NATURAL HISTORY. 
20 1 
trance is but small, and the opening can be easily defended. 
There, without seeming to take any food, they grow larger in 
a few weeks time, from the mere accidental substances which 
the water washes to their retreats. By this time also they 
acquire an hard, linn shell, which furnishes them with both 
offensive and defensive armour. They then begin to issue 
from their fortresses, and boldly creep along the bottom, in 
hopes of meeting with diminutive plunder. The spawn of 
fish, the smaller animals of their own kind, but chiefiy the 
worms that keep at the bottom of the sea, supply them with 
plenty. They keep in this manner close among the rocks, 
busily employed in scratching up the sand with their claws 
for worms, or surprising such heedless animals as fall 
within their grasp : thus they have little to apprehend, ex- 
cept from each other ; for in them, as among fishes, the 
large are the most formidable of all enemies to the small. 
But this life of abundance and security is soon to have a 
most dangerous interruption ; for the body of the lobster still 
continuing to increase, while its shell remains unalterably the 
same, the animal becomes too large for its habitation, and 
imprisoned within the crust that has naturally gathered round 
it there comes on a necessity of getting free. The young of 
this kind, therefore, that grow faster, as we are assured by 
the fishermen, change their shell oftener than the old, who 
come to their full growth, and who remain in the same shell 
often for two years together. In general, however, all these 
animals change their shell once a year ; and this is not only a 
most painful operation, but also subjects them to every dan- 
ger. Just before casting its shell, it throws itself upon its 
back, strikes its claws upon each other, and every limb seems 
to tremble; its feelers are agitated, and the whole body is in 
violent motion : it then swells itself in an unusual manner, 
and at last the shell is seen beginning to divide at its junc- 
tures. It also seems turned inside out ; and its stomach 
comes away with its shell. After this, by the same opera- 
tion, it disengages itself of the claws, which burst at the 
joints; the animal, with a tremulous motion, casting them 
off as a man would kick off a boot that was too big for him. 
Thus, in a short time, this wonderful creature finds itself 
at liberty ; but in such a weak and enfeebled state, that it 
continues for several hours motionless. Indeed, so violent 
arid painful is the operation, that many of them die under 
it ; and those which survive are in such a weakly state for 
some time, that they neither take food, nor venture from 
theta retreats. Immediately after this change, they have not 
only the softness, but the timidity of a worm. Every anima 
