65 



The studded Sea flower in its most perfect state has its 

 mouth surrounded with several rows of unequal tentacula, 

 which are marked with bars of carnation, lake, brown, and 

 white, in such a manner that each forms a succession of 

 circles round the mouth, and present a scene of such re- 

 markable brilliancy and beauty, as few flowers can equal. 

 The Sea daisy is not so brilliant as the one just mentioned. 

 It has however its patches of brown, yellow and flesh colour 

 so beautifully and harmoniously blended, its festooned cir- 

 cumference so surrounded by a circle of short variegated 

 tentacula, forming a fringe of such "inimitable beauty" as 

 fairly to entitle it to the ephithet " Actiniarum pulcherima," 

 given it by Miiller. They are not admired, simply because 

 they are so far removed from common observation, as to be 

 but rarely seen. Their great beauty, the certainty with 

 which they are said to foretell a change of weather by the 

 opening or closing their tentacula, and their great tenacity 

 of life, by which they may be kept in confinement for years 

 with an occasional change of water, would point them out 

 as a pretty, agreeable and useful variety to the ornaments 

 for the boudoir. With but one exception, all of the Actiniiclte 

 are single or formed of only one polype, and locomotive. 

 But the different species vary a great deal in activity; the 

 most active perhaps is the Anthea cereus, which is the most 

 delicate and shortest lived of all. The studded sea flowers 

 and sea daisies, in a state of nature rarely move from the spot 

 in which they have once fixed themselves. Some of the 

 former I have known to retain their situations for five years ; 

 but when in confinement, they very freely move to all parts 

 of the vessel. When quiescent they very firmly adhere by 

 their bases to the stones on which they rest. This adhesion 

 is commonly said to be effected by means of a glutinous 

 secretion from the base ; but never having found a secretion 

 of sufficient tenacity to account for the firmness of their 

 hold, the explanation must be sought for in some other way. 

 It is however readily found in the muscular foot disc, which 

 in contracting elevates the centre and a vacuum is formed, 

 the circumference being closely in contact with the rock or 

 stone. A comaaon and familiar illustration may be found 

 of the way in which it is done, in the school boy's leathern 

 sicker. This is also the way in which it is elfected in the 

 Luceruarice, and most probably in all the others. If the edge 

 of the foot be raised with the nail, the whole is easily de- 

 tached ; if fresh water be poured on them they immediately 

 die and then the adhesion is very little ; in the last place the 

 animal can loose its hold at pleasure and move from place to 

 place with a gentle gliding motion, but the moment it is 

 attempted to be removed it regains its former firm hold. 



