70 Part second. 



rium, we would only mention that of digging holes and ditches in the 

 mud, partly for hiding-places and party for bxirying food ; also its 

 suspicious behaviour towards its companions, with which it often engages 

 in deadlj" combat, trying the gigantic strength of its claws with only too 

 much success. The invalids with shortened feelers and broken claws, 

 sometimes seen in the tanks, are unfortunate individuals wounded in 

 battle or during the period of moulting. — The real home of the Lobster 

 is on the coasts of Northern Europe, where its capture forms an im- 

 portant part of the fishing* industry. It is caught in creels or « pots », 

 into which it is enticed at night by baits of meat ; these it relishes 

 greatly, whether they be fresh or putrefying. In the Mediterranean Lob- 

 sters are more rare. 



In the next tank (Nr. 7) the reader will find a near ally of the 

 Lobster, the Spiny-lobster or Craw-fish, Palinupus vulgaris (Fig. 48), 

 often mistaken for the true Lobster. But a mere glance shews the 

 difference between them: the absence of great pinching claws, the spiny 

 shell and the enormous antennse immediately strike the eye of even the 

 casual observer, and further comparison will reveal a host of less obvious 

 differences. In their habits both animals agree, but the Spiny-lobster is 

 more sociable and more lively •, it likes to climb the rocky sides of the 

 tank, which it does with great agility, and it feeds on shell-fish, which 

 it cleverly opens with the strong claws of its first pair of legs. It is 

 much more common in the Mediterranean than the Lobster, and is caught 

 on all the rocky coasts of the Bay of Naples. It lives for a conside- 

 rable time in captivity. 



An allied kind is the Flat-lobster, Seyllarus latus (Fig. 47), a clumsy 

 animal which spends the greater part of its life in some crevice of the 

 rock. Its broad back is generally covered Avith mud and brown algte, 

 and is often mistaken for a stone. It uses its front pair of feelers, 

 shaped like two broad shovels, as Aveapons of defence ; and whilst feed- 

 ing it covers its food with them. In tank Nr. 23 the Lesser Flat- 

 lobster, Scyllapus aretus, is often to be found ; a more brilliantly co- 

 loured and livelier fellow. 



Of the smaller long-tailed kinds we would mention the Shrimps and 

 Prawns, such as Crangon and Palaemon (Fig. 147), remarkable for their 

 lively jumping. They inhabit all the rocky coasts in large numbers, 

 and are the staple food of many animals : in the tanks Nr. 20 and 23 

 of the Aquarium they are largely used for feeding purposes. Their 

 movements when walking or swimming are easy and graceful, and they 

 are so sensitive that they feel the least disturbance of the water and 

 respond to it by tremendous leaps. 



Two rare Shrimps, not always present in the Aquarium are Steno- 

 pus (Fig. 133), and Penaeus (Fig. 132). The latter is exceedingly pala- 

 table, and, as it has a very thin skin, would be very valuable as an 

 article of food, if it were only a little more common. In the Bay of 

 Gaeta it is largely caught under the name of « mazzacuogno ». 



We now turn to a curious group intermediate between the long- 

 tailed forms. Lobsters and Shrimps, and the short-tailed Crabs. These 

 are the Hermit-Crabs (Figs. 164—166). 



