174 



ZOEA. 



a basket and an iron rod hooked at the end. 

 This latter weapon is ever and anon thrust into 

 the holes and clefts of the rock ; and should an 

 unfortunate crab have there concealed himself, he 

 is soon hooked out of his retirement, and, if edible, 

 consigned to the basket. 



The great monsters that are brought to market 

 are mostly caught in sunken baskets, much on 

 the principle of the mousetrap, which permits 

 an animal to enter without any difficulty, but 

 opposes an effectual barrier to his egress. It is 

 not always safe to grope for crabs, unless a com- 

 panion be at hand, for a powerful crab has actually 

 been known to grasp with its claws the hand 

 of its opponent, and to hold him there without 

 the power of moving until a passer-by came to 

 his assistance. Should such a circumstance occur, 

 the best plan for making the animal loosen its 

 hold is said to be by detaching the claw that is 

 unemployed. 



The young of the crab is quite unlike the adult 

 animal, and has been described under the name 

 of Zoea. In this state it is a very quaint-looking 

 creature, is possessed of a long tail, two great 

 eyes, something like those of a diver's helmet, 

 and wears a spike on its throat nearly as long as 

 its entire body. It is no marvel that it has been 



