
ee A eed ie Oe ee 
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DSBS eB ANB EP 0 eR ir ES, Fe hp 

An se ee eae Se ee. a ee oe ee er 
s 
A STROLL BY THE SEA-SIDE. 239 
Waiting patiently a few moments, the tentacles slowly re- 
appear. Noticing the expanded part more attentively, a 
small slit is seen in the centre of the exposed disk, and 
surrounded by the tentacles; this is the mouth, and for a 
proof of it we have only to drop a bit of meat, so that it 
may fall within the radius of the expanded tentacles, and 
as it comes in contact with them, is immediately seized, 
not only by the tentacles against which the meat strikes, 
but by others that promptly swing in that direction. The 
tentacles are covered with minute cells, from which threads 
dart and adhere to their prey. These cells produce a dis- 
tinct nettling sensation upon the hands of some that are 
brought in contact with them, and appear to paralyze the 
living objects upon which they feed. The tentacles appear 
glued to the meat, and by tlfis power of adhesion rather 
than that of grasping, the food is passed from one set to 
the other until it is brought to the mouth, which yawns 
gradually, and into which it finally sinks. Another bit 
shares the same fate, even if it is dropped upon the ex- 
treme verge of the tentacular crown, and very amusing it is 
to Watch their quaint manceuvres when fed in this way. A 
small pebble, or other substance not appropriate for food, is 
mstantly rejected. Thus, in this interesting experiment, 
animality and the power to discover by touch proper sub- 
stances for food are manifested. The organization of the 
animal is extremely simple; a cylindrical body having only 
me proper opening which answers the purposes of mouth 
aud vent ; this orifice leading to a sac-like stomach hanging 
Within the body. Also within the body numerous verti- 
cal radiating partitions, corresponding to the tentacles that 
Project from the crown, comprises the prominent parts of 
Ms structure. An English writer states that “foreigners boil 
many kinds of Actinie for the table, and find them a very 
reasant dish. The texture is something like calf’s-foot 
Jelly; taste and smell resembling that of crab or lobster. 
n with sauce, they are savory.” 

