13o 
Sea Nettles ; and the Eehinodermaia, or Hard-skinned animals. 
"We shall commence with the Polypi. 
The first species of this class which we shall take into consider¬ 
ation is that strange and beautiful creature known commonly as 
the Sea Anemono. This living flower, which may be characteris¬ 
tically called the Sensitive Plant of the sea, belongs to the class 
called Zoophytes or Polypes. There are about fifty species of 
this singular animal already known ; but it is probable there are 
many more, which future discoveries will bring to light. In its 
simplest form the Anemone consists of a fleshy bag, which is 
open at one end only, and which is encircled by a coronal of 
slender, contractile threads (tenfamla), serving as arms to convey 
food to the orifice or mouth, and which are surrounded by an 
inner rim of bright blue beads ; whilst the other end of the bag 
forms an adhesive base by which the creature attaches itself to 
rocks and other objects it may select for its temporary residence. 
A SECTION OF ACTINIA COIUACEA, SEA NETTLE, Or. ANEMONE. 
a The outer skin. I e The stomach. 
b The base, or sucker by which it | f The muscles, and the granules 
adheres to the rocks. | above them are the ovaries. 
c The tentacles retracted. ] g The point at wh eh the nerves 
i! The mouth. | unite. 
Many of them choose deep water, but multitudes may be found 
on the low-lying rocks from which the tide has receded. They 
chiefly, however, affect deep pools overshadowed by rocky ledges 
or fringes of thick weeds. The animal affixes itself to some spot 
in the shadow, extending its feelers into that portion of the 
water whereon the sunshine falls. Their colours are as various 
as their forms—brown, crimson, purple, pink, dark red, green, 
olive, and flesh colour; the dark red variety occasionally speckled 
with light green spots. The Anemone, when in repose, presents 
the appearance of a tremulous, semi-globular button ( oncus ), and 
in that state may be passed by the inexperienced tourist as a 
mere coloured mass of jelly ; but when the disk with its tentacles 
is expanded, which happens when the animal is in search of 
food, it presents the perfect semblance of a flower ( anthus ), and 
hence its appellation ; not, by the way, that it in any way resem¬ 
bles the flower chosen to depict it, being more like an Aster, 
Daisy, or Marigold in the circular spreading of its rays. 
It has the power of locomotion, which it effects by moving a 
portion of its base, and when that is affixed, drawing, snail-like, 
the remaining portion after it. It travels, however, at a very 
slow rate, so slowly that its movement is not perceptible to 
the eye, being at about the rate of four inches in the course of 
eight or ten hours. 
The Anemones appear to have no special organs of sense, or, 
if any, they are very obtuse, nor is there any distinction of sex 
among them. Many species, particularly that known as the 
Parasite Anemone, give out, when handled, a fetid and offensive 
odour, which is very difficult to get rid of. "Whether this be a 
natural condition, or merely a secretion emitted by them a9 a 
protection against the attacks of other animals, man included, is 
not certain ; but they, undoubtedly, manifest other instincts for 
self-preservation, from the fact that those which are located in the 
half submerged rocks, and so more liable to interference, are fre¬ 
quently covered with certain excrescences blurred with dirty 
yellow spots, and encrusted with sand, shells, and gravel, so as 
to avoid detection. Whereas those that reside in deep water, 
and so comparatively out of reach, retain their normal, smooth, 
and fleshy covering, and display all their vivid and varied colours. 
The voracity of these Polypes is excessive, although they can 
endm-e the deprivation of food for a considerable time. Their 
natural prey consists of the smaller molluscs, star-fish, &c., in 
short of any animal they can manage to seize and retain in their 
long and slender arms, from which there is no escape. If a verv 
little crab, a fly, or a morsel of meat, be dropped into the water 
above them, they instantly thrust forth the tentacula and seize 
it. The prehensile power depending on the presence of pro¬ 
jectile barbed thread-like weapons, ordinarily coiled in elastic 
cells, and which are found in great numbers imbedded in the 
tissues of the tentacles, and the lips of the stomach. The pro¬ 
jection of these threads is sufficient to penetrate the tissues of 
other animals, and the barbed formation enables them to retain a 
firm grasp. The arms then, thus provided with their prey, curl 
over and convey it to the mouth or orifice of the disk ; and not 
only so, but bury themselves with it in the stomach, where, in 
about twenty-four hours it is digested. The refuse and indi¬ 
gestible parts, such as the shell of the crab and the husk of the 
fly, being rejected through the mouth covered with a viscous slime. 
It is supposed that the tentacles, or the threads imbedded in 
them, emit a poisonous fluid which destroys the captured victims 
instantaneously ; but if there be anything of the sort, it is more 
likely to be only such a fluid as paralyses, or stupifies, their prey. 
If the poison bo deadly, it must be supposed to be utterly harm¬ 
less after ejection, or innocuous to the Anemone itself, seeing 
that it instantly consumes other bodies impregnated with it. Is 
it altogether improbable that these barbed threads may possess 
a certain amount of electricity ? 
Although the ordinary prey of the Anemone consists of the 
smallest creatures, it is by no means the case invariably. It 
occasionally masters and disposes of victims considei'ably larger 
than itself. For instance: The thick-horned Anemone (Bwiodes 
crassicornis), has been known to devour crabs as large as a half- 
crown piece, and limpets as big as itself. 
The reproductive power of the Anemone is wonderful, for if 
wounded, torn, or cut into pieces, the fragments will reproduce 
the parts wanting, and in a very short time present a perfect 
form again. If, indeed, an Anemone be cut in half horizontally 
(although, on the mere probability of their possessing any sense 
of feeling, it would be an act of wanton barbarity), the upper 
portion will adhere to the rock, close the inferior section of tho 
stomach, and resume its former shape, whilst the lower part will 
throw out fresh tentacles, which will speedily acquire the power 
i of grasping food, and the animal thus divided will become two 
complete creatures, retaining their natural forms and discharging 
their ordinary functions. This is more particularly the case with 
the smooth Anemone (Actinia mesembryanthemwni), which is the 
species most usually found. 
The next most common variety, the Thick-horned Anemone 
{Bvnodes crassicornis), is more delicate, and does not endure 
mutilation with the stoical unconcern of its neighbour. 
This species may be recognised by the following marks : It 
is variously coloured, is rough with glandular warts, tentacles 
1 numerous and in three or four series, shorter than the diameter 
THF COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, May 29, 18(10. 
