Delaware State journal and statesman., 1869-07-06
Curiosities of the Lobster.
LFrom tbe proyidenee Journall

From the Providence journal
II has been ascerained that artificial ie-
cundation and breeding can be effected with
some crustacsd As easily as with fish.
The eggs OF a female lobster are taken ana
placed in water-lrough, and the seed OF
the male strewed over them; they are then
carefully attended TO, aud nourished upon
such substances as observation or expert
mcnt prescribes. This is the fundamental
principle of rearing crusidced.
NJ. Etienno Leguillous sent TO the Jdrdth
des Plants some young Holsters barrel ''hs7
ed from the eggs. After the space ., eigGtt
days these ldTqD change their skins or mouit
for the first tinll; at two months old their
change of form becomes very evident; at the
age OF three months the large claws which
characterize The lobster begin to show them
selves, and al six months old the lranslor-
nation is complete. These creatures nave
then the form Of the adult lobster.
Lobsters, in d9mmon with most crustdce-
ans, possess thd faculty Of reproduction to
great extent; ifaelaw be torn eli u IS re-
newed, and If injured the animal VIII some
times throw ii of Of its own accord. ANY
violent shock to the nervous system Will
likewise cause this Hence, if lobster be
thrown into boiling water, 1t will frequently
throw of its large claws.
The regenerative force decreases as the
animal organism becomes more complicated
| Hence, II you cut polyp into tive, three,
four or a hundred pieces, each fragment
will become q new animal. II Il worm be
divided trdnspersely, each section becomes a
new worm. Ascending still higher-to lob
sters and fish-the exterior parts OF the body
can alone be thus regeneratedi and 1t has
been shown that when the tails of lizards
n class still higher-are cut of, the new tail
does not always possess the whole number
of yertebral bones; in other terms, the re-
generation is incomplete. In animals with
warm blood the regenerative faculty is
greatly diminished, but still exists even in
man himself But the same force which in
man forms the scar of wound, or heals The
stump after amputation, will with lizards
reproduce tail, with Holsters claw, with
polyps the whole body.
The mouth of the lobster, like that oil in
. secls, opens the long way OF the body, moi
| crossways, as in man. It is furnished will
: two teeth; but as these are not sufficient, il
: has three more in lis stomach. The latte
E were formerly used in medicine under thu
[ pompOus name OF 0cuB; cdnc0ruHl, the yeu.
4 d'ecreUisses OF the French, instead oil carbO-
r nate of maguesia. The lobster sheds il
J. shell in all probability once IN year AM
e then retires under a rock or in hole unit
n the new skin is again covered with soil
,s crust. While thus deprived OF its har
e | covering, lnB lobhlel ptCOhNo Hh SNs9 piS
Ii to most Of the inhabitants OF the deep, an
's even to its own species; so that incredibl
e numbers perish annually from this crcum
,s stance alone upon our coasts. Under watt
Ie these curious creatures run swiftly upo
d their feet, and when alarmed spring lro
twenty to thirty feet as rapidly as bird ca
1t fly. ,
ID Very young Holsters seek refuge in Il
ie clefls of rocks, and in holes or creylces
or the bottom OF the sea- There, without seen
is ing to take any food, they grow large in
n few weeks time, beng nourished upon 4
ct various matters which the water washes
to to their retreats. When their shell is col
sy pletely formed, they become bolder, lea
re- The rocks and creep along the bottom
lie search of prey They live chiefly upon
K spawurof fish, the smaller crustacea, mari
mo- worms, &c. All these facts must be Dor
IA in mind D. lhossNwho nnleriaso le n
n them aTtificialy.