Notices of New Books.- 4055 



process is repeated until the animal is satisfied with the position that 

 it has gained. Sometimes this is at mid-height, the intertwined ten- 

 tacles streaming loosely down by their own weight. At other times 

 it rises to the very water's edge, and even thrusts out its base in an 

 inverted position upon the surface of the water, as if it would float by 

 the mere contact of the dry base with the air, just as the Limneae and 

 many other Mollusca do. It does not, however, so far as I can judge, 

 appear capable of quite accomplishing this ; but it can remain so sus- 

 pended, if the slightest possible portion of the margin remain in adhe- 

 sive contact with the side of the glass.* A little shaking of the vessel, 

 however, causes the water to overflow the surface of the base, which 

 had been hitherto dry, when the animal falls prone to the bottom." — 

 P. 17. 



Let us now learn the history of the Daisy Anemone. 



" All along this line of limestone rock, in almost every tide-pool 

 and hollow that retains the sea- water, from the size of one's hand up- 

 wards, we may at any time find colonies of the lovely daisy Anemone 

 (Actinia bellis). In the sunshine of a fair day they expand beauti- 

 fully, and you may see them studding the face of a rock, just beneath 

 the surface, from the size of a shilling to that of a crown piece. No- 

 thing seems easier than to secure them, but no sooner do the fingers 

 touch one, than its beautifully circular disk begins to curl and pucker 

 its margin, and to incurve it in the form of a cup ; if further annoyed, 

 the rim of this cup contracts more and more, until it closes, and the 

 animal becomes globose and much diminished, receding all the time 

 from the assault, and retiring into the rock. Presently you discover 

 that you can no longer touch it at all ; it is shrunk to the bottom of 

 its hole, the sharp irregular edges of which project and furnish a stony 

 defence to the inhabitant. Nothing will do but the chisel, and this is 

 by no means easy of appliance. It is rare that the position of the 

 hole is such as to allow of both arms working with any ease ; the rock 

 is under water, and often if your chisel is short, it is wholly immersed 

 during the work, when every blow which the hammer strikes upon its 

 head has to fall upon a stratum of water, which splashes forcibly into 

 your eyes and over your clothes ; the rock is very hard, and the chisel 

 makes little impression ; and what is frequently the greatest disap- 

 pointment of all, the powdery debris produced by the bruising of the 

 stone mingles with the water and presently makes it perfectly opaque, 



* u I have seen one, however, floating quite freely on the surface of the vessel, base 

 uppermost.'' 



