62 LIVING CREATURES. 



13. LIVING PINCHERS. 



IN most parts of the country, boys need no intro- 

 duction to crawfish ; and in the large city, or near the 

 sea-coast, any one may at times see lobsters at the 

 fish-market. Crawfish and lobsters are almost pre- 

 cisely alike. Indeed, the crawfish is sometimes called 

 the fresh-water lobster. It is about five inches long, 

 and swims near the bottom of rivers and ponds. The 

 lobster is about ten inches long, and moves about in 

 the shallow waters of the sea-coast. 



To shake hands with either of these queer-looking 

 creatures is not the most pleasant way of forming their 

 acquaintance. Many a stranger has thought their 

 grasp quite too affectionate. In fact, their grip is a 

 pinch, and their hands, such as they have, are pinch- 

 ers, and are armed with ugly teeth. Boys who have 

 once been pinched have learned to pick them up by 

 the back, so as to handle them without injury. It 

 would be well to hold one in this way long enough to 

 see how it is fitted for the battle of life to get its 

 food, and to fight its enemies. 



The lobster and the crawfish have no true bones in 

 their bodies. The body is divided into three main 

 parts, called the head, the thorax or breastplate, and 

 the abdomen. This last part is again made up of seven 

 pieces or joints. The whole body is covered by a hard 

 outside crust. The animals are, therefore, called crus- 

 taceans. The crust or shell is of a black or dark green 

 color when the animal is alive. Those lobsters that 

 lie quietly in the fish-market, are -dead, and have been 



