320 f LITTLE FOLKS 
creatures, which it catches in its useful arms, and holds very tight. 
It isn't particular about its prey being small, either; choking is a 
sensation unknown to one of this family. One naturalist tells a 
story of finding a Sea Anemone which was originally two inches 
in diameter, and which had swallowed a shell the size of a saucer. 
One would think that would be sure death, but the cool little fellow 
was not at all disconcerted. Finding his stomach divided in two, he 
proceeded at once to grow another set of arms to feed his extra 
stomach. So he had actually become a double Anemone. 
But fond as they are of eating, they don't have things all their 
own way. Sometimes their food, (which of course they swallow 
alive) is too lively for them, and wriggles its way out of the stomach. 
Again some saucy little robber of the sea will snatch the tempting 
morsel away, and sometimes an impudent little shrimp will delib- 
erately seat himself on the beautiful flower, and sticking his claws 
into the Anemone's mouth, drag the coveted mouthful out and eat 
it himself. But the Anemone will fight, and sometimes the shrimp 
overrates his own strength, and instead of getting the morsel out, 
he goes in himself and is devoured. 
All these things have been seen in aquariums, where Sea Ane- 
mones are favorite objects, because of their great beauty. When 
it is quiet and light, they will expand their lovely arms, and are 
really wonderful to see ; but if any one comes near, or the water is 
disturbed, they will shut up in an instant. 
I want to tell you about a discovery made by Mr. Gosse with 
his microscope. He found that the innocent looking arms of Sea 
Anemones, w T ere provided with a tremendous array of weapons. 
The whole surface of the arm was seen — under the glass — to be 
covered with tiny sort of cells, in each of which was coiled a fine 
thread. These threads can be shot out by the creature, and they 
are not threads either, but long wiry darts of beautiful structure, 
and able to pierce any soft substance. Even a human finger when 
pierced by these sharp weapons feels the effect of it in the shape 
of small blisters, and you can imagine how much more severe they 
must be on the delicate bodies of the tiny creatures in the sea. 
One family of Sea Anemones is called Pufflet, because they 
can puff out their column till it looks like a ball. 
Another kind is called Snake-Locked-Anemone, because its 
arms really look something like a crowd of snakes writhing about 
in the water. 
