VOL. XLIV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 203 



see the viscera, as they then thought, he cut one in two, near the middle ; when, 

 to their great surprise, they found this part had shot out from each of the divided 

 ends, and a number of seeming ova issued from them ; but they soon found that 

 these were really live eels, included in their proper membranes, though of dif- 

 ferent degrees of maturity. Some moved but slowly their head and tail, others 

 coiled and uncoiled themselves pretty briskly; and indeed it was pleasant to be- 

 hold the most mature making many efforts to disengage themselves from their 

 enveloping membranes, frequently varying their position, being sometimes spiral, 

 then like a figure of 8, till at last they were entirely at liberty, and swam about 

 like the parent eel. By this it appears, that what he at first took for the intes- 

 tine, was now found to be the uterus, which shows in the large eels to be full of 

 dark spots, and are the young eels. These dark spots are also observable in the 

 young ones, as soon as delivered from their parent. 



To be sure of this experiment, he repeated the operation on numbers of these 

 eels in the presence of Dr. Parsons, and several other gentlemen, and always found 

 young ones ; some so mature, viz. (those towards the middle of the parent) as to 

 disengage themselves before he could get them under the microscope. In cutting 

 one of these eels, he happened to divide a young one exactly in two; but not 

 withstanding the globular appearances, as in the parent, there issued nothing 

 from the wounded extremity of either part ; which must be owing to the imma- 

 turity of the young ones. 



From this it is plain, that these eels are viviparous ; and consequently cannot 

 favour the common opinion among naturalists, that all kinds of animalcules are 

 produced by minute eggs floating in the air, and falling into the different ma- 

 trices and pabula, that sustain each kind. 



Some Observations on the Cancer Major. By Mr. Peter Collinsony F. R. S. 



N° 478, p. 70. 



The cancer major, or largest species of crabs have their chief abode fi-om 20 

 to 40 fathom water, they herd together in distinct tribes, and have their separate 

 haunts for feeding and breeding, and will not associate with their neighbours. 

 This has been carefully tried, by taking a crab, and marking its shell, and car- 

 rying it 2 or 3 miles distance, and leaving it among the same species: this crab 

 has found its way back to its old home, and has been caught by the same fisher- 

 men that carried it. 



The smallest crab that comes to hand is about the size of a chestnut ; the full 

 grown 7 lb. weight; but there has been one caught that weighed 12 lb. The 

 bait is flesh, or pieces of skait, or small shark, of which he eats but little. The 

 fishermen all agree, the crab will live confined in the pot or basket some months, 

 without any food but what is collected from the sea-water, and not decrease in 



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