xv, i Cowles: Habits of Tropical Crustacea £5 



even after three-quarters of an hour, so after giving the hermit 

 every encouragement such as placing the old shell near it, etc., 

 I came to the conclusion that the species under consideration 

 differs in this respect from the European species. But further 

 observation with other specimens led me to believe that the 

 removal of the hermit from one aquarium to another just after 

 it had vacated the anemone-covered shell disturbed the hermit 

 so much that the usually instinctive behavior in which the 

 anemones are transferred to the new habitation was inhibited. 

 I shall now describe my observations of a case in which the 

 behavior of Pagurus deformis during its change of habitation 

 may be called normal although inaccurate. In this case a 

 hermit, in a shell carrying two large, grayish brown anemones 

 on the upper surface and a small white one in the mouth of the 

 shell, was placed near a Dolium shell somewhat larger than the 

 one it was occupying. The hermit began to examine the new 

 shell almost immediately ; it put its pincers and some of its legs 

 inside of the shell and remained in this position for a consider- 

 able length of time. Occasionally the pincers were moved about 

 and were used apparently to examine the outside of the shell 

 Then, suddenly, the abdomen was inserted into the new shell, 

 and the hermit without moving away grasped one of the large 

 anemones, clawing, pinching, and pulling it. The anemone, 

 instead of contracting as it would if disturbed by the observer, 

 remained expanded even though the mauling it received was 

 really very strenuous and although it was frequently jammed 

 against the newly occupied shell. After these movements had 

 continued for at least ten minutes the base of the anemone be- 

 came loose in several places. Instead of completing its work 

 at once, the hermit began to pinch and claw the other large 

 anemone which withdrew its tentacles, soon however protruding 

 them again. Then suddenly the hermit left the second one, and 

 picked off the small white one which it applied at the mouth of 

 the new shell almost directly under its own head, where the 

 small anemone soon became firmly attached. Then the crab 

 again attacked one of the large anemones, removed it easily, 

 turned it round and round between its legs and pincers, and 

 finally pushed the base against the side of the new shell. The 

 anemone failed to become attached, slipped down onto the her- 

 mit's legs, stuck to them for a moment, dropped off, and finally 

 attached itself to the glass bottom of the aquarium. Again the 

 hermit crab seemed to lose interest in the anemone upon which 

 it was working, and began tugging, pinching, and scratching 

 the only one remaining attached to its old shell. After a long 



