THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD CRAYFISH. 11 



demand for these delicacies ; and hence, not only are large 

 quantities imported from Germany, and elsewhere, but 

 the artificial cultivation of crayfish has been successfully 

 attempted on a considerable scale. 



Crayfishes are caught in various ways ; sometimes the 

 fisherman simply wades in the water and drags them out 

 of their burrows ; more commonly, hoop-nets baited with 

 frogs are let down into the water and rapidly drawn up, 

 when there is reason to think that crayfish have been 

 attracted to the bait ; or fires are lighted on the banks at 

 night, and the crayfish, which are attracted, like moths, 

 to the unwonted illumination, are scooped out with the 

 hand or with nets. 



Thus far, our information respecting the crayfish is 

 such as would be forced upon anyone who dealt in cray- 

 fishes, or lived in a district in which they were commonly 

 used for food. It is common knowledge. Let us now 

 try to push our acquaintance with what is to be learned 

 about the animal a little further, so as to be able to give 

 an account of its Natural History, such as might have 

 been furnished by Buffon if he had dealt with the subject. 



There is an inquiry which does not strictly lie 

 within the province of physical science, and yet suggests 

 itself naturally enough at the outset of a natural history. 



The animal we are considering has two names, 

 one common, Craiifah, the other technical, Astacus flu- 

 viatilis. How has it come by these two names, and why, 



