Cancer. APTERA. 



*55 



The crab has two long, and two, or four, 

 fliort antennae, which laft are by fome called 

 palpi. 



Schasffer obferves, that the antennas of the 

 crabs are long and fetaceous (without making 

 mention of the fhorter antennas or palpi) the 

 head united to the thorax, the mouth armed 

 with jaws, and the body covered with a cruft or 

 (hell. 



Geoffroy aflerts, that the head of the Cancri 

 Macrouri or long tailed crabs , is not united with, 

 but diftindt from the thorax ; the fame author 

 numbers the claws among the feet, and calls the 

 fhorter antennae the palpi, as does likewife Sco- 

 poli. 



The Crabs are long-lived, and change their 



cruftaceous fkin every year, which changement 



is not effedted without great difficulty ; the in- 



ftruments of generation are two in number, in 



each fex, and they copulate breaft to breaft, 



refupinata femina ; the female carries her eggs, 



which are exceedingly numerous, in a cluiler 



under her tail. They feed equally upon plants, 



dead and live animals, and frequently the ftrong 



and healthy ones devour fuch as have juft 



changed their fkin, at which time they are weak, 



languifhing, 



