178 



HARD WICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



following short outline of the pupa. " Eight lines 

 in length ; typical noctua style ; with no protuber- 

 ances ; two short spikes at apex ; at the base of 

 poplar and aspen (also lime, elm, willow and oak), 

 from August to March." 



There is a wonderful similarity between the pupse 

 of this genus, those of T. incerta, T.gothica, T.stabilis 

 and T. fiopulcti being identical one with the other, 

 and it is impossible to pronounce with any certainty 

 to which of the four any one pupa belongs. 



The Museum, Ipswich. 



THE HISTORY OF A FAMOUS SEA- 

 ANEMONE. 



AMONG the "common objects of the sea-shore " 

 which especially engage the attention of the 

 visitor during his summer holidays, few perhaps 

 are more attractive than certain little jelly-like 

 patches, or elevations, which he meets with on the 

 rocks and stones at low-water, and which at first 

 sight he may have difficulty in believing are the same 

 as the beautiful flower-like objects that he sees fully 

 expanded in the clear pools left among the rocks by 

 the retiring tide. It is from their resemblance to a 

 flower that they derive their popular name of " sea- 

 anemones," a name, however, not very appropriate, 

 as there are other flowers which they more closely 

 resemble, for example the daisy, which has given 

 the name to one of them. They were for a long 

 time looked upon as being really flowers, but they 

 are now known to be animals, a fact which becomes 

 evident as we study their habits. They can change 

 their position at pleasure, or alter their form, being 

 at one time closely shut up, while at another they 

 are expanded, with their tentacles arranged in a 

 circle, and looking much like the stamens of a flower. 

 They can detach themselves from the rock, or they 

 can adhere jto it by their fleshy base, when it will 

 sometimes be found a difficult matter to remove 

 them, and to be a very unpleasant operation for the 

 fingers and nails. They will remain for hours 

 motionless, with their tentacles fully expanded, until 

 some animal swimming by may chance to touch 

 them. No sooner is this done than the tentacles 

 gradually close, the animal is held quite securely, 

 being gradually drawn in through the mouth to the 

 bag which constitutes its stomach. There are many 

 different species of these zoophytes, or actiniae, as 

 they are also called, but it is to one particular animal 

 that I am now about to refer. The one in question 

 is called the "beadlet" (Actinia mcsembryanthemum), 

 from the circle of turquoise-like beads at the base of 

 the tentacles, and is the most common of the British 

 species. It varies very considerably in colour, 

 passing from shades of brown up to vivid vermilion, 

 and from this to orange, yellow, and green. The 



beads also sometimes look like pearls. These changes 

 of colour may occur in the same individual, depending 

 on the state of the skin, or other causes. 



The particular "beadlet," whose history is now 

 given, was taken by the late Sir John Graham Dalyell, 

 on the shore of North Berwick, so far back as 

 August, 1828, and died on the 4th of August, 1887. 

 Sir John had early acquired a taste for natural 

 history, which he probably cultivated more in 

 consequence of an accident when an infant, which 

 resulted in his being lamed for life, and therefore 

 obliged to seek for amusement in mental, rather 

 than in physical recreation : and to this the world is 

 indebted for his valuable observations on marine 

 animals, the result of which he has given us in his 

 interesting works: "On the Powers of the Creator 

 displayed in the Creation," and in " The Rare and 

 Remarkable Animals of Scotland," both being beauti- 

 fully illustrated. 



At the time of the capture of this beadlet it was 

 supposed, from a comparison with others which Sir 

 John had bred, to be "at least seven years old," so 

 that at the time of its death it had attained the 

 venerable age of sixty-six years. For some years it 

 had been known by the familiar name of " Granny." 

 When first found it was a very fine one, though not 

 of the largest 'size, and as it continued "in great 

 vigour and of ample dimensions," its portrait was 

 taken in October, 1828, and will be found coloured 

 after nature on plate 45, in the second volume of 

 " The Rare Animals of Scotland." It was then a 

 reddish-brown, but when about thirty years old it 

 became "rather of a dull greenish cast, the tubercle 

 blue, and the ring at the base narrow and faint," 

 but the colour has varied since. It was kept in a 

 glass jar, five inches high and four inches wide, and 

 its diet consisted of "half a live mussel once a 

 month," and on the following day the sea-water was 

 changed." 



I am indebted for these and other particulars to 

 the kindness of Mr. Lindsay, of the Royal Botanic 

 Gardens, Edinburgh, who was the last of Granny's 

 guardians. "Granny" lived with Sir J. G. Dalyell 

 until his death in June, 185 1, being at that date 

 about thirty years old. After his death she was 

 transferred to the care of Dr. Fleming, Professor of 

 Natural Science, in the New College, Edinburgh, 

 and whilst residing with him her earthly career was 

 nearly closed. It was feared that she had been 

 poisoned by some deleterious substance which had 

 found access into the glass jar during the process of 

 cleaning and painting the room. Dr. McBain was 

 speedily summoned. Granny's condition appeared 

 hopeless, but removal to another room, combined 

 with a frequent supply of fresh pure salt-water, soon 

 restored her to her usual health. She was highly 

 prized by Dr. Fleming, and after his death in 

 November, 1857, she was handed over by Mrs. 

 Fleming to the care of Dr. McBain, with whom she 



