Some Observations on the Cancer Major, by Mr. Peter Collinson, F. R. S.Author(s): Peter CollinsonSource: Philosophical Transactions (1683-1775), Vol. 44 (1746 - 1747), pp. 70-74Published by: The Royal SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/104781 .

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[7o ]

*X:LV. SosBte Obyyervvzios on the Cancer Maje7r3, Zy Mr. Peter Collinforl, Fa R. S.

Ateoupoz t in the IJle of Zighz, 7uly I, t 745 . ReanP Feb. 20. T N ridillg abollt tllis pleafant Itland, to fee X 74s -6. 1 wllat was curious, or lnay dclcrve a Tra- teller's NoticeX l vifited a little Pari(h calld Crab-Kigh- tan, which probably 11as its additiollal Name fiolll tlle l'lenty of Crabs found oll this CQatt. What Intelligcllcc I llave gainsd froln tlle FiMermen, and my own sxpe- rience on tlle Nzature and Faculties of this Atlill)al, I illall carefully relate.

Tlle Cancer AIajor or largeflc S.pecies of Crab, 11ave tl<cir chief Abe?de froln tsarenty to forty Fatllonl Wa- ter; they herd togethcr in di(tituEt Tribgs; and 11avc tlleir repatatC tiaUllts fol Feedillg alld lJrcedillg, and xzzill not affiociate with their Neigllbours. I his Plas been carefully tried, by taking a Crab, alld marking its Shell, and carryilzg it two or three Milcs Di{tatlce, and leaving it amougA tlle fatne Species ¢ This Crab has found its Way back to its old Home, and has been caught by the farne Fitherlllcll tilat carried ic.

The fnalle{t Crab tllat cotnes to Hand is about the Size of a ClleRnut; the full-grown fcven Pounds Weight, but there 11as been one caugllt tllat weigll'd twelvc Pounds. Tl<-t 13ait is FleS, or Pieces of Skait, or fmall Shark, of nvllicil lle cats but little. The Fi{hermen all agree, tllc Crab rill live confincd in tlle Pot or BaslQet fomeNlontlasX without any Food but xvllat is collcEted fron1 thc Sea-water, alld aot decreafie in N\rcight. Tlle Differelnce of Sex is very

coll fpicuous7

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t 71 2 confipicuolls, and they are vcly prolific; bllt 1 could procure no certain Accot: lat of tilcir Way of Coalplingg nor in WllAt Titu e tllet attained tO full Growth.

Once a Year, likc thc IJOI)Rer, they loNe or caft tlleir Sllells. AgainR this cxtraordinary Chan£:e, thcy cAloofe a clofe and well-f2v:llred Retreat ilo tlle Casritcs of Rocks, atld under grcat Stolles: Tllere tllcy crs:cp in, and wait, until, by degrees, tile Pares are difell^; gaged; wthich is effeEtcd by withdrawin^, tlleir Legs from tlleir old Sllells, leaving them, and the llpper Part of their Body Shcll bellind.

In this naked State they rnake a very odd Appear- ance, being all ill-{hapen Lump of Jelly-like Subllance, which gradually llardens into a Sllell a Size larger tllan the old one : For tllis is tlue Way of Growtfi appointed for this Animalo and others of tlle cruRa ceous Species. ---TlleSe Hitlts I colledred from People of good Charadter whoSe Etnploy was always among& thenz.

But now I {hall relate fomething to this Soreety more wonderful, of my oYvn Knowledge, which I llope may be worthy their Attention, being one of the mo{c filrpriSug 'Phinomena in Nature; which is, Tllat this large Species of (;rab 11as a Powrer in itfielf voluntarily to crack and break its own Legs or Claws, and drop tllem of.

The ReproduEtion of the Legs-of Craw-filh has been mention'd in the H*iJ?ory of the Royal Jaadern*/y of Scienres, with fome juA Remarks about the Growtls of tlleSe Creatures Shells; but I don't know any Writer has taken noticc of thls ftrange Event of thG Crab.

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[ 72 ] blr. Benjatnin Cook) at Neta;pDrt in thc IZe of

M^Dt, a wrorthy Mclmler of tllis Socxety} told lne of tilis inarsellous PlSoperty in tlle Great Ctab; lealt I could not comprelleed it, tIntil I faxv tlle LExperimellt tried oll two Crales; rllcn I nvas foon collvinced of tllc Trutb of theFa&; for, ill a fesv Mitlutes, tlle Lcgs all dropp'd off one after anotllert

rthis tlue C.rab will do ill any PoWttion; balt tlle catReI:t Mcthod is to lay it oll its ]3ack atld tllen take a Pair of {irollg iron Pinccrs and !)reak vlle Sluell, and laraile the Fle{h of tlle vllilXd or fourtllJoint of its fulall Leg: After it has tcceived thc Hurt7 it blecil3, and gives Sigll of PainX by lmovitlg its Leg frolll Side to Side; ltllt aRerwatds Ilolds it quitc Rill, in a ctileA and natural PofitionX vitluollt toucllinD arly Part of ils Body, or its otllel Legs, with it. Tllcll ol1 a fudw slen3 xvith a gentle Crack, tlle woullded Part of tll& Leg drops off at tile Sce:ond Joillt, or Internodiaw) - fto1w its Body ; t12t as onc fees vlle Neck of a Retort fcparatc, w}lerg it 11as lJecn lacated ly a led-llot iroll Rin;,, otl ttle Applicatiotl of col<1 \NTatcr. Tlle great Leas are caflc off in the fatme lllanner, 1)ut are not fO eafily laid lleld on as thc rmall olles.

Tbote tIlat havc llOt fCCIl tlliS WOlldCrfU} OpCratiOlt ay reaSollaluly colzcludc) tllat tlle L2g is caLt out of

itS Joitlt or Socket s balt it iS quite otllcrtife; for it cracks and ltrcaks oflf in tllc linootheR Part of the Joitlt, and the lli1ll of tlle Body-SIlell is llo-svays atfEal1t to it.

To try svllat I;Med;t InctcaCc of Paill nvoalld 11avc in this Work, a iinall Hole was picrccd in tIae areat Legs, alld then a poilltcd I1*oll xnas pllt in to laccrate tlue inslofed Mufcle: TIle ConScqllcacc was anfwcro

able

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r 74 ] It is reafonable to conclude, rllat this svone;lerfut

Tactllty, is givcn to the CCl^ab for xvifc EllCtS ant1 Pur^- polcs xvllicll rill esZidelltly appear svhcll tile Nature of ellis Allilual is betrcr knonvll.

flle Crabs are natl^ally very qua£relfollle7 ancl witl thci^ ,rcat Legs or Cla\vs figlut and lrill olle aloothcr: \&tith tllelll they catcll hold of tlacir AdsterEary's Legsa aIlcA vvllatevelo tlley Seize, thcy firongly retain for a long wllile: There is no eScapitlg tlleir cruel Foe, but by volutltarily leaving a Part of tlle Leg bellind, ill Tokcn of ViEtoly; but the principal End for wllich tllis is done, is tllc faving tlae Life of the Conquer'd; for when tlley are bittell and bruifed, and cannoc break off that Limb, - they foon bleed tO Death.

The Fithernzen {hewsd an Experilnent, to give vIS fome Idea of the tenacious DifpoSition of tllis Crea- ture, by obliging a Crab nvitll its ^,reat Clanv tO lAy hold of a finall one: Tlle filly Creature did not dil: tinguinl that itSelf was tlle Aggreffior; but exerted its Strength, and foon crack'tl the Shell of itS 0NVI1 flllall LegX and itlJled freely; btlt, feeling itSelfnvoulldcdX to fave its Life required a Powver peculiar to itSclf tQ break of rllat Li1nb in the uflal Place; xvllicll it pre- Sently eSeded, and held faA for a long tilrle tlle broke Part in itS great Claw: NVIlicll evidently {hesvs, that tlliS Creattlre retains whatever it lays 11olds oll, and, wllen overcome by its EnenlyX ranfotus itS Life at the Expellce of a LimbJ

xv

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