MACROUROUS DECAPODS ; CRABS. 



249 



fitted to receive it ; and in the female it is furnished with four 

 pairs of double filaments, analogous to the sub-abdominal swim- 

 mintf appendages of the long-tailed Decapods, and used for 

 carrying the eggs. The claws, or first pair of legs, are alone 

 furnished with pincers ; the ordinary legs having only simple 

 pointed terminations. In the Maia (Fig. 474) and other allied 

 genera, the body has very much the form of that of some Spiders, 

 and the legs are very long ; whence these Crabs are commonly 

 termed Sea-Spiders by the fishermen. The Cancer pagurus, or 

 common large edible Crab, belongs to a group distinguished by 

 the very great breadth of the carapace, which, in this species, 

 sometimes amounts to as much as twelve inches ; it is much 

 arched at the sides, and each border has nine festoons. This 



Crab is captured, by sinking 

 pots, baskets, or nets, baited 

 with decaying animal mat- 

 ter, to a considerable depth 

 along the rocky coast. Du- 

 ring the summer months it 

 is very abundant, especially 

 where the water is deep ; 

 but in winter it is rarely to 

 be found, and it is supposed 

 to burrow in the sand, or to 

 retire to the deeper parts of 

 the ocean. The Carcinus 



Mcenas, or small edible Crab, is very active in its habits, run- 

 ning with considerable speed ; it is caught, however, in large 

 numbers, but is principally eaten by the lower classes, being 

 less esteemed than the preceding as an article of food; its 

 breadth seldom exceeds three inches. There are several other 

 species of this group, which are used as food in different parts 

 of the world, where they take the place of the preceding. The 

 Podophthalma, which is extremely remarkable for the length of 

 its eye-bearing foot-stalks (Fig. 462), belongs to a group of 

 Crabs distinguished by the flattened form of the last pair of 

 legs, which are used as oars, and enable the animal to swim 

 with facility. 



FIG. 475. CANCBR PAGURUS. 



