best of their class, namely, the sea lettuce, Ulva latissima , and iEnteromorpha 
compvessa. The first is a riband-like plant, the second grass-like; both of 
them are of a rich light green colour. These must be obtained on small 
blocks of stone or on old oyster shells : if torn from their footholds they are 
sure to perish. 
Probably the very first animal that will be captured will be the common 
Beadlet, Actinia mesembryantheninm , which is almost everywhere abundant, 
and seeks no concealment, being exposed for hours together between tide- 
marks when the tide is out. This anemone bears confinement with com¬ 
placency, and is therefore most valuable. Moreover, the species varies so 
much that the several varieties constitute in themselves a pleasing collection, 
affording rich tints of brown, red, green, olive, and buff. The Beadlet may be 
a pretty pursuit to search for the varieties, and a study calculated to lead to 
a broad perception of the teachings of the aquarium, to determine their 
specific identity with the type. A shallow vessel, such as a glass milk 
dish or the lower part of a glass fern shade, with two or three tufts of 
Enteromorpha compressa and half-a-dozen Beadlets, may be considered a good 
aquarium for a beginner. 
In capturing anemones some tact and judgment must be used. The safest 
way always is to chip off, by means of a hammer and chisel, a block of the 
stone on which they are seated. This is sometimes an easy task, oftentimes 
difficult, occasionally impossible. Certain of the more delicate-habited species 
are pretty sure to die if forcibly removed from their holdings, but these we 
need not enumerate. It is sufficient to say that by far the larger proportion 
of all that are ordinarily met with may be detached by carefully working beneath 
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