COMMON LOBSTER. 



183 



portion of its exterior, he proceeds to satisfy 

 himself about the interior. For this purpose, he 

 pushes his fore-legs as far into the shell as they 

 will reach, and probes with their assistance every 

 spot that can be touched. If this examination 

 satisfies him, he whisks himself into the shell with 

 such rapidity, that he seems to have been acted 

 upon by a spring. Such a scene as this will not 

 be witnessed in the sea, unless the hermit is 

 forcibly deprived of his shell, as in the cases 

 above mentioned ; but when hermits are placed 

 in a tank or vase, they seem to be rather given to 

 " flitting." 



The crab is not always the sole inhabitant of 

 the protecting shell, for one of the curious worms, 

 called Nereides, is very frequently found in joint 

 possession. The fishermen value the Nereis for 

 bait, and turn out the poor hermits in order to 

 obtain this worm that is concealed within the 

 whelk-shell. 



The Common Lobster (Asfacus marinus) is an 

 example of another order of these creatures, the 

 Macroura, or Long-tailed Crustaceans. The cray- 

 fish, prawns, and shrimps, all belong to this order. 

 The lobsters are usually taken in basket-traps^ 

 after the same manner as the crabs, and when 

 caught th^y are kept in well-boxes, through which 



