28 
HISTORY OF BRITISH CRUSTACEA. 
of a large Spider Crab,^ which had retired to a crevice and 
was resting there, face outwards. The old carapace was 
completely covered with parasitical zoophytes and algae. 
When securing it, he felt the body fall away from the cara- 
pace, and on looking at the Crab, he saw the new carapace 
perfectly formed and coloured, with no marks of injury 
where the slough had parted from it ; the limbs and the 
under parts still remained invested. After being some 
time out of the w^ater, as he carried it home, he covered 
it with its native element, when it seemed very inert and 
exhausted. In a short time he observed the whole of the 
limbs, the abdominal segments, the sternum, and all the 
parts of the mouth to come off entire, being connected by 
the common integuments. He observed the hind legs were 
freed first, and the animal pulled the front pairs out, first 
tugging at one and then at another, as if from boots. Mr. 
Gosse observed that the joints, as they came out, were a 
great deal larger than the cases from which they proceeded. 
The parts had a jelly-like softness when extruded, and 
seemed to be compressed as they were liberated, by the 
fluids being forced back, and returning through their vessels, 
they distended the freed portion of the limb. The branclike 
* Ann. and Mag. N. Hist. 1852. X. n. s. p. 210. 
