7550 Crustacea. 



powers of loss and reproduction, and found that amputation in 

 the limb thrown off invariably takes place at a particular joint, 

 between the basos (second) and the ischium (third); the second in 

 the crab, but in the lobster it is the third, — the coxa or first joint, 

 which is fused with the body of the animal in the former, being free in 

 the latter. 



When any limb is injured the animal appears to suffer jiain, holds 

 its legs free from contact with anything, and runs from the neighbour- 

 hood of the catastrophe. In an instant it violently strikes the liu)b 

 against some hard substance, and forthwith appears free from its great 

 care ; the limb instantly drops off, and to all appearance the crab has 

 already forgotten that he ever had one, so contentedly he proceeds to 

 enjoy himself. 



The wound caused by the removal of the limb is rapidly skinned 

 over, so rapidly as to appear to have been an act simultaneous with 

 the amputation. It is not impossible that the development of this 

 membrane may be the amputating force. 



No animal will part with its limbs for slight causes, although 

 the pain may be severe. I once cut the hand of a crab through the 

 thumb and finger with a pair of scissors ; it never threw off the limb, 

 although it evidently suffered much ; the poor thing would gently 

 stroke the wounded arm with the other hand, and, as clearly as 

 Sterne's ass, told its suffering. It smiles upon the feelings, even 

 through the enthusiasm of a naturalist who experiments from a love of 

 truth, to see the weakest creature suffer, particularly if any animal 

 has been kept for some time, and has a claim upon his kindness from 

 its helplessness ; and many is the time 1 have asked others to kill an 

 animal, that I might not behold the stroke that made it cease to live, 

 or put them to sleep with chloroform so that they might not know 

 when they ceased to be among the living. 



It is astonishing to see with what instinct the crabs appeared 

 to escape the cutting of the scissors ; 1 have often dodged about for 

 some time trying to catch one of their claws between the blades, and 

 often, when I seemed to have got one there, it would slip away before 

 the blades came together. It was in one of these mutilating chases that 

 occurred the case above alluded to,in which I missed the arm and caught 

 the fingers only before the active fellow could get out of the way. 

 The hand never grew again, and even after the animal had shed the 

 exuvia; it continued a maimed appendage. 



Shortly after a limb is thrown off, in the centre of the wounded 

 stump, within the enclosing membrane, the new organ commences its 



