130 EXUVIATION ARRESTED. 



The preparation in question is, as far as I can 

 discover, unique ; at least I have neither read nor 

 heard of another such existing in any private or 

 public museum in the kingdom. 1 



It shows at a glance the increase that in- 

 stantaneously takes place in the size of the crab 

 after the act of exuviation is performed, the portion 

 exuded being on a scale considerably larger than the 

 old covering, which, however, is capacious enough 

 to hold that half of the animal that had not effected 

 its deliverance at the moment when the novel arrest- 

 ment was so unceremoniously served. 



The fourth and fifth pair of legs are free, while 

 the eyes and antennae are also drawn out of their 

 sheaths. (This is not very evident now, but such is 

 really the fact, I having distinctly seen those organs 

 in motion when the animal was in the living state.) 

 The chelce, or large claws, being still undetached, 

 serve to bind the crab to its old integument, and 

 thus enable the act of exuviation, or one phase of it 

 at least, to be distinctly apparent. 



I know of no work on Natural History that speaks 

 of the Hermit-Crabs (Anomoura) casting their shells, 

 and on this account I have given some attention to 

 them. These animals being so common, I kept by 

 me at least a dozen specimens for the purpose of 

 observing some of them, if possible, in the act of 



i A drawing of this crab will be found on Plate 3. 



