88 LOBSTERS. 



the claws of their opponents, the force to do which we can 

 form an idea of, from the efforts we have had sometimes to 

 make to crack the shell of a cooked lobster, and also by an 

 experiment a Weymouth gentleman made some time ago by 

 inserting an ordinary lead bullet (not a bird-shot) between 

 the claws of one of the tribe, only to find the lobster squeezed 

 it out flat by once closing its claw, and that, too, without 

 any apparent effort. I suppose everybody has noticed that 

 not only are lobsters equipped with two claws differing in 

 size one from the other, but that these sizes are not always 

 on the same side, i.e., sometimes the larger one is on the right 

 hand side and at others on the left. For some time it was 

 thought the smaller one was a newer growth than the larger, 

 and this explained the difference, but it was then observed 

 fche smaller one is never like the larger, i.e., the shapes differ 

 considerably, as my exo-skeleton in the case indicates ; hence, 

 the conclusion was arrived at that just as some people seem 

 to be born " left-handed " as we term them, so lobsters 

 were undoubtedly similarly born, and it may not be a mere 

 coincidence only that, of many illustrations I have of different 

 lobsters, about half are drawn with the larger claw on the 

 right hand side, and half on the left, whilst, from the shells 

 of the English lobster I exhibit, you will notice the larger 

 claw is on the left hand side, so, I suppose, was a left-handed 

 lobster, and the shells of the Norwegian lobsters I am 

 showing have the larger claws on the right hand side. Herrick 

 also says not only are lobsters born like that (i.e., right-handed 

 or left-handed), but whichever hand it may be is hereditary 

 and transmissible. It is obvious that every part of their 

 bodies and limbs, being encrusted with a coat of armour, all 

 Crustacea must throw off their envelopes periodically or they 

 could never grow ; hence, at certain periods, so long as 

 growth continues (i.e., until the animal has attained its full 

 size) these creatures must be able to cast aside their cover- 

 ings, and recreate others of suitable sizes for their periodical 

 expansions. These occasions are termed moultings, 

 exuviations, or the action of ecdysis, and they occur with 



