ature's energies restoring perfection, and through
a process so extraordinary, without admiration. Something yet remained
to be established: was this perfection permanent, or was it only
temporary? Like its precursor, this specimen was quite tame, healthy,
and vigorous. In 102 days it underwent exuviation, when it appeared
again, perfect as before, with a shell of snowy white, and a little
red speckling on the limbs. Finally, its shell having subsisted 189
days, was succeeded by another of equal beauty and perfection, the
speckling on the legs somewhat increased. As all the shells had
gradually augmented, so was this larger than the others. The extended
limbs would have occupied a circle of four inches diameter. About a
month after this exuviation the animal perished accidentally, having
been two years and eight months under examination. It was an
interesting specimen, extremely tame and tranquil, always coming to
the side of the vessel as I approached, and holding up its little
claws as if supplicating food.'

The shrimp when in confinement becomes very tame, and readily
exuviates. The process is frequent, the integument separates entire,
and is almost colourless. In female crustaceans the roe is placed
outside the shell to which it adheres. During the period of such
adherence, the female crab, so far as observation goes, does not
change its shell--a marked provision of nature to preserve the spawn.

We may remark that other classes of animals exuviate in a similar
manner to the crustaceans. Thus serpents throw off in entire masses
their scaly coverings, even a slough from the eyes; and various
insects in their larva state are continually throwing off and renewing
their skins.

FOOTNOTES:

[2] Report of British Association, 1851. Pp. 120-122.

THE AYAH.

Owing to our constant intercourse with India, there are few among us
who are unacquainted with the word ayah. Some who live in London or
its neighbourhood may perhaps have occasionally met with one of
these sable guardian spirits, conducting one or more pale,
precocious-looking little children to their British friends; or they
may even have fallen in with a group of the tribe in Kensington
Gardens, or other public promenades, escorting their little _babas_,
and herding together, like birds of a feather, attracted by the bonds
and recollections of colour, climate, caste, and language.

Ayah, in the mouth of a lisping baby, is one of the prettiest word