2 54 Dwellers of the Sea and Shore 



of those members. This Is an automatic process, which 

 is to say, it is not due to external force as such. Tech- 

 nically it is known as autotomy, meaning "self-cutting." 

 The separation of the appendage usually occurs at a 

 point on one of the segments close to the body, and 

 serious as it may seem at first sight there is little danger 

 to the animal; the tissues of the stump constrict, thus 

 preventing excessive bleeding, and the loss is often only 

 temporary. If it happens just after the crab has shed 

 its skin, another takes its place at the following molt; 

 if the loss is sustained a short time before the shedding, 

 the second succeeding molt will complete the regen- 

 eration. 



From this it w^ould appear that the full-grown ani- 

 mal, having completed all the molts necessary to attain 

 its growth, is unable to regenerate lost appendages. So 

 far as my observation extends, this is actually the case. 

 Yet an old crab will as readily cast off a claw as will a 

 young one. It is plain, nevertheless, that in any event 

 this capacity is to its decided benefit; for, truth to say, 

 it is better to lose a limb than to lose a life. 



