THE REGENERATION OF LOST PARTS IN THE LOBSTER. 



PRELIMINARY REPORT 



BY VICTOR E. EMMEL, 



BROWN UNIVERSITT 



IXTRODUCTIOX. 



Anyone who is familiar with the habits of the crab and lobster is 

 acquainted -uith the remarkable fact that, if one seizes a lobster's 

 claw and holds it fast or pinches it, the lobster is likely immediately 

 to drop his whole limb, or chela, and scuttle away; thus he defends 

 himself by leaving his weapon in your hand — a means of defence 

 which, as some one has said, would be useful to pick-pockets. 



But still more remarkable than the power of "casting a claw," or 

 autotomy, is the power to reproduce or regenerate a new limb to re- 

 place the one which has been lost. After the lobster has thrown off 

 its leg, a bud begins to grow on the remaining stump, and in a com- 

 paratively short time a complete appendage is developed. The 

 power of thus regenerating parts of the body which have been lost is 

 possessed by a large number of crustacean forms, but is most marked 

 in the crab and lobster. 



This power of autotomy and regeneration has become a question 

 of considerable scientific interest. Not only so, but as the result of 

 recent rapid perfection and growing importance of lobster culture as 

 an industry, the subject is also becoming one of economic interest. 

 Since lobsters attack each other A'iciously in the lobster cars and 

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