56 G^iidc to Crustacea. 



Tablc-casc The " Whiic-clawod Craylisli," Asiaciis pallipc'i (Frcncli, 



No. 10. " Ecrevisse a pattes blanches," German, " Steinkrebs "), is found 



in England and Ireland, France, South Germany, Italy, ttc. It is 



little used for food, being regarded as much inferior to A. flnviatiUs. 



Astacits Icptodactylus is a large species found in the Lower 

 Danube and its tributaries, and in Russia, especially in those rivers 

 that flow into the Black Sea and the Caspian. It is occasionally 

 used for the table, but is regarded as inferior in quality. 



In North America, east of tlie Rocky Mountains, numerous 

 species of crayfish of the genus Cai)ihanis are found. A few of 

 these live in the subterranean waters of caves, and, like many 

 other subterranean animals, are blind. The best known species is 

 Camharus pcllucidus, from the Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, of 

 which a specimen is exhibited. 



In the Southern Crayfishes, forming the family Parastacidae, 

 there are no sexual appendages in the male. Numerous species 

 of this family occur in Australia, and Astacopsis spinifcra, known 

 as the " Murray Eiver Lobster," is used for food. Like the closely 

 allied A. franldinii (Fig. 35) of Tasmania (of which a specimen is 

 exliibited in Wall-case No. 5), it sometimes growls to a great size. 

 Tlie occurrence of Astacoides madagascariensis on the island of 

 Madagascar is remarkable, since no Crayfislies are found anywhere 

 on the African continent. 

 Table-case The members of the tribe Loricata (or Scyllakidea) are 

 large, lobster-like Crustacea. They may be distinguished from the 

 true lobsters by having no chelae (the last pair of legs only are 

 imperfectly chelate in the female). In the family Paluiuridac the 

 liody is more or less cylindrical, and the antennae are long, 

 cylindrical and jointed, while in the Sci/Uaridac the body is more 

 or less flattened, and the antennae are expanded into broad plates, 

 which are said to l)e used as shovels in burrowing. To the former 

 family belongs the Spiny Lobster or Sea Crawfish (French, 

 " Langouste "), Palintirus vuhjaris (Fig. 36), which is found on the 

 Southern and Western coasts of the British Islands, and of which 

 two large specimens are mounted in Wall-case No. 6. Numerous 

 species of Spiny Lobsters occur in the warmer seas, and they are 

 used for food in many parts of the world. The brilliant colouring 

 of many tropical species is illustrated by a specimen of PanuUnts 

 ornatus coloured as in life. The only species of the Scyllaridae 

 found in British waters is Scyllariis arctus (Arcttis ursiis) of which 

 a Mediterranean specimen is exhibited. It occiu-s, rarely, off the 

 south-western coasts of England. 



