AQUABnrii. 



beautiful petals of some of our most delicately fringed and ra- 

 diated flowers, such as the carnation, marigold, and anemonci." 

 The commonest of all the British species is scientifically known 

 by the formidable name of Adm/ia MesemhryamthemM/m. Seen 

 lying on the sea-shore, it presents the appearance of a sub- 

 conical mass of brownish-green glass, that would serve admirably 

 as a paper weight ; ignorant of its true character, you' attempt 

 to take it up and find it hmp and jeUy-like. May be it will 

 convince you that it is a Uving creature, by squirting a jet of 

 sea-water into your face. Tou turn it over on what may be 

 called its back, and probably find that an azure line encircles 

 its base, and that a series of beautiful green lines converge 

 from thence to the centre, while set round the creature's mouth 

 is a circle of httle knobs like turquoise beads, and which are 

 supposed to be the animal's eyes. Lying on your hand it 

 looks so unlike a living thing, that to settle the matter you 

 place it where the next advancing wave may catch it up and 

 carry it out. All speculation as to its being alive at once 

 ceases ; a hundred arms, its tentacles, are at once spread out, 

 each one ready to grasp any eatable morsel that may appear 

 within reach. 



Despite its innocent appearance, the sea-anemone is as 

 voracious as a shark, and 

 endowed with a curiously 

 powerful digestion, says the 

 author of " Common Ob- 

 jects of the Sea Shore." 

 I have often amused myself 

 by watching them in their 

 native haunts, and expe- 

 rimenting on their powers "cbass." 

 of digestion. One single 



" crass" (Actima erassicorius) measuring barely three inches 

 in diameter, required two crabs, each the size of a penny 

 piece, and a large limpet, before it ceased to bog with ex- 

 tended arms. It is evident by the fact of the crab-eating, 

 that the crass mrist possess great powers of grasp, or it could 

 never hold, retain, or drag to its mouth, and finally devour a 

 creature of such strength as a crab of the size above mentioned. 

 Such a crab struggles with great violence, and requires a veiy 

 firm grasp of the human hand to prevent its escape ; and yet 

 the anemone, whose entire body is not larger than the closed 

 hand, and whose substance is quite soft, can seize and retain 



79S 



