LOBSTEBS. 91 



our friend to retreat witli the greatest rapidity into 

 nooks, corners, and crevices among the rocks, where 

 pursuit would be hopeless. His eyes being arranged 

 on foot stalks, or stems, are free from the inconvenient 

 trammels of sockets, and possess a radius of vision 

 commanding both front and rear, and from their com- 

 pound form (being made up of a number of square lenses) 

 are extremely penetrating and powerful. The slightest 

 shadow passing over the jdooI in which the lobster may 

 chance to be crawling or swimming, will frequently 

 cause one of these sudden backward shoots to be made, 

 and //. vulgaris vanishes into some cleft or cavity with 

 a rapidity of motion which no harlequin could ever, 



even in his wildest dreams, hope to achieve. Dovra 

 among the deep channels, between the crags at the 

 sea's bottom, alarms, except from the sea robbers 

 themselves, are not to be dreaded. Here the lobsters 

 are at home, and in such spots the wicker- trap, before 

 described and figured, or the trunk-net represented in 

 the above cut, may be laid down for them, l^ets of 



