124 RENEWAL OF INJURED MEMBERS. 



seemed to scan as dubiously as a grown man would 

 an exhumed pair of boyish corduroys, and mutter 

 musingly, while stroking his chin, 'Well, come what 

 will, it can never be my case again/ 



On taking it in my hand, the Partane felt quite 

 soft and velvetty to the touch,* and exhibited no signs 

 of alarm. 



Since then I have repeatedly had shells of crabs 

 cast in smooth glass globes, containing nothing else 

 but clear salt water. This fact, in my opinion, com- 

 pletely subverts the statements of certain writers, 

 who assert that these animals require extraneous 

 assistance when about to exuviate. 



Some writers have questioned the truth of the 

 generally-received opinion that the new parts of 

 the crab are derived from the old : that, for instance, 

 a claw is regenerated within a claw, a limb within a 

 limb, eyes within the eyes, and that on exuviation 

 each is withdrawn from the pre-existing organ as 

 from a sheath. But my operations tend fully to 

 confirm the popular and existing belief. 



There is yet one curious point connected with this 

 subject which requires explanation, as it is not gene- 

 rally understood. I allude to the apparent dispro- 

 portionate smallness of the ' glassy bag,' situated at 

 the stump, as compared with the size of the regene- 

 rated limb, which is supposed to be folded up within 

 the bag previous to exuviation. On looking at the 

 newly-formed member, we can scarcely believe it 



