Zoology.'] NATUEAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. \_Crttstacea. 



inches 1 lino ; diamotor of carapace, 1 incli ; lons^th of carpus, 7 lines ; length of 

 hand, 1 inch 7 lines ; width of hand, 8 hues j length of inner auteuuw, 1 inch i 

 lines ; of outer anteunw, 4: inches. 



Refehenck. — Astacus biau-ifMtu^ (Gray) in Eyre's Australia, v. 1, p. 491, 

 t, 3, f. 2. 



This species grows to six inches in leugtb, from snout to end of 

 tail, and varies consideral)ly in color, some having the body and 

 abdomen dark-olive, others ]ialer or Avith a yellow tinge, and some 

 are of a dnll pale-brown or horn ci^lor ; the large anterior pair of 

 claws are always blue with red joints, ami the llexible jiart of the 

 five tail-tins dnll-brown. The smaller pairs of legs ai-e blue, or 

 greenish, or whitish in ditlerent living individuals. These are 

 eaten in iireat numbers bv the abori>>incs, and bv some other 

 peo}>le who like them. They are connnoidy known about Mel- 

 bourne by the native name of Yabber or Yabbie. 



This species does not seem to inhabit the flowing rivers or 

 streams, but is abundant in the quarry -holes and swamps round 

 ]\It>lbourne, and in most watcrholes in the eolonv, doing great 

 damaiie to dams and reservoirs from burrowin<r holes throuiih the 

 banks. The individuals live for a lona; time underoromul in their 

 burrows after the pools of water ou the surface have dried up. I 

 can lind no ditierence between the specimens from the swamps 

 of the ^hu-ray district on our northern bouudarv and those near 

 Melbourne. 



Explanation op Fioukks. 



Platb 29. — Fig. 1, avernse specimen, natural size. Fijt. In. rostrum and top of head, 

 Tioveit from aliove, showing kisjil joints of both sorts of antenna", with the large outer Itjisal 

 scale of extcruiil ones. Fig. \b, claw, viewed from the inner side. Fig. Ic, t;iil-tiaps, viewed 

 from above. 



Fkedekick McCoy. 



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