ON CRUSTACEA. 285 



essential to their preservation ; that these molhisca, destitute 

 of eyes, and of but little energy of sensation, having held their 

 shell for some time open, so that the little fishes might enter 

 there, were advertised, when there was a sufficient quantity, 

 by a bite made by the pinnotheres; that they then closed their 

 shell, and partook of the booty together. 



This opinion, however absurd, appears to have been 

 entertained by the ancient Egyptians, among whom the 

 symbolic representation of the innna and the cancer de- 

 signated a man or father of a family, Avhose existence de- 

 pended only on the assistance of his children. But what- 

 ever may be the source of these erroneous traditions, the 

 naturalist should not the less desire to know what the ani- 

 mals are which have given rise to them. Camus, in his 

 Commentary on Aristotle's History of Animals, forming the 

 second volume of his French translation of this work, had 

 presented on this question some very judicious reflections. 

 This investigation has equally engaged the attention of M. 

 Cuvier ; and in his critical dissertation, the object of which is 

 to ascertain the astaci, or in fact decapod Crustacea, men- 

 tioned by the ancients, he has discussed, with that sagacity so 

 peculiarly his own, the testimonies relative to the pinnotheres. 

 Not only does he consider the history which has been given 

 of them as the pure fruit of imagination, but he seems to 

 think that the ancients had no very correct notion concerning 

 the Crustacea which are the object of these fabulous narratives. 



It is well known, that divers Crustacea, by reason of the 

 more feeble consistence of their testa, or otherwise, are in- 

 stinctively impelled to choose particular domiciles, usually 

 moveable, and especially shells, both univalve and bivalve. 

 The pinnotheres are of this number; but they differ from 

 the paguri, in inhabiting none but bivalve shells, and always 

 in company with their proper owners. The same shell 



