158 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



moth a rest on a tree trunk, which we recognise as Selina illustraria ; and 

 this pale grey noctua we find asleep on an oak tree is Cymatophora diluta. 

 Now leaving the wood we will go through this meadow, and ascending a 

 gently sloping hill, we behold not a great way off — " The sea ! the sea ! the 

 glorious sea ! " lying placid as a lake in the hot August sun. Half-an- 

 hour's walk across meadows and a sandy dune, where butterflies are 

 fluttering about in the hot sunshine, brings us down to the beach, Numbers 

 of green shore crabs [Caroinas mcenas) are running about on the wet sands 

 from which the tide has just receded. We secure one or two for the aquarium, 

 where they make very amusing pets, and are readily tamed, soon becoming 

 on familiar terms with their owner. I feed them on fresh scraped meat or a 

 small earthworm or two, and they soon get to look for food from my hands. 

 They require very shallow water, and like the aquarium so arranged that they 

 can leave the water altogether when they choose. Like all Crustacea they 

 exuviate their shells at intervals until they are full-grown. For some days 

 before this takes place they refuse all food and are then extremely irritable. 

 When a number are kept together it is advisable to separate from their com- 

 panions those which are evidently about to moult, or they will run the 

 greatest risk of being killed when soft and helpless. It is a singular circum- 

 stance that a crab, which before its moult is deficient in a claw or a leg, will 

 afterwards be found to possess the normal number. I had a crab once which 

 came off second best in a combat with another of his species, and in the fight 

 lost both his claws and three of his legs. Until the time of his moult he 

 lived a miserable cripple with only five legs, but he used two of them to put 

 food into his mouth. When he had exuviated, lo and behold ! he had his 

 full complement of limbs ! It seems marvellous that they should be so sud- 

 denly renewed ; had they budded and gradually grown again in the manner 

 they are popularly supposed to do when lost, it would not have been so sur- 

 prising.* 



This little pool left by the retiring tide seems full of life. We can see the 

 shrimps settling themselves down in the sand, and there seems any number 

 of the familiar crustaceans. Shrimps will do very well in captivity fed on 

 scraped beef, but they do not thrive in a vase; they are best kept in a broad 

 shallow pan half filled with sea sand, and with just sufficient water to cover 

 them. I keep mine in very shallow water, not more than an inch deep in 

 the deepest part, and shallowing towards one end where the sand is only just 

 covered. Arranged thus they live for many months ; I believe the natural 



My experience of crabs, &c, losing and renewing their limbs, is that after the 

 first moult the new claw is not so large as before, but after another moult or so it attains 

 its full size. I have alsg noticed them in a state of nature with a small claw.— J.E.R. 



