56 



NATURAL HISTORY OF ARTHROPODS. 



FIG. 66. Eupagurus bernhardus, hermit crab 

 iii a shell of Lunatia heros, natural size. 



can do no better than to quote the account which Dr. Lockwood gives of the little 

 hermit crab, the Eupagurus longicarpus, so common on our eastern shores : - 



"Though a recluse, for he lives in a vacated 

 shell all alone, yet of hermit gravity he has 

 none. In fact, he is constitutionally a funny 

 fellow. This crab has his two hands, or claws, 

 greatly larger than the other feet, and of these 

 the right one is much stouter than the left. 

 The next three pairs of claws are tipped with 

 simple hooks, which, having considerable lever- 

 age power, are really efficient grapnels with 

 which to pull himself along when he travels, 

 carrvino; his house on his back, while the claws 



v C7 



of the fifth or last pair are very diminutive. 



" There is a queer monkey-like drollery in 

 the looks of our little hermit. We had one in 

 our aquarium of rather large size, and which 

 occupied a shell of the required capacity. Of 

 this specimen we were very proud; the shell 

 on its upper part was ashen white with a fine 

 colony of Hijdractinia, like tiny sea-daisies. We had also a little hermit in a small 

 llyanassa obsoleta shell. And what about this young scapegrace, whom we so soon 

 almost wished obsolete ? On he came and climbed right up into this pretty parterre, 

 and having secured himself with his grapnels on top of his neighbor's house, most de- 

 liberately, now with the right claw and now with the left, he pulled off my w r eesome 

 pets, stowing them into his ugly mug with a movement so regular that it seemed almost 

 rythmical, and yet so cruelly comical that it made me most laughably mad. 



"But the hermit grows, while the shell which he occupies does not. Hence, like 

 many bipeds, he has his "first of May," so lie goes house-hunting. This must be 

 understood literally. He finds a shell. Will it do ? First, then, is it really to let ? 

 He will inquire within. This he does, if not most courteously, very feelingly. 

 Satisfied on this point, the next question is, will the house suit. He turns it over, then 

 turns it round. You see the weight of one's house is quite an item in the reckoning 

 to him who has to carry it on his back. One inspection more. How is it inside ? Is 

 it entirely empty and of the right size ? Up goes one of the slender limbs of the 

 second pair, and the interior is thoroughly explored. All right ! Just the house he is 

 after. His mind is made up to move. Look at him ! Quick ! or you '11 miss it ! Out 

 comes the body from the old house and pop it goes into the new one. The resolution 

 to move was taken, the surrender of the old house was made, and the occupancy of the 

 new was effected, and all within a fraction of a second of time. 



" Sometimes this matter goes on less pleasantly. Two house-hunters may find the 

 same tenement. Should both desire it, then comes the tug of war. Live together they 

 neither can nor will. The affair is settled by a battle, in which the stronger proves 

 his claim right by the Carlyleian logic and morals, viz. might. Quite often from 

 these encounters a terrible mutilation results. To us it is a sad sight to see the little 

 hermit when his time has come, and he knows it ; that is, when Eupagurus must die. 

 However droll his career mav have been, the little hermit is o-yave then. And what a 



* ^j 



strange fact it is. Who can explain it ? The poor little fellow comes out of his house 



