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Then five Actinias were laid upon the rocks, to which they at once adhered, spreading out their restless tentacles in busy seizure of the tiny prey. In a week more the foggy appearance had ceased; but the clearness of the water was marred by the slimy exudations from the Actinias.
But the rarer forms of Actinias, Star-fishes, Sepioles, Madrepores, Annelidae, and Zoophytes, of a thousand shapes, live on the bottom, in deep water, and must be captured there. For this purpose we must dredge from a boat, under sail. The naturalist's dredge is an improved oyster-dredge, with each of the two long sides of the mouth made into a scraping lip of iron.
The aquarium must be built up slowly and tentatively, object by object: plants first, and of the simplest kinds; and not until they are well settled, and the water beaded with oxygen bubbles, should we think of introducing living creatures, and even then only the hardier kinds of actinias, mollusks, and crabs.
Eight days after it was filled, the Actinias were put in; on the ninth, several small Mollusks; on the tenth, Crustacea; and on the eleventh and twelfth, other varieties of the same types; but not until the fourteenth day were fishes ventured upon. Day by day the water grew clearer and clearer, until, at the end of three weeks, it was beautifully translucent.
'Play at croquet, forsooth, when rocks aren't to be had to scramble on every day! And scramble ecstatically they did, up and over slippery stone and rock festooned with olive weed, peeping into pools of crystal clearness, and admiring rosy fans of weed, and jewel-like actinias embellished by the magic beauty of intense clear brightness.
'Then don't break in with your actinias and stuff! 'Certainly not, said Louis, gravely. The first interruption came from James himself. Leaping to his feet with a sudden bound, he exclaimed, 'There they are! and stood transfixed in a gaze of ecstasy. 'You have made me smudge my lake, said Louis, in the mild tone of 'Diamond, Diamond!
Ten Buccina were first put in possession, in the hope that they would perform the part of gardeners to the young plants. On the sixth day, seven Actinias were disposed upon the rock-work. On the eighth day, four Hermit and Soldier Crabs and two Sand-Crabs were invited to choose their several retreats.
Then gazing down once more, she saw beneath the crystal water a bed of flowers; dahlias, ranunculuses, carnations, chrysanthemums, of every colour in the rainbow save blue. She gave a cry of pleasure: "What are they, Doctor? What do you call them?" "Sea anemones, in English, I believe," said the Doctor, "actinias, serpulas, and sabellas.
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