















264 THE MARINE AQUARIUM. 
not put any in if the water does not appear perfectly clear; but 
lift out the weeds, and renew the water ere you replace them. 
Now for the live-stock. In the crannies of every rock 
you will find sea-anemones (Actinie) ; and a dozen of these 
brilliant of living flower-gardens. There they hang upon 
the underside of the ledges, apparently mere rounded lumps 
of jelly ; one is of a dark purple, dotted with green; another 
of a rich chocolate; another of a delicate olive; another 
sienna-yellow; another all but white. Take them from 
their rock; you can do it easily by slipping under them 
your finger-nail, or the edge of a pewter spoon. T 
care to tear the sucking base as little as possible (though 
a small rent they will darn for themselves in a few 
easily enough), and drop them into a basket of wet 
weed; when you get home, turn them out into a dish 
of water and leave them for the night, and go to look 
them to-morrow. What a change! The dull lumps of jelly 
have taken root and flowered during the night, and your i 
is filled from side to side with a bouquet of chrysanthemum. 
Let your Actiniæ stand for a day or two in the dish, 
then picking out the liveliest and handsomest, detach ti 
once more from their hold, drop them into your vast; “> 
them with a bit of stick, so that the sucking base 18 & 
wards, and leave them to themselves thenceforth. 
the more beautiful; the very maiden-queens of all the 
tiful tribe. If you find one, clear the shell on ¥ 
grows of everything else (you may leave the opt A 
if you will), and watch it expand under water into & 
lowed flower, furred with innumerable delicate tei 
and, in the centre, a mouth of the most brilliant © 
Josel- 
inata very © 
* On our shores it is rarely met with. It resembles 4. margt a 
t See Gosse’s Aquarium, Plate 5, p. 192. À 

