Some Farther Observations on the Cancer Major; Communicated in a Letter to Mr. Kleine,Secretary of Dantzick, by Mr. Peter Collinson, F. R. S.Author(s): Peter CollinsonSource: Philosophical Transactions (1683-1775), Vol. 47 (1751 - 1752), pp. 40-42Published by: The Royal SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/105021 .

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VIII. Soze farther ObWersations on the Carl- v * > * cer maJor; commvazcated r a Letter to

Mr. Kleine, Secretar of DantzickX by Mr. Peter Collinfon, F. R. S.

My dear friend, London, Jan. I. I750.

ReadJan 24. /t S you feem to doubt, that crabs and

I 75o. lobllers caIt or Ihed their ShellsX tho'

I am certain it is fa& and truth, I atn defirous yo Ihould be fatisfied from undoubted accounts, whicl I have procured from my couf1n Cooke, whe lives in the Ille of Wight, where crabs are ln great plenty, and the fiShernzen rery honeI} people, whom lac has known many years, and from whom and his own obServations is colleded the following account.

That the cvncer tnajor, and all fpecies of crffis cai} their Ihells, is certain; but at what feafon of the year, or how-freqllently, is not exadly-to be de- termined; but it is belieared to be annually at the be_ ginnin, of the funlmer, fooner or later, according to the greater or leISer Itrength of the Grab

If you osofervc the Ihell of this creature, you will fee in the under part a future in the form of a cre- fcent, whi$h retains a part of the Ihell of the iame figllre. At the time of caRing the old IhellX this fu- ture opens, and leaves a fpace fufficient for drasving out the whole body; after which the thoranc drops its breaIt-plate, and then the legs quit their cruIla- ceous cover1ngs.

The carcafe xiow is left inveloped vfith a foft Skin like wet parchmclit. Irl this helplefs Itate it is inca

yable

[ 4° ]

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- % z

E 4I 3 pable of moving but-lies at the bottom af tlle fea, betwcserl the rocks) until ivs new slaell scqllires a fuf- ficieilt hardnefs and consxlA;ence} fit for its defence, and scs limbs grow Rrong enough-tv bear its weight, and carryS it at>out, to perfoim its nccefl ary fisndcions; whilil the eId: lhell is left in tuto pastts1 that, which cover'd vlle body, in olle, ap(l tllat, wlwich cover'd the bresIt al^l Iegs, in another.

It happWrss fometitnes, that the Ihell halubns pre_ nzaturely. In this cafe, the potlr animal is made a pri- foner, being fo cramped, that he cannot difengage hin}felffrom his hiding-place, till found Xby the fifficr- men, and fet at liberty by moving the ftones from about him.

It is furpvifing to conf-lder,- how 9 creature can live long confined without any aliment, and yet increafe in its dimenfions. Etut that the crab will fubfiIt without a fenfible decay sn the fiIhermens pen-pots *, for the fpace of fome months, is verty certain.

The more healthy and- thriving a (rab is the more frequently he caRs his Ihell But, ifihe becomes fi1ckly, and etatting, the old Ihell lemains on him, until fuch time as he recovers Arength arld vigour to caS it.

VVhen tlle fithernaen take a cralo, that is not. in a good condition, they return it into the Sea3 and otten mark it on the back with a Iharp-pointed iron, or top of a knife ; and: this mark not only remairls o1z the old Ihelln as long as it corstinues on, but is foulld in the fame manner impreSsXd ol ferrated on the nesv.

F Ihell >

* Thefe are cages in the fea, made with willo-ttigs to keep the crabs in.

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[ 42 ] Eell; a very flrange ani furpr;sing phanomenony but I an afl*ured it is faft.

If a crab receives a fmall wound in the very ex- tremity of the claw, he generally bleeds to death} or pines awty by Row and infenfible leaking of the vital mooRure.

]3ut if Ae receives any conSi-derable wound or hurta that gives him pain, he inRantly throws offthe offend- ing m*nbera and all is fafe (-as I have obfierved in a former account) and a new -limb foon icceeds tomake u again perfc&* The leg is always thrown off at the Ame joint; the blood is {topp'd by the membrane, thae lines that trtwicalation, coIltrading itfelf in the brm of a purfe.

If a cr5 be brought near the fire, -he throws -off the lep, which fieel a painfil heatt

In like manrser if a crab be thrown into hot water, i caflcs off all his legs together. For which rea;- fO} W1RenF they areo to be bolled, they pu-t them into the pc>t in coAd waterX and let it warm very nowly, until the creature gradually die.

Thefe, my dear frienda are-the principal remark ables, relating to thi$ anivma1; whsch being added-to thofe, which fome time ago you deliverXd to the }wa1 Socicty, and publiffied in their TranEadrionsa will go ptetty far in the -natgal hiSory of thxs won- derful animal.

l amX my dear friend, with much refpeEt andeIleemy - Your affedrionate friendX

P Collinfon. The lobflcer caRs his &ell much in the fame manner

as the river crayfi, which are a fpecses of freSh water lobe£S

IX.

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