44 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE COMMON CRAYFISH. 



days, but none of them showed any signs of detaching 

 themselves ; and I am inclined to think that they are 

 set free only at the first moult. After this, it Avould 

 a]3pear that the adhesion to the parent is only temporary. 



The walking legs are also hooked at their extremities, 

 but they play a less important part in fixing the young 

 to the parent, and seem to be always capable of loosing 

 their hold. 



I find the young of a Mexican crayfish (Cambarus) to be 

 attached in the same manner as those of the English 

 crayfish ; but, according to Mr. Wood-Mason's recent 

 observations, the young of the New Zealand crayfishes 

 fix themselves to the swimmerets of the parent by the 

 hooked ends of their hinder ambulatory limbs. 



Crayfishes, in every respect similar to those found 

 in our English rivers, that is to say, of the species 

 Astacus fluviatilis, are met with in Ireland, and on the 

 Continent, as far south as Italy and northern Greece ; 

 as far east as western Russia ; and as far north as the 

 shores of the Baltic. They are not known to occur in 

 Scotland ; in Spain, except about Barcelona, they are 

 either rare, or have remained unnoticed. 



There is, at present, no proof of the occurrence of 

 Astacus fluviatilis in the fossil state. 



Curious myths have gathered about craj^fishes, as 

 about other animals. At one time " crabs'-ej^es " were 



