150 



BOYS AND GIRLS IN BIOLOGY. 



lobster's skin, which is pushed in as you might push 

 in the crown of your soft hat, or as I used to make a 

 pocket in my apron by pushing in a fold of the mus- 

 lin and then pinning together the sides of the fold, 

 leaving an opening at the top for my hand — just so 

 Nature makes the ear-pocket and the other sacs of 



Fig. 129. 



Grains of Sand. 



The Nekve pushing into the Pocket. 



the body. At first the skin is all smooth on the sur- 

 face ; then she pokes a bit of it in wherever she wants 

 a sac, and leaves little openings wherever they are 

 needed. Now I dare say you are wishing to hear about 

 the lobster's " bairns," or little ones. The lobster's 

 eggs, when they are first laid, are covered by a soft, 

 sticky glue, which fastens them to the long hairs, 

 that cover the paddles of the swimmerets under the 

 abdomen. The good mother lobster doubles up her 

 body so that the eggs are all folded inward, safe from 

 harm while they are hatching. Hundreds of eggs are 



