34 MAIAD.E. 



The presence of this 03^ster affords interesting evidence that 

 the Hyas lived several years after attaining its full growth. 

 Both crabs and oysters, though dead, were brought to Mr. 

 Hyndman in a fresh state. The hairs on the body and 

 legs of specimens in my collection are longer in the small 

 than in the large individual. On the north-east coast of 

 Ireland, the H, araneus is very much preyed on by the 

 codfish. 



" In January 1840, I saw specimens of this crab of very 

 large size on the coast near Edinburgh ; the caraj)ace of 

 one which I measured was three inches in length, and the 

 extent from the extremities of the first pair of legs eleven 

 inches." 



Mr. Hailstone states that this crab spawns in February ; 

 this, however, cannot be universally the case, as I took 

 several females at Sandgate early in May, in the year 

 ] 843, every one of which was carrying her load of spawn, 

 which is of a rich deep orange colour. 



