8-t THE OCEAN. 



Another contrivance is resorted to, of a character 

 perfectly unique ; one of those contrivances that meet 

 us at every turn in the study of Nature, and that 

 make it so interesting and instructive, as manifesting 

 the infinite resources of the Mighty God. "VVlien the 

 Crustacean finds that from its increasing size it is 

 bound and pressed by its shelly covering, it retires 

 to some hole or cranny for protection, becomes sickly, 

 and refuses to eat. After pining awhile, the softer 

 parts separate from the inside of the crust, even the 

 muscles becoming detached from the skeleton, and 

 take up a much smaller bulk than before : a tliick 

 skin forms over this soft body, replacing the crust, 

 and then the great shield of the chest is thrown off 

 unbroken, and the other plates of the body follow. 

 This seems plain : but it is not so easy to understand 

 how the process is completed. Every one who has 

 looked at a Crab's claw, knows that in a healthy 

 animal it is filled with flesh, that the inside is capa- 

 cious, but that the joints are very small : now, how is 

 the animal to get its flesh freed from this capacious 

 boot ? One would readily say, by splitting it into 

 two portions ; but on examining the cast-off claws, 

 which are frequently met with, no split or separation 

 can be discovered. Only recently has the question 

 been satisfactorily solved ; but, from some observa- 

 tions of my own, I have reason to believe that 

 through the wasting away of the limbs from sickness 

 and fasting, they become so diminished in size as to 

 be drawn even through the narrow orifices of the 

 joints. Every part of the old shell being thus thrown 

 off, antennte, eyes, jaws, and all, the animal fills its 



