CYAMUS. 81 



These creatures crawl but slowly, digging the hooks of 

 their feet into the skin of the whale to the base of the 

 claws, whence it is difficult to detach them by force, 

 without cutting through the epidermis, when they are 

 freed ; it is also dangerous to attempt their removal, as 

 their strong claws easily penetrate the fingers, and cause 

 considerable pain. Their branchiae are brought together 

 on the back, and directed forwards, except in E. gracilis. 

 which carries them in the opposite direction. When de- 

 tached, and placed in sea-water, they are unable to swim, 

 neither their branchiae nor limbs enabling them to perform 

 such an operation. When a whale is hoisted on board-ship, 

 the Cyami attached to it extend their branchiae, agitate 

 their antennae and hooked legs, as if desirous to seize 

 something else. If the branchiae are cut, the animals do 

 not appear to be affected, but when the antennas are 

 similarly treated, the animals move about irregularly, 

 from side to side and backwards, as if drunk. When 

 injured, the branchiae are never renewed ; but if the legs 

 are broken off at the base, new limbs are produced ; but 

 this is not the case if only a portion of the leg be injured : 

 hence it is not unusual to meet with Cyami having one or 

 more legs of smaller size than the rest. 



M. Roussel did not observe any species of Cyamus on 

 the dolphin, cachalot, or " baleine a ailerons." He states 

 that it is generally believed by the fishermen that the alba- 

 trosses, which abound about the fishing stations, pick the 

 Cyami off the bodies of the whales, but he had never 

 found any of these Crustacea in the stomachs of such 

 specimens of these birds as he had dissected. 



The structure of the mouth and intestinal canal of the 

 Cyamus sufficiently prove it to be a gnawing, and not a 

 suctorial, animal. Indeed, on opening its alimentary 



VOL. II. G 



