THE SHORES OF BRITAIN. "I 
animal. For example, if, with a sharp knife, a Po- 
lype be cut into two by a horizontal section, midway 
between the tentacles and the base, the upper por- 
tion will adhere to a rock, close the bottom of the 
stomach, and take its former shape; the under part 
will throw out rudimentary tentacles around the 
centre, which will soon be in a condition to take 
food, and the original form and functions will be 
displayed by this portion also. Nay, it has even 
been found that if, as often happens, the animal, 
being violently removed from its support, leave be- 
hind any fragments of its base still adhering, each 
of these torn portions will, in a short time, acquire 
all the parts of the perfect animal. These powers 
strongly remind one of vegetable life; for it is as if 
one were making cuttings, and consequently new 
plants, of a fuchsia or verbena. The ordinary mode 
in which the Polypes continue their race is very 
plant-like; the young grow from any part of the 
surface like little buds, and when they have at- 
tained the form of the parent, drop off; often, how- 
ever, they are vomited through the mouth. Any 
of my young readers who live near the coast may 
easily verify these observations; but I would not 
recommend the artificial mode of increasing the 
animals, because, though it may well be doubted 
whether they are susceptible of pain, such experi- 
ments have an appearance of cruelty at least, which 
it is well to avoid. In some situations you will 
find in abundance Actinia gemmacea, the most lovely 
of our native animal flowers, which I will describe. 
When closed, it is of a rounded or sometimes oval 
