48 
THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
other saws, too, which the amateur will 
have occasion to use, must not be over- 
looked in future numbers. 
Sea Anemones. 
nutritious matter passes through the 
lower open end of the stomach into the 
cavity of the body, and thence upward 
into the space between the walls of the 
sloroacli and the body. 
This si)ace is divided, by radiatiug x^ar- 
titioijs, into ma.ny longitudinal sections 
or tubes, which continue into tlie hollow 
BY A. W. ROBERTS. 
ARINE anemones belong to the 
polyps or anthozoa, which con- of one or several tentacles. As will easily 
sist of cy lindrical animals with be understood, the nutritious matter can 
an opening (the mouth) in the reach the extreme part of every tentacle, 
centre of the upper end. This mouth is The polyps either live singly or in colo- 
Burrounded by six, eight, or maiiy moreinies, in which latter case they form the 
coral reefs ; polyps 
or anemones which 
live singly are 
larger, but both 
disi)lay a wondrous 
beauty of form and 
color. 
The fringed sea 
anemone (Metrid- 
ium marginatum) is 
the most common 
among the ane- 
mones of the north- 
ern part of North 
America. It can be 
easily distinjjuish- 
ed by tlie mass of 
soft, plumy tenta- 
cles that surround 
its disk. When con- 
tracted it looks like 
a mere lump of 
brownish or whit- 
ish jelly, but, when 
fully exi)anded, it 
disi)lays such won- 
drous form, grace, 
and beauty as to 
hold the attention 
of the most care- 
lessbeholder. 
" From the ex- 
tended base," says 
Prof. Yerrill, "the body rises in the form 
of a tall, smooth column, sometimes cylin- 
drical, sometimes tapering slightly to the 
middle, and then enhirging toward the 
summit. Toward the top the column is 
surrounded by a circular, thickened fold, 
above which the character suddenly 
clianges, the skin becoming thinner and 
ceived. This having been completed, the more translucent, so that the internal radi- 
Fig. 1. 
hollow tentacles, which are used to seize 
the food. As soon as the food is passed 
to the mouth it is pressed down into a 
central longitudinal bag or inner tube 
(the stomach), where it is retained until 
all the nutriment has been extracted ; the 
residue is then passed out through the 
same opening throug-h which it was re- 
