Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 June 1884 — An Animal Flower. [ARTICLE]

An Animal Flower.

The Sea-anemones are delightfully varied in size, color, form, and special peculiarities of development and function ; so that a large collection would be like an animated flower garden, composed of Carnations, China Asters, Dahlias, Daisies, etc. The beauty of many species is greatly enhanced by the fact that several colors are combined in individual specimens. Thus sometimes the main body or column will be green, with white or golden tentacles, and the base buff with a pink disk or tips, or crimson, with azure spheroids; sometimes the whole animal will be of one color, vared by different tints and shades. Down below, in the caves of the sea. these wonderful creatures have for untold ages anticipated our modern “combination suits,” and have appeared dressed in all the glory of scarlet and gold, pink and gray, blue and white, green and crimson ; their exquisite taste always selecting accords or pleasing contrasts, and avoiding all discordant shades which would clash with or “kill” each other, such as we sometimes see in human productions.