106 LECTURE VIII. 



a-year, of their old external covering, that I 

 wish to call your attention. When this period 

 arrives, the prawn ceases to feed, and goes about 

 from place to place until it has fixed on one 

 adapted for its purpose. It then stretches out 

 wide apart its third, fourth, and fifth pairs of 

 legs, and the feet are then hooked on so firmly 

 upon a substance near, and in such a way that 

 the body may be poised, and capable of moving 

 freely in all directions. The prawn then slowly 

 sways itself to and fro, and from side to side, 

 apparently for the purpose of loosening the whole 

 surface of the body from the skin or covering; the 

 two pairs of legs are at the same time kept raised 

 from the ground, stretched forwards, and fre- 

 quently passed over each other with a rubbing mo- 

 tion. The eyes also may be observed to be moved 

 within their covering, from side to side, by mus- 

 cular contraction; and when every precaution 

 appears to have been taken for the withdrawal 

 of its body from the old skin, a crack is observed 

 to take place between it and the abdomen, at 

 the upper and back part, and then the head, 

 antennae, or, as they may be called, feelers, legs, 

 feet, and all their appendages, are slowly and 

 carefully drawn backwards, and out from the 



