CRABS. 37 



to man's most skilled and perfect productions. Yenus 

 herself might well he proud of such a flower-hasket ; 

 hut like many other things of heauty, there are mys- 

 teries round their growth and formation. One of these, 

 is the almost invariable presence of the remains of 

 one or more Crabs in the interior of this, to them, 

 crystal prison, out of which escape is just as impos- 

 sible as from a capsuled bottle. Many differences of 

 opinion exist as to the mode by which the Crabs first 

 obtained an entrance ; there appears, however, little 

 doubt that this is effected whilst the sponge is in an 

 immature condition, and before the cover is woven. 

 There is a young specimen which we have examined 

 in the British Museum in this incomplete state, and 

 it is questionable whether the basket-like tube is ever 

 covered until it has reached maturity ; when, although 

 the sponge appears to cease growing in an upward 

 direction, the power possessed by it to secrete the 

 silicious matter of which the network is composed 

 remains unimpaired, and, like a skilful artisan as he is, 

 he at once repairs neatly such injuries as his crystal 

 palace may sustain. 



Dr. Gray has in his possession a specimen in which 

 a repair of this kind has been effected. A hole appears 

 to have been broken by some accident in one of the 

 sides about half-way betiveen the point of attachment 

 and the cover. A new network of fibres in bunches 



