362 THE INHABITANTS OF THE SEA. 



opened upon what had been the base, and led to the under 

 stomach ; the individual had indeed become a sort of Siamese 

 twin, but with greater intimacy and extent in its unions. 



From this instance we may naturally infer that the Actiniae 

 are no mean adepts in the art of accommodating themselves to 

 circumstances. They may be kept without food for upwards of 

 a year ; they may be immersed in water hot enough to blister 

 their skins, or exposed to the frost, or placed within the ex- 

 hausted receiver of the air-pump, and their hard}' vital principle 

 will triumph over all these ordeals. Their reproductive powers 

 are truly astonishing. Cut off their tentacles, and new ones 

 sprout forth ; repeat the operation, and they germinate again. 

 Divide their bodies transversely or perpendicularly through the 

 middle, and each half will develop itsejf into a more or less 

 perfect individual. 



But these apparently indestructible creatures die almost 

 instantly when plunged into fresh water, which is for them, or 

 for so many other marine animals, a poison no less fatal than 

 prussic acid to man. 



Though generally firmly attached by means of a glutinous 

 secretion from their enlarged base to rocks, shells, and other 

 extraneous bodies, the sea-anemones can leave their hold, and 

 remove to another station, whensoever it pleases them, either by 

 gliding along with a slow and almost inperceptible movement 

 or by reversing the body and using the tentacula as feet ; or, 

 lastly, inflating the body with water so as to diminish its specific 

 weight, they detach themselves, and are driven to a distance by 

 the random motion of the waves. They are extremely sensible 

 not only to external irritations — the slightest touch causing 

 them, to shrink into a shrivelled shapeless mass — but also ol 

 atmospherical changes. They hide their crown under a glare 

 of light ; but in a calm and unclouded sky expand and disclose 

 every beauty, while they remain contracted and veiled in cloudy 

 or stormy weather. The Abbe Dicquemare has even found, 

 from several experiments, that they foretell changes of the 

 weather as certainly as the barometer. When they remain 

 naturally closed there is reason to fear a storm, high winds, 

 and a troubled sea ; but a fair and calm season is to be antici- 

 pated when they He relaxed with expanded tentacula. The 

 ova of the Actinia? are detained for some time after their sepa- 



