110 LIFE IN THE AQUARIUM. 



disc of tentacles, expanded to their utmost, and 

 glowing with scarlet, pink, or lilac : just as a 

 rough sketch of the creature is taken, it half 

 withdraws the tentacles, and begins to puff out 

 the striped lobes or lips. Another sketch is now 

 taken of the crass, as it appears when in a 

 pouting humour; but there is no time for any 

 colouring, because the perverse animal now 

 begins to take in water to an alarming extent, 

 and soon succeeds in turning itself into an 

 animated hour-glass, hardly a vestige of tentacle 

 or pouting lips being visible. Even this form 

 does not seem to please it, and is speedily ex- 

 changed for another, which in its turn gives 

 place to a fifth, and so on ad infinitum. 



In order to avoid the danger of tearing the 

 very sensitive base, I was in the habit of digging 

 out all the stones and pieces of rock to which 

 the crass had affixed itself, and permitting the 

 creature to free itself in the tank ; a feat which 

 it generally soon accomplished. By taking these 

 precautions I succeeded in bringing a very large 

 and gorgeous specimen to town, and preserved 

 it alive and healthy for upwards of six weeks, in 

 one of the most crowded parts of the city. It 

 would probably have lived much longer, had 

 not the density of the water in which it resided 



