yanthemum_. The polypus-hunter who finds this living
flower clinging to sea-coast rocks, and bears it home as an addition to
his aquarium, unless he is already acquainted with the nature of his
prize, will behold with astonishment and delight the wondrous variations
in the appearance of this little creature. Clinging to the rocks, the
anemone probably appeared like a round leathery bag drawn in at the
centre; but when placed on the miniature cliffs of the aquarium, a
wondrous transformation takes place. The bag gradually expands, a mouth
appears in the centre, and from it unfold a multitude of petals of a
variety of colors--pale scarlet, blood-red, orange, and white--which
wave gently back and forth like a graceful nodding flower. Now drop a
small earth-worm or tiny fish in the water. The instant it touches the
least of these petal-like tentacles the whole flower is in commotion,
all the arms reaching toward the struggling victim, and holding it in a
grasp so firm that escape is impossible, and it is soon drawn into the
capacious and hungry stomach. Every animated thing that comes within
reach of the tentacles of the anemone is mercilessly seized and
devoured. Even small mollusks and Crustacea are unable to resist the
power of the grasping threads, and crabs are often conquered and
swallowed by this voracious living flower. For this reason sea-anemones
are dangerous inhabitants of an aquarium stocked with creatures having
the power of locomotion, and are best placed in a tank with other
zoophytes like themselves. How often they eat when free in their natural
element is unknown, but weekly feeding is said to be sufficient to
sustain them in an aquarium. Small bits of meat are acceptable food,
which can be dropped into the water. The instant a descending morsel
touches the petals, or tentacles, of a hungry anemone, it is eagerly
seized and drawn into the open, greedy mouth. The _Actinia
mesembryanthemum_ is a very long-lived creature, and certain specimens
are reported to have lived over twenty years in aquaria in England.

There are many varieties of sea-anemones, and although all possess the
same distinguishing characteristics, they vary in the form and color of
the open flower. The _Actinia gemmacia_, which is like a gorgeous
sunflower, is said to be the most voracious of its kind. An English
naturalist describes a specimen which swallowed a shell as large as a
saucer, its own diameter not being over two inches. Its ela