BRACHYURL 175 



to purple, with bluish patches. The specimen, fig. 7, originally brown, 

 came in purplish on exuviation. The specimen, Plate XXXIX. fig. 9, 

 was cliflerent from the whole of these. 



But retui'ning to the mutilated specimen, so anxiously preserved, 

 which had recovered all the defective parts on June 23d, after having 

 been deprived of them for eighty-six days. The next shell with the per- 

 fect animal subsisted from the 23d of June to the 3d of October, or 102 

 days, when it was succeeded by one of the purest, and, as before, of the 

 most beautiful white above ; however the limbs were not equally so. — 

 Plate XL. fig. 1. 



Now the animal underwent no change either in appearance or 

 habits, further than what is always concomitant on exuviation. It was 

 tame, tranquil, fed readily, and proved healthy. 



The shell introduced to view by the change of the 3d of October, 

 perfect in all its parts, subsisted until the 10th of April. A new exu- 

 viation produced another, large in proportion, alike symmetrical and 

 perfect, still of a fine white, but with rather more colouring and bristling 

 on the limbs. The second year of its caj^tivity was now advancing, and 

 its habits continued unchanged. It was extremely tranquil, very tame 

 and familiar, always approaching the side of the vessel as any one came 

 near, and holding up its black tipped claws as if in expectation of food. 

 Farther, it allowed me to Uft it in my hand, without the smallest resist- 

 ance, when shifting its dwelling became expedient. At this time it was 

 proved, from the successive exuviations, that the permanent symmetry 

 of the animal was restored from the extraordinary defects of four-fifths 

 of its important organs. 



About a month after the last exuviation, the vessel containing this 

 specimen, when standing on a table, covered by another glass vessel, was 

 accidentally overturned on the floor of an apartment, and both shivered 

 to fragments. The animal was stunned ; yet I entertained hopes of its 

 impunity from real danger. It fed subsequently ; nevertheless serious 

 injury had been sustained, for I found it dead on the 16th of May. 



I could not help regretting the loss of what had been so long the 

 subject of so much care, and from which I had derived such information. 



