THE COM VOX LOBSTER. 



205 



The Palinuri live on mollusca and on other marine animals. They have the power of producing 

 a very loud noise, by rubbing the first joint of their exterior antennae against the projecting border of 

 the cai-apace, or head-shield. Aristotle, Atheiiaeus, and Pliny were acquainted with the animals of 

 this genus, which they named Locusta ; and the Greeks and Romans 

 both used them as food. 



The development of the Palinuridce seems to be very peculiar 

 (Fig. 21). Glaus observed in the ova of the Spiny Lobster (Palinurus) 

 embryos with a completely segmented body, but wanting the appen- 

 dages of the tail, abdomen, and last two segments of the middle body 

 or thorax. They possess a single median and considerably com- 

 pound eye ; the inner antennae are simple, and the outer are fur- 

 nished with a small secondary branch ; the jaws have no palpi or 

 feelers. The jaw-feet of the third pair, like the two following pairs 

 of feet, are divided into two branches of nearly equal length, whilst 

 the last of the existing pairs of maxillipedes bear only an in- 

 considerable secondary branch. Coste is said to have bred the 

 curious form of larva named Phyllosoma from the ova of Palinurus. 



The Common Lobster (Homarus vulgaris, Fig. 22) prefers a rocky coast, and being somewhat of an 

 epicure in his tastes, is tempted to such good purpose by the fishermen that as many as 25,000 live 

 Lobsters are often delivered at Billingsgate in one day. If only as many are eaten in the whole of 

 England as in London, this would be at the rate of 50,000 per day, or 18,250,000 annually. From 

 March to August is the period of the greatest catch. Lobsters are sent alive packed in damp moss or 

 heather from the south coast and Channel Islands, from Stornoway in the Island of Lewis, from 



Fig. 21. LAKY A OF PALINURUS 

 VULGARIS. 



Fig. 22. COMMON LOBSTER (llomarus ruJyarif). 



Ireland, Scotland, ami the Orkneys. From Norway as many as 600,000 are received annually. 

 Fishermen and salesmen are said to know the South Coast (English), Cornish, Scotch, Irish, or 

 Norwegian Lobsters at sight, just as a cattle salesman knows a Hereford or Devon, a Scotch or 

 Irish beast The common Lobster weighs from eight to twelve pounds, but the great Lobster of 

 the American coast (so largely imported in tins into England) weighs more than twice as much. 



All the marine Macixmra, or Sea Lobsters, undergo metamorphosis more or less considerable. 

 Perhaps the changes passed through by the common Lobster present a less extraordinary variation 



