Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/452

 COYSEVOX CRAB feet, of which the tail is 15 inches ; the long fur is variegated with light red and brown, and is extensively used by hatters under the name of nutria. It is the myopotamus coypus (Cuv.). It is an excellent swimmer, but awkward upon land; quick and lively in its motion, amusing in its habits, and of gentle disposition. It lives in holes of the banks of the rivers, and on the shores of the sea. COYSEVOX, Antoine, a French sculptor, of Spanish origin, born in Lyons in 1640, died in Paris, Oct. 10, 1720. He produced several fine statues of Louis XIV., a statue of Conde, and of other eminent persons. Among his best works are the tombs of Mazarin and Colbert, the monument of Lebrun, and two statues of a flute player and Flora. COZZENS, Frederick Swartwout, an American merchant and author, born in New York, March 5, 1818, died in Brooklyn, Dec. 23, 1869. He was a wine merchant in New York, and for some time edited a periodical entitled " The Wine Press," for which he wrote several valuable papers on the culture of the grape and the production of wine. He also wrote for literary periodicals. In 1853 a series of papers by him which had appeared in the "Knicker- bocker" magazine was published under the title of "Prismatics, by Eichard Haywarde." In 1856, under the title of "Sparrowgrass Papers," he published a series of sketches which had appeared in " Putnam's Magazine." This is his best work. He afterward published "Acadia, or a Sojourn among the Blue Noses" (1858), "Sayings of Dr. Bushwhacker and other Learned Men" (1867), and "Fitz-Greene Halleck, a Memorial " (1868). CRAB, an articulated animal of the class Crustacea, having ten legs, of which the front pair terminate in pincer-like claws. The spe- cies of crabs are very numerous, and belong to many different families and several higher groups of their class. Among the crabs proper there are two well marked groups: the true brachyurans, like the common and the blue or edible crab, in which the abdomen, or tail, is small, held closely beneath the body, and in the male without appendages except upon the two segments next the body ; and anomurans, of which the hermit or soldier crabs, the purse crabs, &c., are representatives, and in which the abdomen is not so closely appressed to the under side of the body, and has appendages, in both sexes, upon next to the last segment. The king crabs, or horseshoe crabs (limulus), are among the lowest forms of crustaceans, and by many naturalists are regarded as more nearly allied to the spiders and scorpions, or else as representing a distinct class. The majority of the species of crabs are marine, although many, especially in the tropics, inhabit fresh waters, while others are terrestrial, at least for the greater part of their lives. The marine species are found along the shores, and many of them live at great depths, some species hav- ing been brought up from nearly the greatest depths explored by the dredge ; while others are truly pelagic animals, living always near the surface of the water and far from land, ex- cept when driven ashore by storms. Two such pelagic species are very abundant among float- ing seaweed in the Gulf stream, and several others are found in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Most of these pelagic species, as well as many others, have the last segments of the hind pair of legs expanded into lamellar paddle-like organs, by means of which they swim with considerable rapidity. These swim- ming species mostly belong or are allied to one family, the portunidce, but a few are also found in widely different families. Crabs, as also lobsters, shrimps, &c., belonging to the same class, have the body divided into two regions, the consolidated head and thorax, called the cephalothorax, and the tail or abdomen, com- posed of seven segments, some of which are, however, partially consolidated together. In the higher groups the cephalothorax is cov- ered with a large shield-like shell, or carapace, and in all the groups it bears 14 pairs of ap- pendages, representing as many segments of the consolidated body. These appendages are, beginning in front: 1, the pedunculate! eyes ; 2, 3, two pairs of antennae, which serve as or- gans of hearing, touch, and perhaps other and special senses ; 4, the stout molar-like jaws or mandibles ; 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, five pairs of leaf-like jaws which fit closely upon the mandibles and serve to hold and manipulate the food, and of which the outer pair are larger and thicker than the others, and serve when closed to cover the whole mouth opening; 10, the large prehensile claws; 11, 12, 13, 14, the four pairs of walking legs. The joints of the claws and legs are all hinge-like, admitting of motion only in one plane; but, as each joint moves in a different plane, the combination of joints admits of motion in any direction without turning, although they usually run sideways, moving either to the right or left with equal facility. The stomach is situated just above and back of the mouth, and is furnished with strong concentric teeth, which further mas- ticate the food after it is taken into the stomach. The heart is situated just behind the stomach and close to the carapace. The blood is nearly transparent, and is oxygenated by passing into gills attached to the bases of the legs and occupying a large space under each side of the carapace. The males can be distinguished from the females by having nar- rower tails without appendages except upon the first two segments, while the females have branching appendages upon the third to the sixth segments. These appendages upon the tail of the female serve for the attachment of the eggs after they are laid, they being fast- ened to the numerous hairs with which the appendages are clothed. The eggs are carried thus until they hatch. After hatching, the young of nearly all the crabs undergo a re- markable metamorphosis. When first hatched