CRUSTACEA. 229 



whereas, on the least attempt to withdraw it he would at 

 once straiten his gripe and not again relax it for mayhap 

 half an hour. 



" In dealing with the Lobster, on the other hand, the fisher 

 had to beware that he did not depend too much on the hold 

 he had got of the creature, if it was merely a hold of one 

 of the great claws. Por a moment it would remain passive 

 in his grasp, he would then be sensible of a shght tremour in 

 the captured limb, and mayhap hear a slight crackle, and 

 presto ! the captive would straightway be off through the 

 great dark water-hole and only the limb remain in the 

 fisher^s hand. My uncle has however told me that Lobsters 

 do not always lose their limbs with the necessary judgment; 

 they throw them off when suddenly frightened, without first 

 waiting to consider whether the sacrifice of a pair of legs is 

 the best mode of obviating the danger. On firing a musket 

 immediately over a Lobster just captured, he has seen it 

 throw off both its great claws in the sudden extremity of 

 its terror, just as a panic-struck soldier sometimes throws 

 away his weapons. Such in kind were the anecdotes of 

 Uncle Sandy /^ 



