A NATURALIST. 81 



opposite biting claw. The crabs are then strung upon a 

 string or wythe, and allowed to hang in the water until 

 the crabber desists from his occupations. In the previous 

 article crabs were spoken of as curious and interesting, 

 and the reader may not consider the particulars thus far 

 given as being particularly so. Perhaps, when he takes 

 them altogether, he will agree that they have as much 

 that is curious about their construction as almost any 

 animal we have mentioned, and in the interesting details 

 we have as yet made but a single step. 



The circumstance of the external skeleton has been 

 mentioned, but who would expect an animal, as low in 

 the scale as a crab, to be furnished with ten or twelve 

 pair of jaws to its mouth ? Yet such is the fact, and all 

 these variously constructed pieces are provided with ap- 

 propriate muscles, and move in a manner which can 

 scarcely be. explained, though it may be very readily 

 comprehended when once observed in living nature. But, 

 after all the complexity of the jaws, where would an in- 

 experienced person look for their teeth? surely not in the 

 stomach ? Nevertheless, such is their situation ; and these 

 are not mere appendages, that are called teeth by courte- 

 sy, but stout regular grinding teeth, with a light brown 

 surface. They are not only within the stomach, but fixed 

 to a cartilage nearest to its lower extremity, so that the 

 food, unlike that of other creatures, is submitted to the 

 action of the teeth as it is passing /rom the stomach; in- 

 stead of being chewed before it is swallowed. In some 



