THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD CRAYFISH. l1 
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, Crayfish, the other technical, Astacus flu- 
viatilis. Tlow has it come by these two names, and why, 
