ail curled
up.]

But there are some relatives of the crab which come into the world still
earlier, and these in the early stages have a still more un-crab-like
shape which is known as the _nauplius_ stage of growth.

[Illustration: Fig. 6.--Full-grown Crab, upper side, with tail
unfolded.]

The crab, on leaving the egg, enters the world not in the form of a
Nauplius, but as a 'Zoea,' as it is called; this is shown in figs. 1 and
2. By the time the stage shown in figs. 3 and 4 is reached, he has
attained the dignity of what is known among scientific men as the
_megalopa_ stage. What a nauplius looks like you will see in fig. 8.

[Illustration: Fig. 7.--Lobster.]

This curious order of things is true, however, only of salt-water
members of the crab-tribe. With certain near relatives of the crabs and
lobsters which have taken up their residence in fresh water, a different
order of things prevails, for here we find some trace of maternal care.
Thus, in the fresh-water crayfish the young not only leave the egg in a
much more advanced stage, but they are carefully carried about by the
mother, until they have learned to shift for themselves, which they do
in a very few days. During this time they cling to the swimming legs of
the parent by means of their pincers. When all is quiet they drop off
one by one, and crawl about to gather experience and food. But at the
least sign of danger the mother appears to give some note of warning,
and in a moment they have scuttled back, and fastened hold of her
skirts, so to speak; then, if need be, she hurries off to a place of
safety. At this time these little crayfish are very tiny indeed; but to
get an idea of what they look like, and how they hold on, look at fig.
9, which gives a picture of the swimming foot of a mother crayfish, and
two of her youngsters hanging on to it.

[Illustration: Fig. 8.--Nauplius.]

[Illustration: Fig. 9.--Swimming Foot of Crayfish, with the young ones
attached.]

It would seem that this great care is necessary, because in the
swift-running streams where these creatures generally live, their young,
if uncared for during their early days, would be swept away by the tide
and carried out to sea, where they would speedily die.

W. P. PYCRAFT, F.Z.S., A.L.S.

A TALE OF BREMEN.

Bremen was a growing city, but its ruler, hard and proud,
Insolent in power and riches, all his humble subjects cowed,
Till one day a bold man pleaded to the Co