THE CRAW FISH. 359 



Capable of acquiring new claws. 



food to the animal; during the time of the refor- 

 mation, the old stomach seems to be the first 

 food that the new one digests. 



In the breaking of the claw of the common 

 craw fish, it has been observed that, in about 

 a day or two after the piece is cast off, a red 

 membrane, not unlike a bit of red clotb, closes 

 up the aperture. This is at first plain, but, in 

 the course of four or five days, it assumes a 

 convexity, which gradually augments till it takes 

 the appearance of a small cone, of about a line 

 in height. It continues, however, to stretch out, 

 and in ten days it is sometimes more than three 

 lines, or about a quarter of an inch high. It is 

 not hollow, but filled with flesh, and this flesh 

 is the basis or rudiment of a new claw. The 

 membrane that covers the flesh performs the 

 same office to the young claw as the membranes 

 do the foetus of the larger animals. It extends 

 in proportion as the animal grows ; and, as it is 

 tolerably thick, we can perceive nothing but a 

 lengthened cone. When fifteen days are elapsed, 

 this cone inclines toward the head of the animal. 

 Jn a few days more its curvature increases, and 

 it begins to assume the appearance of a dead 

 claw. This claw, though at the end of a month 

 or five weeks it has acquired the length of six 

 or seven lines, which is more than half an inch, 

 is still incapable of action. The membrane in 

 which it is inclosed becoming gradually thinner 

 in proportion as it extends, gives an opportunity 



