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and the tail is jointed. There are eighty- 
seven species of the cancer, distinguished 
principally by the length of their tails, and 
the margin of their breasts. The following 
are the most remarkable : 
1. Cancer astacus, or the craw-fish, with 
a projecting snout slightly serrated on the 
sides; a smooth thorax; back smooth, with 
two small spines on each side ; claws large, 
beset with small tubercles; two first pair of 
legs clawed, the two next subulated ; tail con- 
sisting of five joints ; the caudal fins rounded. 
It inhabits many of the rivers in England, 
lodging in holes which they form in the 
clayey banks. 
2. Cancer atomos, atom lobster, with a 
slender body ; filiform antennae ; three pair 
of legs near the head ; beyond are three pair 
of legs, and a slender tail between the last 
pair. It is very minute, and the help of the 
microscope is often necessary for its inspec- 
tion. 
3. Cancer crangon, the shrimp, with long 
slender feelers, and between them two pro- 
jecting laminae ; claws with a single, hooked, 
moveable fang. It inhabits the shores of Bri- 
tain in vast quantities. 
4. Cancer stagnalis, is found generally in 
small shallow pools of rain water, and is very 
transparent. The head of the male is armed 
with fangs ; the tail of the female is fur- 
nished with a bag of eggs at the base. See 
Plate Nat. Hist. fig. 78. 
5. Cancer diogenes, soldier crab, or her- 
mit crab, with rough claws ; the left claw is 
the longest. This species is parasitic, and 
inhabits the empty cavities of turbinated 
shells, changing its habitation according to 
its increase of growth from the small nerite 
to the large whelk. They crawl very fast 
with the shell on their back, and at the ap- 
proach of danger draw themselves within the 
shell, and, thrusting out the larger claw, will 
pinch very hard whatever molests them. 
When it wants to change its shell, it travels 
along that line of pebbles and shells which is 
formed by the extremest wave ; still, how- 
ever, dragging its old incommodious habi- 
tation at its tail, unwilling to part with one 
shell, even though a troublesome appendage, 
till it can find another more convenient. It 
is seen stopping at one shell, turning it, and 
passing it by ; going on to another, contem- 
plating that for a while, and then slipping its 
tail from its old habitation to try on the new : 
if this also is found to be inconvenient, it 
quickly returns to its old shell again. It is 
not till after many trials, and many combats 
also, that the soldier is completely equipped; 
for there is often a contest between two of 
them for some well-looking favourite shell for 
which they are rivals. When this animal is 
taken, it sends forth a feeble cry, endeavour- 
ing to seize the enemy with its nippers ; 
which if it fastens upon, it will sooner die 
than quit the grasp. See Plate Nat. Hist, 
fig. 110. 
6. The slrigosus, or plated lobster, with a 
pyramidal spiny snout ; thorax elegantly 
plated, each plate marked near its junction 
with short stria? ; only three legs spiny on 
their sides ; tail broad. The largest of tins 
species is about six inches long. It inhabits 
the coasts of Anglesea. See Plate Nat. Hist, 
fig. 109* 
' 7. Cancer gammarus, the common lob- 
ster, inhabits the rocky shores of our island, 
CAN 
but chiefly where there is a depth of water. 
In Llyn in Caernarvonshire a certain small 
lobster, nothing different except in size, 
burrows in the sand. Lobsters fear thunder, 
and are apt to cast their claws on a great 
clap: it is said that they will do the same on 
the firing of a great gun ; and that, when 
men of war meet a lobster-boat, a jocular 
threat is used, that if the master does not sell 
them good lobsters, they will salute him. 
I'his species inhabits the clearest water, at 
the foot of rocks that impend over the sea ; 
which has given opportunity of examining 
more closely into the natural history of the 
animal, than of many others who live in an 
element, that in a great measure limits the 
inquiries of the most inquisitive. Some lob- 
sters are taken by hand ; but the greater quan- 
tity in pots, a sort of trap formed of twigs, 
and baited with garbage. They are formed 
like a wire mouse-trap, so that when the 
lobster gets in, it cannot return. Lobsters 
begin to breed in spring, and continue breed- 
ing most part of the summer. Dr. Baster 
says he counted 12,444 oggs under the tail, 
besides those that remained in the body un- 
protruded. They deposit those eggs in the 
sand, where they are soon hatched. Lob- 
sters change their shells annually. They ac- 
quire an entire new coat in a few days ; but 
during the time that they remain defenceless, 
they seek some very lonely place, for fear of 
being devoured by such of their brethren as 
are not in the same situation. It is remark- 
able, that lobsters and crabs renew their 
claws, when accidentally torn off; and they 
grow again in a few weeks, though they 
never attain to the size of the first. They 
are very voracious animals, and feed on sea- 
weeds, garbage, and all sorts of dead bodies. 
Though the ova are cast at all seasons, they 
seem only to come to life in July and Au- 
gust. Great numbers of them may then be 
found, in the form of tadpoles, swimming 
about the little pools left by the tides among 
the rocks, and many also under their proper 
form from half an inch to , four inches in 
length. In casting their shells, it is hard to 
conceive how the lobster is able to draw the 
flesh of their large claws out, leaving the shells 
entire and attached to the shell of their body, 
in which state they are constantly found. 
The fishermen say, the lobster pines before 
casting, till the flesh of its large claw is no 
thicker than the quill of a goose, which en- 
ables it to draw its parts through the joints 
and narrow passage near the trunk. The 
new shell is quite membranaceous at first, 
but hardens by .degrees. Lobsters only grow 
in size while their shells are in their soft state. 
They are chosen for the table, by their being 
heavy in proportion to their size ; and by 
the hardness of their shells on their sides, 
which, when in perfection, will not yield to 
moderate pressure. 
8. Cancer granulates,, or rough-shelled 
crab : these crabs are pretty large, and are 
commonly taken from the bottom of the sea 
in shallow water ; the legs are small in pro- 
portion to the body ; the two claws are re- 
markably large and" flat. The whole shell is 
covered over with innumerable little tuber- 
cles like shagreen; the colour is brown va. 
riously stained with purple. 
9. Cancer grapsus, or the red mottled 
crab, lias a round body, the legs longer and 
larger than in other kinds ; the claws are red, 
and the rest of the animal is mottled in a 
beautiful manner with red and white. These 
crabs inhabit the rocks hanging over tire sea; 
they are the nimblest of all crabs, and run 
with surprising agility along the upright 
side of a rock, and even under the rocks that 
hang horizontally below the water. This 
they are often obliged to do for escaping 
the assaults of rapacious birds that pursue 
them. 
10. Cancer horridus, the horrid crab, with 
a projecting bifurcated snout, the end di- 
verging ; with the claws and legs covered 
with long and very sharp spines, it is a large 
species, and inhabits the rocks on the eastern 
coasts. See Plate Nat. Hist. fig. 111. 
1 1. Cancer locusta, the locust lobster, with 
four antenna; ; two pair of imperfect claws; 
the first joint ovated ; the body consists of 
fourteen joints. It abounds, in summer, on 
the shores, beneath stones and alga:, and 
leaps about with vast agility. 
12. Cancer mamas, the common crab, with 
three notches on the front; five serrated 
teeth on each side; claws ovated ; next joint 
toothed ; hind feet subulated. It inhabits 
all our shores ; lurks under the alga;, or bur- 
rows under the sand. 
13. Cancer pagurus, or the black-clawed 
crab, with a cremated thorax ; smooth bod \ ; 
smooth claws and black tips ; hind feet su- 
bulated. It inhabits the rocky coasts ; is 
very delicious meat, and casts "its shell be- i 
tween Christmas and Easter. 
14. Cancer pisum, the pea crab, -with 
rounded and smooth thorax, entire and blunt; 
with a tail of the size of the body, which, 
commonly is the bulk of a pea. It inhabits 
the muscle, and on that account has been 
deemed poisonous ; but the swelling after 
eating is wholly constitutional. 
13. Cancer pulex, the Ilea lobster, with 
five pair of legs, and two daws, imperfect ; 
and twelve joints in the body. It is very i 
common in fountains and rivulets; swims 
very swiftly-in an incurvated posture on its ] 
back; embraces and protects its young be-] 
tween the legs ; does not leap. 
16. Cancer ruricola, the land crab, or vio- j 
let crab, with a smooth entire thorax, and 
the two last joints of the feet armed with ] 
spines. It inhabits the Bahama islands, as 
'veil as most lands between the tropics. (See ] 
PI. Nat. Hist. fig. 112.) These animals live 
not only in a kind of orderly society in the re- I 
treats in the mountains, but regularly once a 
year march down to the sea-side in’ a body ' 
of some millions at a time. As they multiply ] 
in great numbers, they choose the month of 
April or May to begin their expedition ; and ] 
t lien sally out by thousands from the stumps I 
ot hollow trees, from the clefts of rocks, and | 
from the holes which they dig for themselves 
under the surface of the earth. At that time 
the whole ground is covered with this band i 
of . adventurers ; there is no setting down ■ 
one’s foot without treading upon them. The i 
sea is their place of destination, and to that 
they direct their march with right-lined pre- ] 
cision. No geometrician could send them 
to their destined station by a shorter course ; ’ 
they neither turn to the right nor left, what- ‘ 
ever obstacles intervene ; and even if they 
meet w'itli a house, they will attempt to scale 
the walls to keep the unbroken tenor of their 
way. But though this is the general order 
ot their route, they, upon other occasions. 
