NATURAL HISTORY. 37 
adroitness, unless by accident. About the 
months of September and October, they arrive 
at their perfect state, when their colouring is 
much heightened. At this period their eggs 
may be discovered in the water, adhering to 
stones; they are small, and have a gelatinous 
appearance. During their progress to maturity, 
they shed their skin several times, and are then 
quite colourless, except the eyes, which are light 
crimson; they afterwards gradually assume 
their proper colouring, and the abdomen un- 
dergoes all the variations of tint from a pale 
yellow to a rich carmine. 
The body is of a “ squarish oval” form, as 
represented in the magnified view of its under- 
side, in plate 4, figure 1. The head is narrow 
and furnished with two prominent reticulated 
eyes of a deep crimson colour, approaching to 
black. It has three pair of feet; the first pair 
are short, and thickly beset with hair, and their 
articulations equally distant. From their colour, 
and the position they assume, they often elude 
the sight. The second pair of feet, in swim- 
ming, are usually laid downwards, as shewn in 
the drawing. The hinder pair, or swimmers, 
are the strongest; they are ciliated along their 
margin, and terminated by large claws. 
