46 HISTORY OF BRITISH CRUSTACEA. 



Laving passed from their state of Zoea to " that secondary 

 condition known as Megalopa" He thus describes some 

 specimens which he caught and placed in a vase. Their 

 abdomen projected like a long slender tail behind, and was 

 armed at the end with fine radiating pencils of hairs. " The 

 eyes, which were very large, projected on each side, being 

 set on thick footstalks ; and as they were of a brilliant green 

 hue, and very lustrous, they formed a conspicuous feature of 

 the little animals. They manifested a sensibility to light 

 correspondent to this development. At night they congre- 

 gated on that side of their glass prison which was next the 

 candle; and when I transferred the light to the opposite 

 side, they immediately scuttled across and crowded up as 

 close to it as possible. They would follow the candle round 

 and round the glass, shifting as it shifted, and stopping when 

 it stopped. They were very nimble in swimming, generally 

 keeping near the surface."* They died off very fast, but 

 not before one or two underwent their change, which Mr. 

 Gosse was able to recognize as that of Portunus. 



Portunus purer, Linn. sp. Velvet Crab. (Plate III. fig. 

 3.) — Front armed at least with ten teeth or spines ; carapace 

 densely covered with hairs ; front legs of moderate size, and 



* Aquarium, p. 157. 



