The Republican journal., 1874-09-10
NUMBER 10.
The Lobster.

Prof Whcildon, before the American
Science Congress, gave an interesting
sketch of the lobster. He said:
One of the most interesting peculiaritics
of the lobster is that of shedding its shell,
in common with other crustacea. The
statement is made, and generally believed.
that the lobster sheds its shell, after reach
ing q certain age. annually, and some
fishermen 90 so far as 10 determine the
months of the year when this change of
shell occurs. There are insurmountable
objections to this statement; but as the
sott-sheled Holsters have been so generally
thrown back into the water, observation
has been somewhat limited We believe
we may say that Holsters which have
recently shed their shells are to be found
not in the spring OF summer months alone,
but at all seasons of the year A lobster
fisherman at Portland, in February last,
informed me that he found 400 soft-shelled
Holsters in his last fare, recently brought
in. At the time of shedding the shell the
animals are much reduced in flesh, but
less so than is generally supposed The
new shell OF the lobster is at first a mere
skin, which has been formed under the
Der cloth; like the shell, it becomes red
sometimes make their escape by slipping
out of their shell, but this is simply an
eXaggeration. They have the power of
throwing off claw in case of necessity,
but this is never done at the Joint but by
breaking the shell at particular point in
the small part of the claw Some recent
measurements show the growth of the
lobster In one case the lobster was one
inch and a half longer than the shell Just
left, and the measurement around the
body was three-fourths of an inch longer
than the shell. The change of the she'll is
undoubtedly a necessity OF growth depend
ent upon that and Of course can hardly be
considered rs an annual or even periodic
change without qualification. The process
Of shedding the shell is generally known,
excepting perhaps that relating to the
large claws. The body opens in a straight
line in the length Of the back, while the
tail, legs, and claws are drawn out from
the she'll, leaving it entire, as it has been
called, an ''articulated skeleton" which
is thrown off periodically. In casting
th9ir shells it is hard to conceive how
the Holsters are able to draw the flesh of
their large claws out, leaving the shell
entire and attached TO their body, in
which state they are constantly found
The fishermen say the Holsters pine before
casting, till the flesh Of the large claws is
no thicker than the quill of Il goose, which
enables il to draw its parts through the
joints and narrow passage near the BRINK.
This has long been a puzzle to fishermen
and natrralists Another difficulty in the
case is the presence of a cartilage in the
flesh of the large claw, which does not
shrink
Upon a careful examination Of this sub
iect with the assistance of Mr.. 5. M. John
son, Of Boston, we are able satisfactorily
to explain this apparent difficulty 1t is
found that in that portion of the claw near
the body a part Of the shell decays and
falls out, making sufficient room for the
passage Of the claw The portion of the
shell indicated Is that small smooth part
that lies fiat upon the body. The lines in
dicating this portion are to be distinctly
seen in all Holsters which are approaching .
the period Of shedding the shell. and these
become gradually more distinct until the
part becomes semi-transparent and finally
decays, In Holsters OF the size OF those
brought to market the portion of tn claw
referred to may be covered with thethumb.
The process described is very interesting
and novel