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 largely contribute to the maintenance of 

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

 most 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 agencies to improve commercial possibilities. 

 The great fecundity of many species is the only apparent offset 

 to the murderous ravages 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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