THE HORSE FOOT CRAB. 261 
apparatus would afford but a poor chance to the investigator 
who sought its nature by use of the knife. Of the large 
number that I have opened of adult specimens, I never found 
anything to tell me on what they fed; and not until by 
aetual experiment, above described, did I know whether 
Limulus was vegetarian or carnivorous. 
The exuviation of the King Crab is performed several 
times during the first year, and at very short intervals. 
How many I do not know, as that must vary according to 
the time of hatching. But I think the young produced in 
the latter part of June will accomplish five or six moults be- 
fore the cold weather comes. Even in the case of the adult 
— exceptional as it is among the crustacea — I think it prob- 
able that the shell is cast more than once in the year. The 
professional oysterman having taken up his best crop with 
the tongs, secures the gleaning with heavy iron dredges ; and 
when using this instrument will take up an occasional Horse 
Foot, even in the winter season. In the unusually fine 
weather of an open February several years ago, in Rariton 
Bay, an adult female was in this manner taken out of the 
mud by the deep sinking dredge, when lo, the animal had 
but recently “shed,” and its shell was still quite soft. 
Sometimes the shedding can be witnessed under very un- 
usual circumstances. A large female taken in August, al- 
though kept for many days in the open air, yet moulted in 
captivity. The operation was a very trying one, and re- 
quired three or four days, as the animal got very dry. A 
little water was occasionally thrown on it for pity’s sake; 
and even this was not marine water. Of course moulting - 
under such extraordinary circumstances was a very dif- 
ficult, and probably painful operation; the wonder was that 
it could be done at all. With natural surroundings a few 
minutes generally suffice for the task. A thin narrow rim 
runs round the under side of the anterior portion of the 
cephalic shield. This is in fact the widest part of the ani- 
mal. Just before the time for exuviating a separation occurs 
