The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-05


calls upon his reserve. Violent golf or
plants only by the researches of recent
years. Sponges, corals, sea anemones and
the whole "sea cucumber group were
long believed to be vegetable, and many
blue water sailors think so to this day.
There are animals that seem to blossom
as freely as do Towering plants.
The sea anemone is one of the common
est of these. 1t is found clinging to rocks
in sheltered places along shore in prac-
tically every part of the world, for 1t Is
not confined to any special region. 1t
grows only in comparatively shallow wa
ter that is in depths of less than 500 faith
oms, although there is one species that
lives in the open sea. but wherever found
it is essentially the same in structure. 1t
is a tough. leathery tube, spread out be-
low into base" that fastens it to a rock
or other foundation. and expanding above
into the f1ower-hke disk" with the mouth
in the center. All around the opening OF
the mouth are curling tentacles, not UNI
like the petals of a modern chrysanthe-
num- Some varieties are almost or en-
tirely colorless, while in some others the
tentacles are gorgeously tinted and rival
the flowers of the field but in ell turks
death in a certain and horrible form.
Watch some little creature touch the curv-
ing arms. and they will be seen to curl
inward and wrap the intruder in their
folds as they push it toward the mouth.
The inner sides of the tentacles are dow
cred by poison glands that sting the prey
to insensibility or death and so stop the
struggle that might prove disastrous to
the anemone. When the mouth is reached,
the captive Is pushed into the hollow in
terror, ana the anemohe SHUTS up lh'o d
reddish brown ball untii It's meal Is ~
gested' Wheh II spie"us l'S i'''ai
Tot ahother victim
Another great 1amlly OF Ho"erlhs ahi-
mals Is that lIicluulhs tne sea a I'm
bers' 1nese ailiItiais nave lons' lla 80 -
oodies OF oark coioI that tauses ltoli,
brown to reddish purple ana tnelr mos
active movement Is a SLOW creeping dlohs
the bottom. AT one eno Is the mouth sur.
rounded by the petal-lke 1ehtacles tidu
push into 1t the muo ana saho on which
the organism ives Inc nluu vi lne ~
tom Is nllec with uny beings ina. ieaiiS
furnish the 1000, put IL appears |" suD-
sist on the inorganic huu llseh. me
most curious thing ABOUT the cucuInper
is that 1t takes dodgers In way II mas
a large cavity within It's Dody that Is
filled with water, ana into TINS cavity
a little fish called the heraster works It's
way, and then lives within the helpless
host. 1t is not parasite, for II leaves
its lodging to seek 1000, out II merely
lodges in the holothurian Tor sneiter, as
the power or singing that sea cuculloeis
possess to high degree renders tnem
fairly safe from molestation' The httle
dodgers do not seem to do any harm TO
their landlords, except when several take
quarters in the same one and then they
may infiict fatal damage by overcrowd-
ing.
Tho whole class of coral-forming ami
,,aIs resemble nlants so closely as to de-
naive ali hut skilled Observers Few
stahts In nature are more beautiful than
.hn ssooroI gardens in the West Indies,
where the gorgeously colored vegetation
&c almost entirely animal in character.
The sea-bottom near Nassau is formed of
white coral sand and the debris of broken
down shells. and covering this is water of
such TRANSPARENCY that the boat seems
TO float in air. A plate of glass Is let into
the floor of the boat. and the reflection
Of the sunlight from the white sand be-
low eliminates the scene so that its
smallest details are visible. The sheet OF
qlittering white sand is broken by dark
masses OF coral rock, from which stream
broad sheets of ''fan coral" that natural
lists call gorgonias. brilliant in vivid reds,
veuows and puppies. The darker masses
~ rocks are spansled with anemones, that
equal the tints of a tropical forest, while
the waving plumes of the sea featnerS
and the fantastic shapes of the glass
sponges add the charm of variety OF FORM
Clumps of bright-hued seaweeds that bear
little resemblance TO the dirty, FADED green
ones common on our coasts, are the only
representatives of real vegetation that
greet the eye. All the rest Is amman.
but the eye is deceived by mimlcry OF
plant life so perfect as TO make the e.
forts of our human players cruoe hueeo.
The vivid stars of richest crimson that
look like blooms on the branches OIL the
coral are really the ends OF oorlhs an