Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-01-22

q anemones. and when they see the
picture of sea they will per-
haps come to the conclusion that they
Rre seaside relatives of the little wild
flowers they know. But this would be
mute a mistake, for sea anemones are
not flowers at all, but animals. They
belong to a class that lives in he sea
and includes a great many other crea-
lures that look like plants. In TACT,
they resemble plants so closely that IL
would be difficult to believe they were
animals were we not told so by those
who have spent their lives studying
these things, and must therefore know
something about them. Although sea
anemones look like flowers, they do not
look like non and it is not easy
10 understand why they received that
name They are sometimes called sea
roses, which is Il little more appro-
pirate, for they are as conspicuous
among the animal flowers of the sea
az real roses are among sthe flowers on
land.
Sea me are found IN every
ailore. and, although the different mem
bers of the order vary considerably
they are generally easy to recognize,
The body is in the form Of a column,
which Is widened a little at the base,
where 1t is attached to its support,
About the top Of the column is a fringe
or t~entacles, and in the centre of the
hinged circle is the mouth. In warmer
seas anemones are more brilliantly col
nrcd and grow to a larger size h "a in
mir own temperate climate, and we are
4old of specimens having beeh louhu
three feet in diameter.
The life of the average sea anemone
q an u~neyentful one. 1t starts out
into it's watery world while it Is stu
IN the form of an egg. but it Is no or
binary egg. for 1t is provided with a
covering of ella, or hairs, by means
re wh,cb II can swim. 1t travels
about until it finds something to attach
stself to. fastens itself securely, and
+bere grows into it's adult form
x4vr,ads OF living creatures float by II
a. ito home. and from among these II
..e,,res it's food, as it is well equipped
with weapons which not only serve fol
tnts n,,rpose but protect it from It's
enemies, too,
rbese weapons consist of stlngine
,a,,e, on the tentacles ana fine sting
ing threads which are sent u IRON
aifserent parts of the body. Whef
.one unusually dangerous Toe comes
c,ong with which the sea anemone mas
~ desire to enter into a battle 1t seeks
eafety in another way. lt IS very SOL
and there is really not much to II bu
mo sac. which is it's stomach, inside
another sac. which Is it's outer cover
,ne. and ever the tentacles are hollow
when 1t is alarmed 1t draws IN III
xentacles contracts its body until !
sooks very much like the rock on which
A. lives. keeps quite still and hopes no
bodv knows it is there, and general,
nobody does.
Sea anemones are common aroun'
New York and along the New England
coast. They grow on a large ston
n a pool which, though its water sup
ply comes from the ocean, is shut OF
nv rocks from the main body of tn
great desert.
The largest measures nearly tel
,ncbes across and, with it's ~neighbors
makes a wonderful display of color
The members of the species var.
greatly in color, n no tw
arc alike, while every part of eac'
has its own peculiar TIM
The columns are broader tina they ar
long. but they are there, nevertheless
for they are necessary to these ami
mails. and in some species are sever
times as long as they are thick. Pool
such as these live in ar
numerous along the coast, but on
friends which the books say are pror
eriy called metridium marginatun
NAV be often seen. too, near low waite
mark, on the piles of wharves an
bridges.