132 WESTERN SERIES OF READERS. 



has quite a variety of lips and jaws. He breathes 

 by means of gills, which are hidden under his 

 shell. Has he any tail? 

 I am sure I do not see any. 



No; for he carries it as a frightened dog carries 

 his. But turn him over, and you will see his 

 "^=5r jointed tail, nicely fit- 

 ting into a little space 

 just the right size for it. 

 I hope you will get 

 acquainted with the 

 crabs of our coast; there 

 ^ ^ are so many of them, 

 and they are so curious. 

 There are the green 

 rock-crabs, the reddish- 

 brown kelp-crabs that 

 live among the sea- 

 weeds, and a dozen oth- 

 ers of various shapes, most of them of small size, 

 which you can catch in various places along the 

 beach. 



Besides these, there are the mud-crabs, the crabs 

 of the markets, and some very curious ones which 

 live in deep water, and are occasionally caught by 

 the fishermen. 



How shall we preserve small crabs? for we 



