But now the anatomy rather than the history of my limulus attracts me. One of the ringed creatures you are, O crab, but your first ring has become enormously developed into the vast head shield with rounded front and beautifully bevelled edge, sweeping back into sharp and spiny corners, which, dragging upon the sand or mud, make the furrow on each side of your footprints. Here is this hinder shield, a rude triangle with the apex cut out to admit the insertion of the great tail; and this triangular shield is also made of rings, but they have grown together into one single piece. Still we can count them from the free, horny points. This sword-formed tail, my limulus, did not belong to you when, first free of the egg-case, you sported in the water. It appeared only at your second moult. In this you were like your progenitors of the Coal period, who wore no tails; tails being then, no doubt, the royal insignia of the reigning line of reptiles, upon which meaner animals might not venture. Your eyes are fitted into your head shield, and so are well protected. Let me turn you over and look at your feet. This great head shield it appears, houses not only your eyes, but all your walking and eating apparatus, which seem to be closely connected. When you were in the larval state you could double under the rings of your hinder shield, which then were not soldered together, so that you were neatly encased, and how safe you were! Your legs are wondrous small for your size, and, O singular creature, you use not only your legs, but your hands and your antennæ and your maxillars for walking. And what is this? At the base of them all you have jaws. So away you travel on your numerous limbs, and whichever lucky member finds a morsel of food, behold a pair of jaws right at its base to devour it! Therefore are you rightly named a “mouth-footed” creature. There are certain mollusks with heads, which also have their heads and mouths and stomach in their feet. We hope, meeting them in the ocean, you do not hold yourself superior to them, for they are of lineage yet more ancient than your own. Yesterday, Madame Limulus, you met your death as you came up the beach heavily laden with eggs, which you intended to deposit in the sand. If I state that a million of eggs now lie under your enormous shield, I do not think I shall over-estimate the number. You meant, as for many years past you have done twice each year, to come near high-water mark and place your eggs in the sand, where twice daily, as the tide was low, the heat of the sun would strike the eggs and warm them into life.