28 HISTORY OF BRITISH CRUSTACEA. 



of a large Spicier Crab,* which had retired to a crevice and 

 was resting there, face outwards. The old carapace was 

 completely covered with parasitical zoophytes and algse. 

 TThen securing it, he felt the body fall away from the cara- 

 pace, and on looking at the Crab, he saw the new carapace 

 perfectly formed and coloured, with no marks of injury 

 where the slough had parted from it ; the limbs and the 

 under parts still remained invested. After being some 

 time out of the water, as he carried it home, he covered 

 it with its native element, when it seemed very inert and 

 exhausted. In a short time he observed the whole of the 

 limbs, the abdominal segments, the sternum, and all the 

 parts of the mouth to come off entire, being connected by 

 the common integuments. He observed the hind legs were 

 freed first, and the animal pulled the front pairs out, first 

 tugging at one and then at another, as if from boots. . Mr. 

 Gosse observed that the joints, as they came out, were a 

 great deal larger than the cases from which they proceeded. 

 The parts had a jelly-like softness when extruded, and 

 seemed to be compressed as they were liberated, by the 

 fluids being forced back, and returning through their vessels, 

 they distended the freed portion of the limb. The branchiae 



* Ann. and Mag. N. Hist. 1852. X. n. s. p. 210. 



