THE LOBSTER 613 



by iron into the incipient state of sandstone ; they are always filled up, but may be 

 readily distinguished by the indurated walls and summit often projecting a little above 

 the general surface." 



The British Mud-burro wer is rather a pretty little creature, being of a soft pink hue, 

 sometimes changing to yellow on the sides. Very soon after death these colours fade, and 

 change into dull grey. The haddock seems to feed largely on this species, as fragments 

 are mostly found in the stomach of the fish. 



THE second species represented in the engraving is the SLOW SHRIMP, a rather curious 

 looking creature, much resembling the common shrimp, except that it possesses a pair of 

 large and stout claws. Its popular name is derived from the sluggishness of its movements., 

 as it has scarcely any idea of running or swimming away if alarmed, but only attempts to 

 escape by burrowing in the mud. If, therefore, it should be intercepted upon some hardei 

 ground, where it is not able to burrow, it exhausts all its strength in unavailing efforts, 

 and is easily taken prisoner. The best way of obtaining this creature is to dig it out of 

 the sand. It is but a small species, measuring about three inches in length. Several 

 other burro wers are inhabitants of the British shores. One of them is the MUD-BORER 

 (Gtbia stelldta), a small species, measuring about two inches in length. This creature 

 often takes possession of the burrows which have been made and forsaken by the razor-shell, 

 but it is doubtlessly able to bore holes for itself. It is rather a pretty little crustacean, 

 being of a pale yellowish white, covered with very little star-shaped orange spots. On the 

 front of the carapace are multitudes of little spines, arranged in longitudinal rows. 



ANOTHER species, the DELTURA ( Gebia deltura], inhabits the same and similar localities 

 as the mud-borer. In many points it much resembles that crustacean, and has been 

 thought by some persons to be the female of the same species. It furnishes abundance of 

 food to various fishes, especially those belonging to the ray family, and its remains are 

 found abundantly in their stomachs. It is much larger than the mud-borer. All the 

 members of this genus have the carapace formed into a triangular beak, and the outer pair 

 of fore-feet formed for walking. One more remarkable species of burrowing Crustacea is 

 the CALOCARIS (Calocaris Macandrei), which resides at a very great depth, having been 

 ascertained to live at the bottom of the sea, more than a thousand feet from the surface. 

 Here, like the rest of these creatures, it burrows in the mud, passing a kind of sub-marine 

 mole-like existence. As, at this great depth, and under the mud, the ordinary visual 

 powers would be of no avail, the creature has but the rudiments of eyes, which are small 

 und quite without colouring. The Calocaris is mostly to be obtained from the stomachs of 

 haddocks, rays, and flat-fishes. 



The colour of this curious species is delicate pale rose while living, but, as is usual 

 with this fleeting tint, it soon fades after death. The shell of the Calocaris is very delicate 

 and thin, and the whole of the feet are covered with hairs. 



WE now come to the family of the Astacidse, which includes two well-known and very 

 similar creatures, the fresh-water cray-fish, and the salt-water LOBSTER. The general 

 shape and appearance of the Lobster is too well known to need any description. The 

 vast numbers of Lobsters which are annually brought to the London markets are largely 

 supplied from Norway, although there are many parts of our own coasts where these 

 creatures can be taken plentifully. The Lobster is not much of a rover, seldom straying 

 far from the spot on which it was hatched. It is rather remarkable that Lobsters are 

 liable to permanent varieties, according to the locality in which they reside, and a good 

 judge will be able to determine at a glance from what part of the country any given 

 Lobster has been taken. 



Sometimes a green specimen is brought to market, and the salesmen have a theory 

 that it has obtained this change of colour by living in some spot where the ores of copper 

 impregnate the earth. They consequently believe it to be poisonous. Both ideas, how- 

 ; ever, seem to be groundless. 



Lobsters are always sold by number and not by weight, and their value is necessarily 



