126 THE CRAYFISH 



The crayfish is carnivorous, seizing its food, and tearing it 

 to pieces by means of the large pincers, aided by the smaller 

 pincers of the next two pairs of legs, and then cutting it up 

 into little bits with the jaws, which are placed at the sides 

 of the mouth. The real chewing is effected afterwards in the 

 stomach itself. 



The sexes are distinct. The male and female are very 

 similar, but the abdomen is broader in the female. 



The eggs are comparatively large, and are carried about by 

 the female, attached to the abdominal appendages, until the 

 young are hatched. The newly-hatched crayfish differs con- 

 siderably in form from the adult, but has the full number of 

 appendages already present. It remains for a time attached 

 by its pincers to the appendages of the mother, but soon takes 

 to independent life. To allow for the growth of the animal 

 the cuticle, which is incapable of interstitial growth, is cast 

 off periodically, and a new one secreted. This ecdysis, or 

 shedding of the cuticle, occurs three or more times during 

 the first year of the animal's Hfe, and afterwards about once 

 a ■"'"'■' "■" less often. It involves not merely the external in- 

 ve of the body and limbs, but the covering of the 



gi] sense organs, and to a certain extent the lining of 



th itary canal. 



Cra3rfish may be killed almost instantaneously by dropping 

 them into boiling water. 



I. EXTERNAL CHARACTERS. 



The body of the crayfish is very obviously divisible into 

 an anterior unjointed portion, the cephalothorax, and a jointed 

 and flexible hinder portion, the abdomen. 



A. Examinatioii of a Typical Segment of the Body. 



Examine in detail the third or fourth segment of the 

 ahdomen, noticing the folloiving points. 



1. The cuticular investment or exoskeleton of the segment 

 is hardened by calcification, except the portions at 

 the joints which remain soft to allow of movement. 



