282 ARTICULATA. CRUSTACEA. 



however, often relieved by the presence of Lobsters, 

 Prawns, and other animals, his companions in cap- 

 tivity. After some hours, the fisherman goes to 

 examine his pots, each float bearing a private mark 

 to prevent mistakes of property. The demand is 

 generally good, and if not immediately sold, they 

 can be kept alive in wells, large boxes perforated, 

 and floated in the water. The fishermen, when they 

 bring their Crabs to market, as they are usually 

 alive, prevent them from pinching by inserting a 

 wooden plug into the joint of the claw, which para- 

 lyses the limb. They are brought alive even from 

 Norway, in wells towed after the vessel; but 

 they will live for two or three days entirely out of 

 water. The Crab is out of season in May, June, 

 and July. 



Matuta, the Swimming Crab. 



This is the principal genus of those Crabs which 

 inhabit the ocean, rarely approaching the shore. 

 The hindmost feet are dilated into a thin oval 

 plate, fringed at the edge, which serves as a fin. 

 The shell projects at each side into a long sharp 

 spine. We have seen them numerous in the At- 

 lantic, swimming swiftly about floating masses of 

 the Gulfweed (Sargassum Vulgare). Their motions 

 were amusing : having caught one or two about 

 an inch in width, of a yellow colour with brown 

 mottlings, we put them with some weed into a basin 



