96 AMPHIBIOUS LIFE OF THE ANEMONE, 



of the geological hammer, so that the portion of 

 rock on which the animal is fixed is detached 

 by the stroke. In this way a cargo may be col- 

 lected in a very short time. They are generally 

 found in colonies, consisting of five or six up to 

 twenty or thirty in number; but now and then 

 a giant may be found by himself or herself — for 

 with them it is all the same thing — living in 

 solitary state. 



The smooth anemone seems to lead almost an 

 amphibious life, for numbers of them are found 

 affixed to stones and rocks in such situations, 

 that they spend rather more time out of the water 

 than in it. So that the rock is tolerably shady, 

 the creature seems to be perfectly satisfied; but 

 there are some hardy individuals who expose 

 themselves to the full blaze of the sun. Even 

 when they cannot be seen, owing to failing light, 

 or rising tide, the touch will easily detect them, 

 although in the latter case there is a slight 

 chance of getting the finger nipped by a bad- 

 tempered crab. I once filled a small basket with 

 these creatures in a quarter of an hour or so, 

 although the tide was driving me gradually to 

 the shore, and there was not sufficient light to 

 distinguish the hands of a watch. 



The chief beauties of this, or indeed of any 



