102 
THE SALT-WATER AQUARIUM. 
When the animal is left dry by the tide, or is reposing or feeding, the 
tentacula are drawn in, and the common orifice closed, Fig. 1; when 
covered with water, and searching for 
food, the tentacula are extended, Fig. 2, 
and move about with a gentle undulating 
motion. When the anemone changes its 
abode, it quits hold of the rock, and, re¬ 
versing its position, uses the tentacula as 
legs. When shells, pieces of raw fish, 
or meat are offered to them, if not too 
large, they will be immediately seized and swallowed; and although the 
shells of mollusks given to them may be firmly closed, they manage in some 
extraordinary way to consume the fish and to eject the shells empty. 
There are many varieties of the sea-anemone; the handsomest is the car¬ 
nation-like sea-anemone, tinted in various shades of red. The scientific name 
for the carnation-anemone is Actinia mesembryanthenium; but Americans, 
who don’t in general care for long Latin names, have unceremoniously short¬ 
ened this into “ mes.” There are other well-known kinds of anemone, 
known as the “ daisy,” the “ wheatsheaf,” and the “crass,” which is an ab¬ 
breviation of crassicrais. 
A little below high-water mark, plenty of specimens of the “ mes” ane¬ 
mone may be found. The more they are exposed to the light and the air, 
the darker is their color. Thus, the beautiful pale pink varieties are to bo 
sought for nearer to low-water mark, and in situations where overhanging 
weeds or stones shelter them from the sun. Those found half-way between 
high and low water mark are generally a fine bright red; and the anemones 
in exposed positions are almost brownish in the darkness of their tints. 
The “ crass” is generally to be sought for in crevices, behind bunches of 
overhanging weeds. In your wanderings along the coast, if you stop at any 
overhanging lump of rock, from which sea-weeds hang down, so as to form a 
natural screen, if you lift this screen, you will see some stones and shells 
which seem to be arranged on some gelatinous substance. This substance 
is a “ crass.” By touching the base with } r our finger, you will find whether 
the crass is fixed on the solid rock, or on the loose sand. If the former is the 
case, better leave him alone, and search for another specimen; for he holds 
on so tightly, that you will scarcely succeed in detaching your crass without 
injuring him in such a way that ho won’t live in the aquarium. A good 
many are generally found together, so that there is no need to run the risk 
of carrying away an injured specimen, as a little further search will almost 
invariably show you plenty more crasses where you have found one. Choose 
two or three that have fixed themselves to small bits of stone or rock that 
you can chip off, and bring them away with the stone. The smaller speci¬ 
mens are best, for they live longest, and look most ornamental. 
Small specimens of star-fish are very interesting objects for the aqua¬ 
rium, with their strangely colored rays and extraordinary motions. There 
