Zoology.'] NATURAL HISTOEY OF VICTOEIA. [Crustacea. 



inches 1 line ; diameter of carapace, 1 inch ; length of carpus, 7 lines ; length of 

 hand, 1 inch 7 lines ; width of hand, 8 lines \ length of inner antennse, 1 inch 4 

 lines ; of outer antennse, 4 inches. 



Reference. — Astacus Ucarinatus (Gray) in Eyre's Australia, v. 1, p. 491, 

 t. 3, f. 2. 



This species grows to six inches in length, from snout to end of 

 tail, and varies considerably in color, some having the body and 

 abdomen dark-olive, others paler or with a yellow tinge, and some 

 are of a dull pale-brown or horn color ; the large anterior pair of 

 claws are always blue with red joints, and the flexible part of the 

 five tail-fins dull-brown. The smaller pairs of legs are blue, or 

 greenish, or whitish in different living individuals. These are 

 eaten in great numbers by the aborigines, and by some other 

 people who like them. They are commonly known about Mel- 

 bourne by the native name of Yabber or Yabbie. 



This species does not seem to inhabit the flowing rivers or 

 streams, but is abundant in the quarry-holes and swamps round 

 Melbourne, and in most waterholes in the colony, doing great 

 damage to dams and reservoirs from burrowing holes through the 

 banks. The individuals live for a long time underground in their 

 burrows after the pools of water on the surface have dried up. I 

 can find no difference between the specimens from the swamps 

 of the Murray district on our northern boundary and those near 

 Melbourne. 



Explanation of Figures. 



Plate 29. — Fig. 1, average specimen, natural size. Fig. la, rostrum and top of head, 

 viewed from above, showing basal joints of both sorts of antennae, with the large outer basal 

 scale of external ones. Fig. lb, claw, viewed from the inner side. Fig. lc, tail-flaps, viewed 

 from above. 



Frederick McCoy. 



[46] 



