\ciivriM. 



:u-e. tin* vessel containing spivimens designed for permanent obwr- 

 vatiuii. iini-t !> carefully emptied and replenished \Nithin a lew hours 

 after feeding ; or the specimens should la- transferred todillerent rmcili, 

 which is sifcr. ivpeating replenishment n-\t morning, or sooner. Fre- 

 quent ins|teetion i >f all such captives is indttponMUa 



Individual-; of the Common Cra!>, when alone, become very tame 



and tranquil ; indeed, they seem to l> a nr the tamest and most tran 



quil of the triU- ; whence, for u long time, I was induced to think 

 them of \ery paeilie nature. But four small ones having been com- 

 mitted t<> the same vessel, I was then undeceived by discovering that 

 one of them had I*-. uvd i>y a companion, two of the four 1 



larger than itself. On the same day, I found the smallest of the three 

 sin -\i\ors in the fangs of the largest, which was more powerful, nor 

 could I rescue it without the loss of several of its limbs. 



Thi< mutilated subject I.ein^ shifted to another vessel, it was with 

 some surpri 1 saw it immediately begin to feed on portions of 



mussel which I supplied. 



Now, it proved to have undergone an extraordinary mutilation. 

 ten external organs were actually gone ; for only the two 

 claws and the posterior right limb remained. Nevertheless, these were 

 entire, and next day the animal seemed quite well, consuming the re- 

 mainder of the mussel 1-iM'leit. The mutilation occurred on October 

 L'uth, and delineation followed on the 3d of November. Plate XLI. 

 fig. 1, back ; 2, breast. 



Thin incident afforded ample evidence, that notwithstanding the 

 pacific disposition of the species, presumed from apparent tranquillity, 

 weak were not to be trusted in the society of the stronger. 



N four days after mutilation, the victim cast its shell. The 



new animal mine in very pale, almost white, and what was more re- 

 markable, with the whole complement of ten limbs entire. Those cor- 

 responding to the seven which had been deficient, seemed to me some- 

 what under the natural size. The posterior limb on the left side, corres- 

 ponding to that mutilated, was smaller than its fellow on the right, 



T 



