PREFACE. 



The animals known as the Crustacea, embracing- the forms 

 commonly called water-fleas, fish-lice, barnacles, beach-fleas, pill- 

 bugs, wood-lice, shrimps, prawns, lobsters, crawfishes and crabs, 

 are here treated with reference to those now known to inhabit 

 the limits of the State of New Jersey. These creatures are in 

 many ways of the greatest importance to man, not only as a 

 number of them are valued for food, but their vast numbers, in 

 many cases virtually myriads, form food in turn for other valued 

 animals, and therein larg-ely contribute to the maintenance of 

 certain fisheries. Little is yet known of their habits, except in 

 miost casual or cursory ways, outside, perhaps, of the two most 

 important economical species, i. e., the lobster and the blue crab. 

 When extensive researches into the animal behaviour and other 

 studies are prosecuted, possibly better means may be discovered 

 to allow human ag-encies to improve commercial possibilities. 

 The great fecundity of many species is the only apparent oft'set 

 to the murderous ravag^es of hosts of predatory enemies, to which 

 the young appear ever subjected. While, therefore, the present 

 .account deals thus indirectly with the economic problems in- 

 volved, such an attempt as is here outlined will at least assist, 

 it is trusted, by defining and illustrating these interesting and 

 valuable animals. 



The faunal relations are such as would result from purely local 

 conditions in the case of fresh-water forms, but in most in- 

 stances, as the Crustacea are such wide-ranging animals, in fact 

 many being world-wide in their distribution, but little can be 

 said of their geographical features. However, among many of 

 the species recorded, but little doubt attaches to most records. 

 A species may be frequently known since from one end of its 

 range along the Atlantic coast, at least within its faunal region, 



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