mi \< ii vnu. 185 



preservation ; it springs on tin- pn-\ . and there is good reason for be- 

 licviiiL' that tin- weaker or the species are not spared in case of neoetwit \ 

 Kxuviatinn probably succeeds here at shorter intervals than with the 



it IK-PS de-eril>ed, yet so irregularly, as to preclude all definite mnrluMniis 

 n-lati\i- t its rreimeiiey. or tin- permunenee of the shell. 



A brown belt ran down tin- tni<lille of a small beautiful speeiim -n. 

 'lividing the white portion, which spread to each side of the margin. 

 This it preserved a month after Itcing taken, Plate XI. 111. fig. 2 ; when 



\iiviation introduced a new one, marked exactly as before. But this 

 new one subsisted no longer than seventeen days. Here the animal 

 came in very little larger than its precursor. It had been extremely 

 shy in its pivvion* shells ; it was now more familiar, and darted through 

 tin- \vai 



Mutilated specimens, reproducing the shell, appear with all the inu- 

 tilatt-d parts restored on e\u\ iation. In the end of October, a specimen, 

 whose limbs expanded two inches, had lost its claws. It had difliudtx 

 in feeding without them, for the forceps prove the chief auxiliary on 

 such occasions. However, it subsequently contrived, by means of the 

 remaining limbs, to bring the food up to the mouth. 



In eight weeks it cast the shell, when a new one came in, quite en- 

 tire, larger than previously. But I thought the claws rather under 

 what should have been their full dimensions. The new shell was of a 

 brownish colour, little variegated, and the limbs marbled, Plate XLIV. 

 fig. 1 ; shell delineated after having been cast by the new tenant. 



These animals, like the others, seem to commence breeding at a 

 very early age, and the period of their multiplication occupies a consi- 

 derable portion of the year ; they are no less prolific, for a single parent 

 is the progenitor of thousands of young. 4 



On June 22, a specimen striped dark brown down the middle of the 

 back, with lighter sides, bore immense quantities of beautiful scarlet 

 roe, raising the apron very hu/h. It proved extremely restless, and ap- 

 parently impatient of confinement, nevertheless feeding readily. 



On July 1. the roe still augmenting, distorted the animal's shape, 

 by projecting the elevated apron backward ; but its beautiful ruddy hue 



2 A 



