RAPID CHANGE OF FORM. 



109 



shell. The crass is a delicate animal to preserve, 

 for it seems to require a large body of pure water 

 for respiration, and if in the least injured does 

 not recover from the wound like the smooth 

 anemone. If it were as easily detached as the 

 "mes" there would be less difficulty in preserving 

 it; but it has an unpleasant habit of forming its 

 base into some six or seven lobes, attaching four 

 or five of them to separate stones or portions of 

 rock, and pushing the others into any crevices 

 that may be convenient. 



Very seldom, indeed, are the fingers alone suffi- 

 cient to extricate the creature without injuring 

 the base, and unless that important part be pre- 

 served in its integrity the crass assumes various 

 wonderful shapes, and very soon dies. In such 

 a case it generally begins by puffing out several 

 striped lobes from its mouth, which project, and 

 soon assume so enormous a size that they quite 

 overshadow the tentacles, and render it a matter 

 of some small difficulty to ascertain clearly 

 whether the animal is not reversed. After it has 

 thus displayed its own temper, it proceeds to try 

 that of its possessor, by assuming various forms 

 with such rapidity, that to draw it with any 

 accuracy is quite out of the question. In the 

 morning it may present a splendid and regular 



