128 EFFECT OF DIET ON CRUSTACEA. 



a gusto that would have done credit to an alder- 

 man. The result was, that the shell was renewed 

 in less than half the time that elapsed between the 

 preceding moults. 



These interesting investigations, which had been 

 conducted thus far so satisfactorily, were suddenly 

 brought to a close by the death of my proteg6. 

 This sad event occurred unexpectedly, not from over- 

 feeding, as some persons may suppose, but from 

 natural causes. 



Whether increase of food always produces a like 

 effect to that mentioned, is a point that I hope some 

 of my brother naturalists will be able to determine. 

 That the moult was accelerated by such means in 

 my own specimen I have not the slightest doubt, 

 for, on no other grounds can I explain its unusually 

 speedy occurrence. 



I may here assure my readers that the above dates 

 may be confidently relied upon as correct, and also 

 that each exuvium was produced by the same crab 

 one specimen only being in the tank during the 

 whole period. 



Since the foregoing was written, I have again 

 been fortunate enough to have ocular demonstration 

 of the phenomenon of exuviation, as occurring in a 

 Cancer Pagurus, ab.out as large as a moderate-sized 

 walnut. 



While watching this crab, it flashed across my 

 mind that it would be a happy circumstance if by 



