

CRUSTACEA. 71 



stere and Crabs by breaking the smallest possible piece from 

 their points and introducing a small crooked wire; in the 

 smaller claws the flesh must be allowed to dry, and to fa- 

 cilitate this, extremely small perforations should be made in 

 opposite sides of the shell by means of a sharp triangular awl, 

 so as to allow the air to pass through it. 



In Lobsters the branchiae and all the intestines must be 

 cut away, the latter is effected by separating the body from 

 the lower parts, and then extracting the internal parts with 

 any sharp instrument ; it should then be dried and cemented 

 together, after being well anointed with the preservative. In 

 Crabs, the body, with all the limbs attached, is pulled sepa- 

 rate from the back shell, and the whole fleshy matter carefully 

 picked out, and preserving powder and the solution of corro- 

 sive sublimate applied to the different internal parts. In dry- 

 ing Lobsters, Crabs, &c., they should be exposed to a free 

 current of air, but not to the sun's rays, as it reddens the 

 shells of crustaceous animals. 



It need hardly be mentioned, that before applying the pre- 

 servatives, the shells should be well washed with cold water. 



The Hermit- Crab (Pagurus Bernhardus), always takes pos- 

 session of the shell of some turbinated Univalve as its domicile. 

 These are easily preserved by pulling out the animal after it is 

 dead. An incision is made hi the soft tail of the animal, and 

 the contents allowed to run Off ; it is then filled with cotton 

 and imbued with the preservative, some cement is then put on 

 the tail, and the animal returned to its shell ; which completes 

 the operation of preserving. 



In sending home crustaceous animals, the larger species 

 should be emptied of their fleshy matter, which, however, is 

 not necessary with the smaller species ; they should be packed 

 in middling sized cases, and each wrapped in separate papers, 

 with a thick bed of cotton or flax between each. In Lob- 

 sters, and the species which are allied to them, great care 

 must be exercised in preserving the tentacula or feelers which 

 emanate from their heads, as these become very brittle after 

 they are dried. In proceeding to set up specimens which have 

 been sent home, they should be immersed in cold water for 

 some time to give pliability to the tentacula and other parts,, 



