128 NATURAL HISTORY OF OUR SHORES 



the lobster in shape. The male is about three and a half 

 inches long. The female is larger about four, or four and 

 a quarter. The colour is bright rose -pink. It burrows in 

 sand and gravel, in among loose stones, and is very rarely 

 seen except by excavating for it, the open end of its 

 burrow giving the indication of its hiding-place. It is one 

 of the so-called " Burr owing- prawns." A glance at the 

 Photo 50 will show that it is a burrower. When the limbs 

 are held in close to the body the outline at once suggests 

 that of a very different animal of like habit the common 

 mole of our land. 



The female at the time of reproduction carries a number 

 of large eggs, of a bright golden yellow, attached to her 

 swimmarets, but these are not in such large numbers as 

 in the lobster four or five hundred being considered an 

 ample responsibility. 



Resembling Axius in general aspect, but broader and 

 shorter, and having the " Rostrum " or anterior part of 

 the carapace large, flat, and ridged, instead of small and 

 conical, is Gebia deltura. Its colour is pale pink. It burrows 

 in among the roots of the sea grass at low-tide level. 



Callianassa subterranea is a very remarkable crustacean, 

 still a burrower, making long galleries in sandy places, or 

 sometimes availing itself of the holes made by other animals. 



It is about four inches long, with one very large claw, 

 peculiarly hinged, the " hand " part (Carpopodite) being 

 attached to the portion behind it (the Meropodite) by a 

 hinge the full width of both parts i.e. it is not contracted 

 into a " wrist," as in most other crustaceans. 



The other claw is also long, but very narrow and feeble. 

 The large claw may be either right or left. Except the 

 claws, the front part of the carapace, the walking legs, 

 and the tail plates, it has no " shell " proper, but is soft 

 and membraneous. Its colour is a porcelain- white, except 

 for a blush of pink and yellow, due to internal tissues, 



