ANEMONE, SEA, a popular name of the species of (mania (q.v.) and some other actiniada. It seems to have been first applied to them about a century ago by Ellis, one of the most celebrated investigators of the department of natural history to which they belong, who remarks that "their tentacles, being disposed in regular circles, and tinged with a variety of bright lively colors, very nearly represent the beautiful petals of some of our most elegantly fringed and radiated flowers, such as the carnation, marigold, and anemone." It is only, however, when in their proper element and undisturbed that the sea-anemones expand their fentacula and exhibit their beauty. When left dry by the receding tide. they contract into a jelly-like mass, usually hemispherical or conical, with a puckered hole in the top. The most common of all the British species of sea-A. is the actinia meserabryanthemum, which has received its specific name from another floral association. It attaches itself to rocks and stones from low-water almost to high-water mark, and when left by the tide appears as a sub-conical liver-colored or greenish mass, not more than 1 to 1 in. in diameter, which, when touched, is found to be very smooth and slippery, but•of pretty firm consistency. The tentacula, when fully extended, are in length nearly equal to the height of the body, and are nearly of the same color. An azure line frequently encircles the base; and on the base are dark-green lines converging towards the center, •and which are formed by radiating vertical plates in the fleshy substance of the animal, analogous (although not calcareous) to the calcareous partitions in the single-starred madrepores. Around the margin of the mouth there is a circle of azure tubercles, like turquoise beads of the greatest beauty. These are only to be seen when the mouth is pretty fully expanded. They are about 25 in number in full grown specimens. Their use is not known, though they have been conjectured to be smaller species, actinia (or sagartia) with stripes and numerous tentacula—is pretty common on the British shores, inhabiting holes in the rocks, often the deserted holes of the phaus, above which its oval disk and tentacula scarcely rise, and into which it quickly withdraws upon being disturbed. A number of species inhabit boles as this does.—Actinla (or bunodes) coriacca, which attains a diameter of 2 in., attaches itself to sand-covered rocks, and is often much buried
in the sand. It is covered with pale perforated warts, which have the power of agglu tinating to themselves sand, gravel, fragments of shell, etc.; so that, when the tide is out, the animal is readily passed over by the inexperienced eye as a mere inequality in the surface of the sand, unless some accidental pressure cause it to squirt out water through its teutacula, as, in such circumstances, many of the species are very apt to do, sometimes to the annoyance of those who incautiously meddle with them. – Act inia (bu nodes) crassicornis is one of the largest and most beautiful British sea-anemones, being about 4 in. in height, and fully more when expanded between the tips of the opposite tentacula. It exhibits great diversity of the most beautiful colors. Red is usually predominant; the surface of many is variegated with white,*or with orarge-green and yellow. It occurs almost totally white, creanr color, sulphur yellow. and bright scarlet, with pale warts like ornamented beads. —Beauty of color and form are still more abundantly lavished on actinia dianthus, a still larger species, with very numerous tentacula, which inhabits deep water.—Anthea cereus is, on some parts of the coast, one of the most abundant sea-anemones. Its tentacula are from 120 to 200 in number, are longer than in the actinite generally, and are incapable, it is said, of being retracted, as in the true aetinire, but remain constantly expanded, and are almost never completely at rest.
Of all the species, actinia mesentbryanthenum is perhaps the most easily kept in the aquarium. It not unfrequently changes its place, and its locomotion is au interesting subject of observation. it will subsist for a.considerable time without supplies of food, but readily accepts morsels of beef or mutton, fish, or almost any kind of animal food. The teutacula with which the offered food first comes in contact attach themselves to it; those next to them are in motion, as if to support them, if necessary, and a sort of sympathy seems to extend even to the most remote; but except in the case of struggling prey, or of a very large morsel, only a small number of the whole tentacula are usually employed in conveying the food into the mouth, or, more properly, into the stomach, for they do not seem to part from it till they have fairly lodged it there.