The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-09-28

Crabs are to Holsters what the Iiue Flag is to
the Aag7 lOri Ledgel-the same thing only with
mo continued NilS." Cuvier, the French natur-
| alist, calls them the short-tailed Holsters, and
distinguishes the lobster proper the long-tail-
ed lobster. The principal difference is in the
length and structure of that member. If you are
an eater of Holsters you will be thankful for the
VARIATION. for the most available flesh is in the
fail, which i, ,tii. more interesting to the anao
mist for its complex structure the muscles max
ing a curious network, crossing in ever direction.
to give the necessary variety to the movement of
that organ and its appendages The tail is
sheacle2 in scale armour, OF which the lobster is
probably the Oldest wearcr-six horny rings,
armed with sharp points at the termination of
the upper arch and III the center OF the lower,
and so beautifully Joined that one plays into
another with great ease, but let little fingers be.
ware OF getting caught among their thorns when
tn lobster rolls up his tail for leap. Fastened
to the lower segment of the rings little hairy
swimmers or false feet ON which the female
lobster CLUES her eggs and carries them till they
are Matched. You will see them, like the fine
clusters of the read beads, on the boiled lobster
You fancy, perhaps, that thesplendor of the shell
OF the boiled lobster is his bad re of seaman ship
the red shirt; but he does not wear it upon or
binary occasions 1t is the gay dress he puts on
i'll which 10 appear in society, while his home
suit is OF dark green, touched with a dull red
here and there. Hot water brings out his beauty,
as aihicticn does the character of a saint
Feeders on Holsters are warned against the fatal
charms of some mysterious ''lady," found in his
head, they say, rather loosely. But the lady
is not 50 attractive as TO be dangerous and per-
haps not dangerous in itself if it were attractive;
and it is not found in the head. 1t is simply the
stomach placed in an economical nearness to the
mouth; for the lobster is greedy eater, and
very far from select III his choice of meat A sort
of bony framework. peculiar to this crustacean,
keeps che stomach diStended even when empty.
On these ribs are five teeth, by which the vora-
cous lobster Is enabled to chew his meat after he
has swallowed tan arrangement that would be
invaluable to our hasty feeders, who bolt their
food and run. The membrane of the stomach
dlstended by these original ''hoops," and some
| what wrinkled, forms the dress of the "lady;''
and where the ribs Of this queer skeleton meet,
the bony knob makes her head; and the poison
is in the contents of the stomach, as well it may
be, for the lobster feeds on every dead thing he
| can lay his five pairs of jaws to Jaws. | say
but | might say feet for to the oddly of having
his ribs in his stomach, and his teeth his ribs,
he adds that OF having five six pairs of legs in
his mouth. From their use and place we call
them jaws; but from their structure and success
sion they to be continuation of the series
OF feet.
The Holsters eyes are complex, or composed of
many lenses, each perfect organ of vision. They
are hard and horny without, and put at the ends
of two iointed fingers, which he runs out of the
window OF his head when he wishes to look about
him, but when he sees danger ahead, he pulls
them In and stores them away behind thorny
beam. which projects where his nose should be.
Like fishes, the lobster breathes through glls.
The single, broad band of plate armor that covers
his body comes down and forms protection for
the glils, under its projecting caves. This keeps
them from drying up in the sun, and unables
him to live long while out of water. In com.
mon with crabs OF all kinds, the lobster has a
trick OF thrawing off his legs just when boy
would be for taking to his, that is when he gets
caught. This is done neatly MT the Joint nearest
the body; and after few days, without q drop
OF restorative or invigorator, Il new member
sprouts, and soon replaces the Oil one IT, as
Darwin would say, we have all been Holsters,
what pity that in the progress Of the species
this knack should DC numbered among the lost
arts.-Gao'ye 5. Bwleiyh, in sour Beys and On,
GrtS."