416 THE HISTORY OF THE LOBSTER. 
Wood’s Hole, Mass. In the second stage, the animal has in- 
creased in size, and rudimentary appendages have appeared upon 
the second to the fifth segments of the abdomen. oik 
In the third stage* the animal is about half an inch long, and 
has begun to lose its Mysis-like (Schizopodal) appearance and 
assume some of the features of the adult. : Tuya 
There are probably two succeeding stages before the adult fom 
is attained, one is described by our author, while the first of the 
two he supposes to have existed, but has not yet discovered. After 
this the animal ceases to swim on the surface and late in summer 
seeks the bottom. They feed on the young of various animals, — 
the larve of their crustacea, and, when much crowded in captivity, 
on one another, the stronger devouring the weaker. In the first 
stage of the adult form when the animal is about three-fifths of a 
inch long, it still differs from the adult so much that it would be — 
regarded as a distinct genus. ‘In this stage, the young lobsters — 
swim very rapidly by means of the abdominal legs, and dart back- 
wards, when disturbed with the caudal appendages, frequently 
jumping out of the water in this way like shrimp which their moye- 
ments in the water much resemble. They appear to live & large 
part of the time at the surface, as in the earlier stages, and were 
often seen swimming about among other surface animals. They 
were frequently taken from the 8th to the 28th of July, and v 
likely occur much later.” Mr. Smith thinks the young - 
through all the stages he describes in the course of a single season. 
Those in the last stage mentioned he believes had not been nate’ es 
from the eggs more than six weeks and very likely a shorter tinti 
How long the young retain their free swimming habit after arrivi 
at the lobster-like form, was not ascertained. ae 
Specimens three inches in length have acquired nearly all ie 
characters of the adult. The description of the different S% 
are very detailed, and accompanied by admirable figures. — p 
“Of all the larval stages of other genera of crustacea of 
I have seen figures or descriptions, there are none which aro s 
allied to the early stages. of the lobster. Astacus, according 
_ Rathke, leaves the egg in a form closely resembling the adult, 
—-#(PL.3, fig. E, larva enlarged eight diameter. F, terminal portion of the 
‘Sess roin above; enlarged 18 dimmetee; a one of the ema See 
cephalothoracic legs of the second pair, showing the epipodus and branchial 
ages, enlarged 20 diameters.) 
