412 THE WORLD OF ANIMAL LIFE 



is sufficiently poisonous even to kill a man, if three or four of 

 its threads should come into contact with his body. It is about 

 as large as a soup-plate, and of a tawny yellow colour; and the 

 fishing-lines, which are very numerous, are often several feet in 

 length. 



Those who have been stung by this formidable animal, and 

 have lived to tell the tale, say that the pain at first is merely like 

 that caused by the sting of the nettle, but that it rapidly increases 

 until it becomes almost unbearable, while both the heart and 

 lungs are seriously affected. Indeed it is possible that many of 

 those who are drowned while bathing, and are supposed to have 

 been overcome by cramp, in reality fall victims to this terrible 

 jelly-fish. 



SEA-ANEMONES 



In the pools among the rocks of the sea-shore one often notices 

 a number of curious flower-like objects fastened to the rocks. 



They look very much like asters. But they are soft and 

 clammy, and when touched they fold themselves up. All their 

 bright colours disappear, and the beautiful flowers of a moment 

 ago have become shapeless lumps of dark-coloured jelly. 



They are Sea- anemones, and the touch has frightened them. 

 But they will soon unfold again. The " petals " will appear once 

 more, and the bright colours begin to show. The anemones, per- 

 haps, are hungry, and will quickly recover their fright. 



What an exquisite creature an anemone is! it is for all the 

 world like a living flower growing out of the rock. 



But it is not growing out of the rock. It has only attached 

 itself by the lower part of its body, which it uses as a sort of 

 "sucker"'. 



The radiating filaments which look so much like the petals of a 

 flower are the tentacles or arms with which the anemone catches 

 its prey. When they are expanded the animal has spread its net 

 for victims. These tentacles are formed very much like the fishing 

 lines of the jelly-fish, being armed with numbers of minute darts, 

 which are coiled away in little cells when not in use. They are 



