116 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 
each year. ‘The eggs and milt are placed in hollows, the animals 
while in copula remaining more or less completely buried in the 
sand. Then only the back of the bull may be seen. The male 
mounts from the back, and it is thus very common to find them 
paired, though frequently more than one male is found attached 
to a single female. As many as four males have been found at- 
tached to a single female. When so many are found together, 
they may be attached in various positions, though the male which 
is attached over the tail usually always remains fastened firmly, 
so that it is possible to throw them together into the boat. The 
other males mostly drop off more readily when disturbed. When 
the crabs retreat or move away, the eggs become covered with 
sand. I have found that they spawn in late May and early 
summer, and by some it is claimed they spawn throughout the 
summer. ‘he eggs are small, very numerous, have great vitality, 
are of a livid white color, and difficult to distinguish from the 
sand. ‘They hang together in an adhesive mass, though they are 
not viscous, being easily rubbed apart. The young animal looks 
very much like a young trilobite, and swims very easily. They 
rotate very rapidly in the egg when disturbed. ‘The spine, it is 
said, does not appear until after the first moult, when the animal 
begins to resemble the adult. ‘The king crab prefers such condi- 
tions as are offered in Delaware Bay, where there are muddy or 
sandy bottoms, and it is seldom or unusual to find them along the 
ocean beach. ‘They also prefer more or less tranquil water 
where there is little or no surf. ‘They burrow in these places 
just under the sand or mud, and there find an abundance of 
food in the many small animals, and are said to feed principally 
on worms. Although a creature without any means of offense 
to most animals, such as fishes, they are amply protected from 
most enemies by their hard covering. ‘The strong spine is used 
to right themselves when overturned. ‘They progress through 
the sand by crawling, and when burying themselves are assisted 
by means of the hinged back, and also the spine. They are good 
swimmers, though may frequently be seen crawling about over 
the bottom. When in shoal water they may easily be discovered 
by means of two rows of small bubbles constantly appearing at 
the surface of the water. ‘The sexes differ very much in size, 
