NATURAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN LOBSTER. 205 



The period of uneasiness, which foreshadowed the molt and was very marked, 

 ended in this lobster by its rolling over on its side, briskly moving its legs, and bending 

 its body in the shape of the letter V, the angle of the V corresponding to the gaping 

 chink between the dorsal shield and tail. Presently the old cuticle, holding these parts 

 together, began to stretch, the wall of the body pressing against it with considerable 

 force, and the hinder end of the shield being slowly lifted up, while its anterior part 

 remained attached to the rest of the skeleton. The slow but sure pressure of the parts 

 within cause an increasing tension in the yielding cuticular membrane, which finally 

 bursts, revealing the brilliant colors of the new shell. The legs and other appendages 

 are occasionally moved, but no marked convulsive movements are to be seen. The 

 carapace has now become raised to an elevation of perhaps 2 inches in its hinder part, 

 in consequence of which, the anterior end being fixed, the rostrum is bent downward 

 and the animal presents a very singular appearance. 



When this stage has been reached the lobster becomes quiet for a few seconds and 

 then resumes its task with renewed vigor. From this time on until free its muscles work 

 intermittently. The doubled-up fore part of the body, with each effort of the animal, 

 is more and more withdrawn from the old shell, and this implies the separation of the 

 skin from the intricate linkwork of the internal skeleton, and particularly in its release, 

 together with a part of the nerve cord, from the closed archway of this structure, as 

 well as the freeing of the 28 separate appendages from their old cases and tendons, for 

 the accomplishment of which special adjustments are made in advance. The cuticular 

 sheath of every ectodermic structure is stripped off. The exoskeleton folded to fit so 

 complicated a mold is virtually a continuous structure, and from the method of its 

 regeneration the sloughing of one part necessitates the shedding of the whole. 



The carapace is now elevated to such an extent from behind that the rostrum is 

 directed obliquely downward and backward. The lobster is still lying in comparative 

 quiet upon its side, but the muscles of all its appendages are undergoing violent con- 

 traction as the animal tugs and wrestles violently as if to free itself from ropes which 

 bind it down firmly on every side. The carapace is unbroken, yet the two halves bend 

 as upon a hinge along the median line, where the lime of the shell has been absorbed. 

 Presently the pressed-down bases of the antennae, the eyestalks, and the bent-down 

 rostrum of the new shell can be clearly seen. No part of the covering of the large 

 claws or of any of the legs have been split or cracked. The muscular masses of the 

 powerful claws have been withdrawn through their narrow openings without a rent. 

 Finally a few kicks free the entire forward half of the body, the antennae, chelipeds, 

 and varous other parts, which now lie above or to one side of the old covering. The 

 tail has been gradually breaking away from its old case, and as soon as the forward 

 part of the body is withdrawn the lobster gives one or two final switches and is free. 



The newly molted lobster has a very sleek and fresh appearance, and its colors 

 were never brighter or more attractive. Try to take it up in the hand, after some time 

 has elapsed, and it feels as limp as wet paper; but immediately after casting the shell 

 the muscles of the crustacean are hard and tense, probably from being in a state of 

 cramp or tetanus. Every part of the old shell down to a microscopic hair has been 



