LOBSTERS. 89 



greater or less frequency, according both to their age and 

 family, the shedding of their coats being, as might be sup- 

 posed, less frequent as they mature in age. The time 

 occupied in throwing off the shell varies in d ff erent species 

 and under different conditions of temperature, and similar 

 observations apply, too, to the number of days required for 

 the animal to reform its sheath of the same constituency as 

 the old shell. As soon, however, as the old encasement has 

 been abandoned, the soft body quickly pushes forth its 

 growth and the animal becomes again encrusted with another 

 coat of mail, for a further period. Whenever, however, the 

 shells of lobsters are cast off, the process is not a gradual one, 

 like the moulting of a bird, or the changing of a horse's coat, 

 but, in a few moments, the whole of the outer covering and all 

 its appendages are thrown off, and the animal is left with a 

 mere chitinous envelope, which, however, hardens to its 

 fullest requirements in the space of a few weeks, when it is able 

 to take its walks abroad once more, having, in the meantime, 

 had to hide itself away in some dark hole to escape the atten- 

 tion of its enemies, against which, in its soft condition, it 

 would have been unable to defend itself. Whilst thus hidden 

 the lobsters are called " shy " by the fishermen, and one 

 would not be surprised if the fish really did feel somewhat 

 " shy " under such circumstances, for how absolutely 

 complete the moult is and how bald the animal must 

 appear, when devoid of its ordinary coat, may be gathered 

 from the fact that it not only sheds in its entirety every 

 particle of its crust, but every appendage thereto, both 

 external and internal ; thus, in addition to casting off the 

 coatings of its legs and body, it casts off the antennules, the 

 antennae, the coverings of its eyes, the lining membrane of 

 its stomach, the teeth connected with it, the internal calcareo 

 tendinous protrusions to which the muscles of the claws are 

 attached inside the carapace, and the membranous covering 

 of the lungs. 



The specimen I am exhibiting in the glass case is the exo- 

 skeleton of a female lobster weighing about 1 Jib., and probably 



