704- COELENTERATA—II. CNIDARIA. 



The Cave-dwelling Anemone, though plentiful on our coasts, is very 



difficult to find, its colouring being wonderfully adapted 



The Cave-dwelling to the sand or mud of the pools it inhabits. The black, 



Anemone white, and grey of the disc are arranged in delicate 



(Safiartia patterns, which have been compared with those on the 



troglodytes). feathers of a snipe. The purpose of concealment is 



further aided by fragments of shells, etc., attached to the 



suckers on its column. 



In the Edwardsias (Fig. 11, p. 702) the body is much elongated, and 



the lower part is usually buried in the sand or mud. 



The Crimson One of the best-known of these Anemones is the Crim- 



Pufflet son Pufflet, which often inhabits the old burrows of 



(Mivardsia carnea). Molluscs in limestone rocks on the coast of South 



Devon, the beautiful crimson tentacles protruding from 



the mouth of the burrow. 



On tropical shores there are many brilliantly beautiful varieties of Sea- 

 anemones, some of which attain a very large size. Actinia paiimotensis, 

 found on the islands of the Paumotu Archipelago, is 

 Tropical described by Dana as one of the most beautiful of all 



Anemones. Anemones. It has a disc often 14 in. in diameter, 



' ' densely covered with large tentacles tipped with bright 

 lake, the margin undulating so as to form numerous lobes, each of which 

 has the appearance of being a separate Actinian, and the whole resembling 

 a beautiful bouquet." Other tropical forms have been said to resemble 

 brilliantly-coloured carpets covering the rocks. Some of these large, tropical 

 Anemones are used as homes by other animals, ■which live within the stomach 

 cavity. A fish some 3 in. long and very \ividly coloured in striking con- 

 trast to its host, and a brightly-coloured prawn are almost always found thus 

 associated with certain large Anemones on the great Barrier Reef of Australia, 

 as recently described by Mr. Saville Kent. These curious lodgers emerge 

 from their refuge from time to time to swim about in the sea, but dart back 

 again into themouths of thtir hosts when pursued by enemies. It has been 

 supposed that this association may be of advantage to the Anemone as well 

 as to the fish and the prawn. Animals are attracted to pursue these brilliant 

 decoys and fall victims to tie voracious Anemone, while the fish and the 

 prawn live on the crumbs which fall from the feasts of their magnificent 

 friends and protectors. 



In the Corals proper, the polyps are essentially like the Sea-anemones, but 

 are able to form a hard, protective framework for their bodies. 



The soft, fleshy body first gives off upon the rock below 

 The Corals. it a quantity of chalky matter from its base, and thus 



forms a kind of pedestal for itself, which is called the 

 foot-plate. From this, six hard ridges rise up into the body, given off by 

 the fleshy parts of the base ; six, at least, is the number first produced, 

 other ridges arising later in the intervals between these. From the outer 

 edges of these plates, phlangcs may grow out till they meet one another, 

 and make a hard ring supporting the ridges. Sometimes, too, a hard 

 column arises from the centre of the foot-plate; this is called the columella. 

 All over these hard ridges, rings, and columns, the basal skin of the soft 

 body of the animal fits closely. This arrangement is doubtless pro- 

 tective, for, on being disturbed, the whole animal, which was perhaps seen a 

 moment before as a beautiful Anemone, with expanded tentacles, collapses 



