CRUSTACEOUS FISHES. 



665 





is thought to be replete with a petrifying 

 quality, proper for forming a new shell : 

 however, the concreting power that first form- 

 ed these, shows a sufficient power in the ani- 

 mal to produce also the shell ; and it is going 

 but a short way in the causes of things when 

 we attempt to explain one wonder by another. 



When the lobster is completely equipped in 

 its new shell, it then appears how much it has 

 grown in the space of a very lew days ; the 

 dimensions of the old shell being compared 

 with those of the new, it will be found that 

 the creature is increased above a third in its 

 size ; and, like a boy that has outgrown his 

 clothes, it seems wonderful how the deserted 

 shell was able to contain so great an animal 

 as entirely fills up the new. 



The creature thus furnished, not only with 

 a complete covering, but also a greater share 

 of strength and courage, ventures more boldly 

 among the animals at the bottom ; and not a 

 week passes, that, in its combats, it does not 

 suffer some mutilation. A joint, or even a 

 whole claw, is sometimes snapped off in these 

 encounters. At certain seasons of the year 

 these animals never meet each other without 

 an engagement. In these, to come off with 

 the loss of a leg, or even a claw, is considered 

 as no great calamity ; the victor carries off the 

 spoil to feast upon at leisure, while the other 

 retires from the defeat to wait for a thorough 

 repair. This repair it is not long in procuring. 

 From the place where the joint of the claw 

 was cut away, is seen in a most surprising 

 manner to bourgeon out the beginning of a 

 new claw. This, if observed, at first, is small 

 and tender, but grows, in the space of three 

 weeks, to be almost as large and as powerful 

 as the old one. I say almost as large, for it 

 never arrives to the full size ; and this is the 

 reason we generally find the claws of lobsters 

 of unequal magnitude. 



After what has been thus described, let us 

 pause a little, to reflect on the wonders this 

 extraordinary creature offers to our imagina- 

 tion ! An animal without bones on the inside, 

 yet furnished with a stomach capable of digest- 

 ing the hardest substances, the shells of muscles, 

 of oysters, and even its own ; an animal gain- 

 ing a new stomach and a new shell at stated 

 intervals ! Furnished with the instruments of 

 generation double in both sexes ; and yet with 

 an apparent incapacity of uniting ! Without 



red blood circulating through the body, and 

 yet apparently vigorous and active ! But, 

 most strange of all, an animal endowed with 

 a vital principle that furnishes out such limbs 

 as have been cut away, and keeps continually 

 combating it, though in constant repair to re- 

 new its engagements ! These are but a small 

 prvrt of the wonders of the deep, where nature 

 sports without a spectator ! 



Of this extraordinary yet well known ani- 

 mal there are many varieties, with some dif- 

 ferences in the claws, but little in the habits 

 or conformation. It is found above three feet 

 long ; and if we may admit the shrimp and 

 the prawn into the class, though unfurnished 

 with claws, it is seen not above an inch. 

 These all live in the water, and can bear its 

 absence for but a few hours. The shell is 

 black when taken out of the water, but turns 

 red by boiling. The most common way of 

 taking the lobster is in a basket, or pot, as the 

 fishermen call it, made of wickerwork, in 

 which they put the bait, and then throw it to 

 the bottom of the sea, in six or ten fathoms 

 water. The lobsters creep into this for the 

 sake of the bait, but are not able to get out 

 again. The river craw-fish differs little from 

 the lobster, but that the one will live only in 

 fresh water, and the other will thrive only in 

 the sea. 



The crab is an animal found equally in 

 fresh and salt water ; as well upon land as in 

 the ocean. In rhape it differs very much from 

 the lobster, but entirely resembles it in habits 

 and conformation. The tail in this animal is 

 not so apparent as in the former, being that 

 broad flap that seems to cover a part of the 

 belly, and when lifted discovers the peas or 

 spawn, situated there in great abundance. It 

 resembles the lobster in the number of its 

 claws, which are two, and its legs, which are 

 eight, four on either side. Like the lobster, 

 it is a bold voracious animal ; and such an 

 enmity do crabs bear each other, that those 

 who carry them for sale to market, often tie 

 their claws with strings to prevent their fight- 

 ing and maiming themselves by the way. In 

 short, it resembles the lobster in every thing 

 but the amazing bulk of its body compared to 

 the size of its head, and the length of its intes- 

 tines, which have many convolutions. 



As the crab, however, is found upon land as 

 well as in water, the peculiarity of its situa- 



