, turn them into a dish full of water and leave 

 them for the night, and go to look at them to-morrow. 



