IN FEATHERS AND FUR. 319 
Besides being able to shut up, these wonderful flowers can get 
about some. They are not — to be sure — great travelers, much 
preferring to fasten on to some rock or shell and stay there, but 
they can, if they wish, move to some other place. The short thick 
stem of the flower is the body of the animal, and in it are the 
necessary organs, stomach and so forth, which all animals must 
have. The beautiful flower-like petals around the top, are the arms 
of the creature, and hidden among them is the mouth — a large and 
very greedy organ. 
The beauty of the animal is in its arms — or tentacles, as the 
books call them — and they are of all imaginable colors, of the most 
delicate shades, and graceful shapes. But elegant and dainty as 
they look when waving carelessly about in the water, they are very 
useful to the little animal. They catch and stuff into the mouth, 
the food for which they are so greedy. 
The stomach of the Sea Anemone is a curious organ, too. It 
receives the food which the arms put into the mouth, digest what is 
suited to it, and throws the rest back out of the mouth again. 
For instance, one of these creatures will seize and devour a small 
fish, but its bones cannot be digested, so when the meat is all 
gone, the bones are sent out into the sea. But I think the most 
singular use of the stomach is to send out the babies into the 
world. When they are ready, they pass from some other place into 
the stomach, and out they shoot into the water, to take care of 
themselves. 
But these strange beings have another way of increasing the 
family, and that is by budding. A sort of a bud will grow out one 
side, and when full grown it will break off from the parent and set 
up in life for itself. 
The Sea Anemone has wonderful power of reproducing any 
part that is torn off ; it may be cut in pieces, and every piece will 
reproduce what is lacking and at last become a perfect animal. 
I told you they could change their home. Sometimes they move 
along on the base — just as they stand in the water — but very slowly, 
perhaps half an inch in five minutes ; but sometimes they turn 
over and walk on their head — you may say — using their arms for 
feet ; and sometimes they move by filling the body with water, thus 
making it more buoyant, letting go their hold of the rock, and 
letting the waves drift them along. 
Sea Anemones eat shrimps, small crabs, and many small sea 
