188 
THE OCEAN WORLD. 
M. Holla, rd lias seen small mackerel, two to three inches long, perish 
when touched by the tentacles of the Grreen Actinia ( Comactis viriclis — 
Allman). This is a charming little animal ; “ the brilliancy of its 
colours and the great elegance of its tentacular crown when fully 
expanded,” says Professor Allman, “ render it eminently attractive ; 
hundreds may often be seen in a single pool, and few sights will be 
retained with greater pleasure by the naturalist than that presented 
by these little zoophytes, as they expand their green and rosy crowns 
amid the algag, millepores, and plumy corals, co-tenants of their rock- 
covered vase.” 
The toxological properties of the Actinia have been attributed to 
certain special cells full of liquid ; but M. Hollard believes that these 
effects are neither constant enough nor sufficiently general to con- 
stitute the chief function of these organs, which are found in all the 
species and over their whole surface, external and internal. Though 
quite iucapable of discerning their prey at a distance, the sea ane- 
mone seizes it with avidity when it comes to offer itself up a victim- 
If some adventurous little worm, or some young and sluggish crustacean, 
happens to ruffle the expanded involucrum of an actinia in its lazy 
progress through the water, the animal strikes it at once with its ten- 
tacles, and instinctively sweeps it into its open mouth. This habit 
may he observed in any aquarium, and is a favourite spectacle at the 
“ Jardin d’Acchmitation ” of Paris at noon on Sunday and Wednesday, 
when the aquatic animals are fed. Small morsels of food are thrown 
into the water. Prawns, shrimps, and other crustaceans and zoophytes 
inhabiting this medium, chase the morsels as they sink to the bottom 
of the basin ; hut it is otherwise with the Actinia ; the morsels glide 
downwards within the twentieth part of an inch of their crowm 
without its presence being suspected. It requires the aid of a pi' 0 ' 
pitious wand, directed by the hand of the keeper, to guide the food 
right down on the animal. Then its arms or tentacles seize upon 
the prey, and its repast commences forthwith. 
The Actinia are at once gluttonous and voracious. They seiz e 
their food with the help of the teutaeula, and engulf in then' 
stomach, as we have seen, substances of a volume and consistence 
ivhich contrast strangely with their dimensions and softness. In l esS 
than an hour, M. Hollard observed that one of these creatures voided 
the shell of a mussel, and disposed of a crab all to its hardest parts; no* 
