276 ARACHNIDA—-XIPHOSURA CHAP, 
such a way as to induce the unobservant to exclaim “it is 
spewing itself out of its mouth.” In one nearly full-sized animal 
the increase in the shorter diameter of the cephalic shield after 
a moult was from 8 inches to 94 inches, which is an indication 
of very rapid growth. If after their first year they moult annually 
Lockwood estimates it would take them eight years to attaim 
their full size. 
The only economic use I know to which Limulus is put is 
that of feeding both poultry and pigs. The females are preferred 
on account of the eggs, of which half-a-pint may be crowded into 
the cephalic shield) The king-crab is opened by running a 
knife round the thin line mentioned on p. 275. There is a 
belief in New Jersey that this diet makes the poultry lay; 
undoubtedly it fattens both fowls and pigs, but it gives a 
“shocking” flavour to the flesh of both. 
CLASSIFICATION. 
But five species of existing King-crabs are known, and these 
are grouped by Pocock into two sub-families: G.) the Xipho- 
surinae, and (i1.) the Tachypleinae. These together make up the 
single family Xiphosuridae which is co-extensive with the Order. 
The following is Pocock’s classification.’ The names used in this 
article are printed in italic capitals. 
ORDER XIPHOSURA. 
Family 1. Xiphosuridae. 
Sub-Fam. 1. Xiphosurinae. 
This includes the single species Yiphosura polyphemus (Linn.) 
(= LIMULUS POLYPHEMUS, Latreille), “which is said to range 
from the coast of Maine to Yucatan.” 
Sub-Fam. 2. Tachypleinae. 
Genus A. TYachypleus includes three species: (i.) 7. gigas, 
Mill. (= Zimulus gigas, Mill, and LZ. mozLuccawvs, Latreille), 
widely distributed in Malaysia; (i1.) 7. tridentatus, Leach 
(=L. tridentatus, Leach, and Z. Lonerspina, Van der Hoeven), 
extending from British North Borneo te China and Southern 
1 For a diagnosis of the species and a list of synonyms, see Pocock, Ann. Mag. 
Nat. Hist. (7), ix., 1902, p. 256. 
