236 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [530] 
long, and they were often taken at the surface until 8 to 12™™ in length, 
the larger ones being taken in the first part of September. 
The young of Virbius zostericola appear at about the same time as 
those of Palwmonetes, or a very little later, and pass through quite simi- 
lar changes. The young attain the adult form when not more than 3»™ 
in Jength, and were frequently taken at the surface, both in the day- 
time and the evening, until they were 10™™ long, those 8 to 10™™ long 
being common in late August and early September. 
The larval forms of several other Macrourans were taken at different 
times, but none of these were abundant, and I have not been able to 
connect them with the adult forms of any of tlie common species of the 
New England coast. 
The young of Gebia affinis, only 4™™ long, but with nearly the form of 
the adult, was taken at the surface on the evening of September 3. 
The young of Callianassa Stimpsoni, about 4°™ long and with nearly all 
the adult characters, was also taken at the surface early in September. 
The hermit-crabs (species of Hupagurus) when first hatched have much 
resemblance to the young of shrimp at the same period, and have simi- 
lar habits. The young of one of the species, after it has passed through 
the earlier stages, and when it is about 3™™ long, and has all the 
cephalothoracic appendages similar to those of the adult, has still a 
symmetrical abdomen, like that of a shrimp, with long swimming-legs 
upon the second, third, fourth, and fifth segments, and broad laminated 
appendages upon the penultimate segment. . Young, in this and the 
earlier stages, were common at the surface in Vineyard Sound during 
the last of August and the first of September. 
Hippa talpoida probably passes through a metamorphosis similar to 
that of the hermit-crabs. The young attain nearly the adult form before 
they are more than 5 or 6™™ long, and specimens of this size were 
taken at the surface in Vineyard Sound on the evening of September 3. 
I have also found, early in September, the young a little larger 
upon the outer shores of Fire Island Beach, where they were left 
in large numbers by a high tide, and soon buried themselves in the 
sand. 
All, or at least nearly all, the species of Brachyura livirg on the coast 
of New England pass through very complete and remarkable meta- 
morphoses. The most distinct stages through which they pass were 
long ago described as two groups of crustaceans, far removed from the 
adult forms of which they were the young. The names zoéa and meg. 
alops, originally applied to these groups, are conveniently retained for 
the two best marked stages in the development of the crabs. 
The young of the common crab, (Cancer irroratus,) in the earlier or 
zoéa stage, when first hatched from the egg, are somewhat like the form 
figured on Plate VIII, (fig. 37, the latest stage of the zoéa of Cancer 
irroratus, just before it changes to the megalops,) but the spines upon 
the carapax are all much longer in proportion, and there are no signs of 
