Young of the Common Lobster. - 483 



fishermen, at Sherringham, near Cromer, from what they 

 term a sick lobster, that is, one about to cast its spawn. The 

 whole, having been put into spirits of wine, were of a red 

 colour, except the eyes, which had the appearance of a large 

 black spot in each egg. On opening an egg with a needle, 

 the young lobster was immediately developed, and at the same 

 time a strong colouring liquor exuded from the egg. Among 

 the eggs were a few specimens of the young lobster. Their 

 extreme delicacy and tenderness rendered it almost impossible 

 to dissect them, but they displayed themselves very beautifully 

 in water, and the extremities might thus be distinctly seen, 

 under the microscope. Blotches of colour were visible in the 

 claw, and upon various parts of the body. The eyes appeared, 

 in this early state, sessile. The double antennas were per- 

 ceptible, the large claw was distinctly and perfectly formed, 

 and the second leg, with the terminal claw, well made out. 

 The other legs appeared imperfectly formed, and to be either 

 very numerous, or mingled with transparent skin-like ap- 

 pendages, having the appearance of the skins of legs, cast off 

 in moulting. The tail, was well developed, and was distinctly 

 perceived, even in those young which were forced from the 

 egg with a needle. Two specimens of the young, which ap- 

 peared double, were found, being strongly united together 

 at the head. 



Mr. Travis, a surgeon of Scarborough, clearly alludes to 

 this state of the lobster, in his letter to Pennant. (See British 

 Zoology, vol. iv. p. 12.) He says, " Though the ova be cast 

 at all times of the year, they seem only to come to life during 

 the warm summer months of July and August. Great num- 

 bers of them may then be found, under the appearance of tad- 

 poles, swimming about the little pools left by the tides among 

 the rocks, and many also under their proper form, from half 

 an inch to four inches in length. 



Mr. J. V. Thompson, in a letter addressed to the editor 

 of the Zoological Journal, xix. 38 3. ■, after stating that he has 

 ascertained M the newly hatched animal to be a Zoe," in all 

 our most familiar native genera of the Decapoda, and includ- 

 ing the genus ^stacus, has stated that, " with regard to 

 the lobster, I can aver, that it does actually undergo a meta- 

 morphosis, but less in degree than any of the above enumer- 

 ated genera, and consisting in a change from a cheliferous 

 schizopode to a decapode ; in its first stage, being what I 

 would call a modified Zoe, with a frontal spine, spatulate tail, 

 and wanting subabdominal fins; in short, such an animal as 

 would never be considered what it really is, were it not ob- 

 tained by hatching the spawn of the lobster." How far the 



