8864 



Aquarium. 



placed herein are thriving beautifully. On its arrival Peachia was put 

 for some hours in a bath of pure sea water. It was subsequently 

 transposed to the special home, and for four days he was wallowing 

 on the surface of the sand, constrictions continually passing towards 

 the caudal extremity, and during the next two days he would occa- 

 sionally burrow to the extent of an inch or so. At the end of nine 

 days from its arrival it had completely burrowed and concealed itself 

 in the sand, with the exception of the tips of the tentacles, which 

 peeped out, but immediately retracted on being touched. The pro- 

 cess of burrowing was effected precisely in the manner already so 

 beautifully described by Mr. Holdsworth, in the ' Annals of Natural 

 History ' for January, 1859 : — " Its first efforts in burrowing had but 

 little effect, and it was only after an hour's labour, when the cavity 

 had become large enough to allow the polype to work in an upright 

 position, and with the assistance of its whole weight, that rapid pro- 

 gress was made." At the end of four days from this event Peachia 

 had wriggled himself out of his burrow, and remained wallowing on 

 the surface of the sand ; at the end of five more days he was 

 again completely concealed, as before described. Occasionally I 

 tried him with food, but to no purpose ; on the slightest contact with 

 the tentacles they were immediately retracted, and the food un- 

 touched. About six weeks from the commencement I succeeded in 

 tempting him with several fresh ova of the salmon, and regularly since, 

 about every three weeks, up to the present time, he has been fed with 

 mussel, oyster, or raw fish. The tentacles and conch ula are usually 

 protruded, but sometimes the creature entirely disappears for a few 

 days. It seems in perfect health and quite domiciliated. 



I am also fortunate in possessing another rare and curious animal, 

 Phellia Brodricii, obtained from the same person, and originally pro- 

 cured, I believe, from the little Island of Herm. It is located on the 

 exposed surface of a piece of rock, from whence it has not altered its 

 position. The description accords with that in Mr. Gosse's ' Actino- 

 logia,' but I have not found the specimen so shy as therein mentioned. 

 It is impatient of the light, and only expands fully in the darkest parts 

 of the aquarium. With an ordinary amount of care it is readily fed, 

 and has materially improved in consequence. 



W. R. Hughes. 



The General Hospital, Birmingham, 

 October 5, 1863. 



PRINTED BY EDWAED NEWMAN, 9, DEVONSHIRE STREET, BISHOPSGATE. 



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