Sea-anemones are extremely voracious, and almost every observer has his own anec dotes to illustrate it. Dr. Johnston relates one which at the same time remarkably illus trates their power of reproducing organs of their own body. "I had once brought to me a specimen of act. crassicorni,?, that might have been originally 2 in. in diameter, and that had somehow contrived to swallow a valve of pedal maximus of the size of an ordinary saucer. The shell, fixed within the stomach. was so placed as to divide it completely into two halves, so tlutt the body, stretched tensely over, bad become thin and flattened like a pancake. All communication between the inferior portion of the stomach and the mouth was of course prevented; yet, instead of emaciating and dying of an atrophy. the animal had availed itself of what undoubtedly had been a very untoward accident, to increase its enjoyments and its chances of double fare. A new mouth, furnished with two rows of numerous tent:rib., was opened up on what had beentthe base, and led to the under-stomach: the individual had indeed become a sort of Siamese twin, but with greater intimacy and extent in its unions. (British Zoophytes, i. 235.) As inmates of the aquarium. sea-anemones are apt to prey upon their fellow-prisoners. "Simple contact of the tentacula," says Sir J. G. Dalyell, "is the prelude of destruction. Sonic animals, as if conscious of their inevitable fate, seem paralyzed by the touch and yield without a struggle. Others, whose size and strength should insure indemnity, are held in the relentless grasp; the tentacula crowding faster and faster around, until the victim is speedily swallowed alive." There appears to be in other marine animals an instinctive horror of the tentacula of the sea-A. The hermit-crab will instantaneously tiee out of its shell• if the shell is caught by them. It is now believed that, like the
acaleplae (q.v.) and the hydras (q.v.), the sea-anemones possess a power of benumbing their prey. Sea-worms (nereides) have been observed first to writhe, and then to become paralyzed. Little elliptical capsules are in some species scattered over the whole surface of the body; in others, confined to the tentacula, or even to their tips. These are fur• nished with spieula or minute spears. by which it is probable that not only are wounds Inflicted, but poison is also conveyed into them. The sensations produced by the touch of the tentacula appear to be very different in the case of different persons, from a mere "rasping feeling" on the withdrawal of the band, to a slight tingling and even to a stinging as by a nettle. The anthea cereus possesses the stinging power in a much greater degree than the ordinary actinic. Probably the skin of the human hand is in general too thick or hard.t0 be pierced by their Iluo.vicula. Dr. A. Waller of Birmingham dis covered that, on submitting the tip of his tonglie to the tentaeula, a pungent pain and stinging, as by a nettle, were the constant result. lie also found that a thin India rubber membrane grasped by the tentacula retains the microscopic "poison darts" stick ing on its surface. Some of these are only two or three times the length of the capsule which contains them, or at most 100th part of an inch; but others are much longer, and when within the capsule, are coiled up after the manner of a watch-spring, The cap sules are therefore called filiferous or thread capsules. This thread is highly elastic, and the expulsion of it, as of the shorter spicula, is effected, Mr. Gosse tells us, by organs having this for their special office.