46 
Astacus for the crayfishes and Homarus for the lobsters, it is 
hoped that this needless source of misunderstanding will be 
eventually removed.” 
The mystery of the Cape Lobster is thus cleared up, but it 
may be another half century or more before its habits and 
development are thoroughly investigated, as it is a very rare 
species, and is not even known to Cape Fishermen. 
Only three species of the true lobster are at present known, 
and may without any doubt be included under the name 
Homarus or the trade term “ Lobster.” All are distinguished 
by their very large first legs. These are (1) the lobster found 
in America (H. americanus), (2) the lobster found in Europe 
(H. gammarus or vulgaris, to use a more familiar name), and 
(3) the lobster found in South Africa (H.’capensts). 
The only drawings of the Cape Lobster are an early one 
by Herbst, which is somewhat crude, and a later one, which 
1s more accurate, by Milne-Edwards, published 15 years after 
his description (Ann. Sc. Nat. Zoologie Ser. 3, Vol. XV, 1837). 
The accompanying figure will give a general idea of the 
appearance of the animal. 
There is one other lobster-like crustacean in South African 
seas. It was found off the Natal coast in about 400 fathoms 
by the “ Pieter Faure,” and is not known to occur in shallower 
water. It is allied to the so-called Norwegian Lobster found 
in Europe. Both differ from true lobsters in having the first 
legs of a smaller size. It is called Nephropsis atlantica, and 
is known from elsewhere in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. 
It is at present of no direct economic value. 
CRAWFISH OR SPINY LOBSTER. 
The Cape Crawfish is the most important representative of 
this group in South Africa. It is known in South Africa under 
several names, such as Crayfish, Crawfish and Kreeft, the 
last being a name of a similar animal well known in Holland. 
All of these names have been derived from other countries 
where a similar fish is well known. The name Crayfish in 
England is usually applied to a small lobster-like animal found 
in fresh waters in Europe and elsewhere, but not in South 
Africa. To avoid confusion between the fresh water form 
and the marine form the latter is more accurately described 
as the “Sea Crayfish’? or “ Crawfish.” The Dutela namie 
* Kreeft,” like the name “Crayfish,” is also applied locally 
both to the fresh water and marine forms, but a distinction 
is also often drawn, the former being termed the “ Rivier 
Kreeft ’” and the latter the “See Kreeft.””> The French make 
the distinction still more accurate by using the term 
‘““Langouste ”’ for the marine form, and this name is also 
frequently used in Holland for the animal by the more educated 
classes. On account of its superficial resemblance to the 
lobster it has also been termed the “Spiny Lobster,” by 
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