THE REPRODUCTION OF LIMBS. 37 



fluttered about in the greatest agitation. He was quite 

 soft ; and every time I entered the room during the next 

 two dajs, he exhibited the wildest terror. On the tliird, 

 he appeared to gain confidence, and ventured to use his 

 nippers, though with some timidity, and he was not yet 

 quite so hard as he had been. In about a week, how- 

 ever, he became bolder than ever ; his weapons were 

 sharper, and he appeared stronger, and a nip from him 

 was no joke. He lived in all about two years, during 

 which time his food was a very few worms at very uncer- 

 tain times ; perhaps he did not get fifty altogether."* 



It would appear, from the best observations that have 

 yet been made, that the young crayfish exuviate two or 

 three times in the course of the first year ; and that, 

 afterwards, the process is annual, and takes place usually 

 about midsummer. There is reason to suppose that very 

 old cra^^fish do not exuviate every j^ear. 



It has been stated that, in the course of its violent 

 eff'orts to extract its limbs from the cast-off exoskeleton, 

 the crayfish sometimes loses one or other of them ; the 

 limb giving way, and the greater part, or the whole, of it 

 remaining in the exuvige. But it is not only in this way 

 that crayfishes part with their limbs. At all times, if the 

 animal is held by one of its pincers, so that it cannot 

 get away, it is apt to solve the difficulty by casting ofi: 



* The late Mr. Robert Ball, of Dublin, in Bell's '* British Crustacea," 

 p. 239. 



