THE LOBSTER. 
205 
of the deep is then a powerful enemy, which they can 
neither escape nor oppose ; and this in fact, is the* time 
when the dog-fish, the cod, and the ray, devour them by 
hundreds. But this state of defenceless imbecility con- 
tinues for a very short time : the animal, in less than two 
nays, is seen to have the skin that covered its body mown 
almost as hard as before ; its appetite is seen to increase • 
and, strange to behold, the first object that tempts its 
gluttony is its own stomach, which it so lately was disen- 
gaged liom. This it devours with great eagerness; and, 
s pine time after, eats even its former shell. In about forty- 
eight hours, in proportion to the animal’s health and 
strength, the new shell is perfectly formed, and as hard as 
that which was but just thrown aside. 
. When the lobster is completely equipped in its new shell, 
u tllen shews how much it has grown in the space of a 
Ver y few days ; the dimensions of the old shell being com- 
pared with those of the new, it will be found that the crea- 
ture is increased above athird in its size; and, like a boy 
iat has outgrown histcloth.es, it seems wonderful how the 
1 eserted shell was able to contain so great an animal as 
entirely fills up the new. 
The creature thus furnished, not only with a complete 
covering, but also a greater share of strength and courage, 
Ve ntures more boldly among the animals at the bottom; ami 
n ot a week passes that in its combats it does not suffer some 
filiation. A joint, or even a whole claw, is sometimes 
napped off in these encounters. At certain seasons of the 
J e ar, these animals never meet each other, without an en- 
gagement. In these, to come off with the loss of a leg, or 
Jen a claw, is considered as no great calamity ; the victor 
Hies oft the spoil to feast upon at his leisure, while the 
'Hi 101 retires from the defeat to wait for a thorough repair. 
^Js repair is not long in procuring. From the place where 
le joint of the claw was cut away, is seen in a most sur- 
P ising manner, to burgeon out the beginning of a new 
a w . This, if observed, at first is small and tender, but 
and WS ’ d ' e space lbree weeks J t0 be almost as large 
for aS P owerful as the old one - VVe say almost as large, 
it never arrives to the full size ; and this is the reason 
n ; tl ^ lei 'ally find the claws of the lobsters of unequal inag- 
extraol ; dlnar y> yet well known animal, there are 
j n ,y varieties, with some differences in the claws, but little 
Ion r ? or conformation. It is found above three feet 
gj and, if we may admit the shrimp and the prawn into 
