Talk:Granny (sea anemone)

Text from Scotsman, 1887

I am not sure where, if anywhere, this transcript belongs so I'm putting it here for the moment. The Scotsman published the following on 11 October 1887.

Text now at wikisource:In Memoriam - "Granny"

IN MEMORIAM — "GRANNY" About thirty years since this notice would have required no preface. During the popular furore for domestic aquaria, and the study of common objects of the sea-shore, "Granny," which had been in Edinburgh drawing-rooms since 1828, was recognized as the pioneer of the new movement of popular education. This Actinia Mesembryanthemum, sea anemone, or "animal flower" of older naturalists, was one of many whose rounded leathery forms, bright with rainbow irridescence in their native element, made them the chief ornaments of the glass vases of sea water in our drawing-rooms, though surrounded by algae, prawns, shrimps, and periwinkles. Ladies, timorous of the contact of marine objects with Brussels carpets, admired the central circled mouth, surrounded by some hundred feelers, depicted in the magnificent monograph of Philip H. Gosse, containing also a portrait of "Granny". But though a too fastidious housewifery banished the study of living marine life to the public establishments now specially devoted to this object, its notoriety has grown in natural history circles. Need we scruple, then, to record "Granny’s" death amongst the notabilia of this Jubilee year? When Sir John Graham Dalyell transferred it from its rock crevice on North Berwick shore to his house in Great King Street in 1828, he computed it to be then at least seven years old. It was shown in an article on longevity, published in these columns in 1879, that it was then nearly sixty years old. Thus all along the Queen’s reign and longer distinguished observers have kept eyes on this leathery-rounded mass, not two inches in height and breadth, asking both how long will it live and how many children will it produce? More than six hundred members of its offspring are known, who have multiplied; hence the familiar cognomen "Granny." On the death of Sir John Dalyell, who figured and described it in "The Rare and Remarkable Animals of Scotland," this specimen passed over to the care of Professor John Fleming, D D., and afterwards successively to that of Dr M'Bain and Messrs Sadler and Lindsay, of the Royal Botanic Gardens. It has been in the constant company of the most distinguished Edinburgh naturalists, regularly receiving its half mussel once a fortnight, and at the same time a fresh supply of sea water. It has seen the rise and fall of several fashionable scientific theories, as well as all that political and social change now emblazoned in the pages of Jubilee volumes. It has been to the British Association at Aberdeen, when Prince Albert was President, besides appearing several times before Edinburgh scientific societies. In its album, kept in the Curator’s drawing-room at the Royal Botanic Garden, are over a thousand autographs, including those of Lord High Commissioners for the nonce residing at Holyrood, distinguished professors and travellers, as well as boys and girls fresh from the wonders of tropical plant life displayed in the hot-houses. That record must now be held to be closed, for on the 4th August last, while surrounded by several of its offspring, and despite all the watchful care of Mr Lindsay, "Granny" succumbed, being known to have lived sixty-seven years. Apparently for State reasons, its death is only now announced. An attack of Saprolegnia, the fungus of the salmon disease, on the horny membrane, appears to have been an inciting cause of death. But actinias have been known to exert great muscular power, and show high possibilities of recuperation. Thus Dr Johnson, of Berwick, saw one whose skin had been cut through by a shell fish it had swallowed, but which outgrew the injury. Then Mr C. Peach has observed actinias spurt out periwinkles, limpets, &c. from their central stomach when they had assimilated the fleshy contents. May not, then, our actinia have come to a premature death through its living for sixty years in civilisation? What brief lives domestic animals have compared with their savage kindreds! Certain birds and fishes are noted as having attained ages of two hundred years or so. Why, then, should not "Granny’s" obituary be concluded with the inference that, as things go, the sea and atmosphere are more favourable to long life than the solid earth? Maurice Thompson asks in the September Scribner — "Is not the highest type of bird the completest animal, in point of physical equipoise and fitness for indefinite for indefinite prolongation of individual life, that the world holds, man not excepted?" In thousands of wild birds which this authority has killed or seen killed in the southern woods of North America not one showed signs of decay or disease; excepting wounds or intestinal worms, the animals were otherwise perfectly capable of life for a very long period.

This transcript is now at wikisource:In Memoriam - "Granny"

It occurs to me that this newspaper article is rather better than what I have written in the WP article but here it has the chance of being improved. Thincat (talk) 12:33, 22 July 2021 (UTC)

Wordpress blog

For those concerned about the reliability of the WordPress blog used in a footnote to quote the New York Times, I found the reference because it is linked to from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Archive website though I can't make out if it is an RGBE blog or simply one thought worth linking to.

References

Thincat (talk) 10:34, 23 July 2021 (UTC)

I removed all this when I found the Southland Times text is substantially the same. Thincat (talk) 19:54, 23 July 2021 (UTC)

DYK

The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was: promoted by Kingsif (talk) 03:55, 11 August 2021 (UTC)

(

• Comment or view
• Article history

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Granny, settled on a limpet

• ... that one night in 1857 Granny (pictured) gave birth to 240 offspring? Source: In article at "Personal life", first paragraph. "In the spring of 1857, after remaining unproductive for many years, it, in the course of a single night, gave birth to a progeny of 240 living young actiniae." M'Bain (1878), p. 286 also Swinney (2007), p. 221 but you probably need Wikipedia Library to access it.
  • ALT1:... that Granny the sea anemone (pictured) was "arguably the most famous and celebrated cnidarian of all time"? Source: In article at "Death", last sentence. "Granny was, and remains, arguably the most famous and celebrated cnidarian of all time." Swinney (2007), p. 219 – first page - but you probably need Wikipedia Library to access it.
  • ALT2:... that, except when giving birth, Granny (pictured) lived alone in a glass jar from 1828 until her death in 1887? Source: In article at "Personal life", first paragraph. "'Granny' died today. Since August 1828 'she' had lived in a small glass jar, that is, for the long period of 59 years. … R. Lindsay, Aug 5th, 1887" Swinney (2007), p. 223 quoting Lindsay (1887). I can no longer find the reference saying "except when giving birth" but I suppose the exception is is obvious. However, here is an example of the young being removed: "… two of the nine actiniae produced by 'Granny' … were put into a separate glass vessel" M’Bain (1878) p. 287
  • ALT3:... that Granny (pictured) lived in a glass jar from 1828 until her death in 1887? Source: In article at "Personal life", first paragraph. "'Granny' died today. Since August 1828 'she' had lived in a small glass jar, that is, for the long period of 59 years. … R. Lindsay, Aug 5th, 1887" Swinney (2007), p. 223 quoting Lindsay (1887).

• Reviewed: Template:Did you know nominations/Robert Randal
• Comment: Moved from user to main space 23 July 2021 (diff) On second thoughts I think ALT2 is too complicated so I have added ALT3. 09:39, 28 July 2021 (UTC)

Created by Thincat (talk). Self-nominated at 08:34, 28 July 2021 (UTC).

• Long enough, well-cited, new enough when nominated. Copyvio check fine. First hook is fine, well-cited, etc. Interesting and informative article, and very good work by Thincat. HouseOfChange (talk) 19:49, 6 August 2021 (UTC)

  Thank you. It was a lot to read through so I hope you enjoyed reading it (I enjoyed writing it!). Thincat (talk) 19:55, 6 August 2021 (UTC)