CRUSTACEANS 



IN the early part of the eighteenth century the natural history of 

 Kent could be collected by an impartial hand without the least 

 notice of crustaceans as forming part of the fauna. Yet indirectly 

 the historian in question shows that the county is supremely well 

 fitted to produce and harbour a great many species of this class, for he 

 says : ' besides divers Bays and Creeks by the Thames and Sea-Side, 

 there are sundry fresh Rivers and pleasant Streams ; as the Medway, 

 Darent, and Stowre, besides sundry Rivulets and Brooks, which supply 

 the Inhabitants with Plenty of Fish, yet not to equal some other 

 maritime Counties in Quantity, or Variety, except in their Oysters, 

 found in the East Swale or near Faversham.' ' He also mentions several 

 plants as growing in ditches, brooks, salt marshes, and on the sea-shore. 

 If it be added that the county lies between the waters of the North Sea 

 and those of the English Channel, and that its land surface is richly 

 diversified with woods, gardens, hedgerows, lanes and quarries, almost 

 every favourable circumstance will appear to be combined for supplying 

 it plentifully with crustaceans of various orders and diversified modes of 

 life. The actual abundance of species is being gradually established by 

 direct observation. 



Of the genuine Brachyura a fair proportion are on record from the 

 waters of Kent. These short-tailed decapods, with the nervous system 

 highly concentrated, are the true crabs. They are rightly regarded as 

 standing at the head of the Malacostraca. The most familiar British 

 form and that which with us attains the largest size is Cancer pagurus, 

 Linn., known as the great crab or the eatable crab. Bell notices that 

 the family Bythesea of Kent is one of those that ' bear this animal in 

 their coat-armour.' '^ In the British Association Handbook to Dover, 

 (1899), Messrs. Sydney Webb and Edward Horsnaill, treating of ' Sea 

 Life,' say that Cancer pagurus frequents the laminarian zone, but small 

 specimens may often be found between tide-marks.' This is true of 

 many places besides Dover, for the species is found all round our coasts 

 and often in great abundance. The estimate regarding it, that a large 

 female can carry on its swimmerets three millions of eggs and that even 

 a small one can have half a million^ may help to explain the plentiful- 

 ness. Experts, however, agree in strongly deprecating a wasteful use of 



1 Magna Britannia et Hibernia, Antiqua et Nova. . . . Collected and Composed by an impartial 

 Hand, ii. 1 194 (1720). 



2 British Stalk-eyed Crustacea, p. 66. 



' H. C. Williamson, Fishery Board for Scotland, Ann. Rep. xviii. pt. 3, 89 (1900). 



