JOTTINGS FROM MY NOTE-BOOK. 219 



hover lightly over the bottom, raising itself up by 

 the slightest touches of its slender toes. When 

 ascending, the limbs tread with the most graceful 

 uniformity, and are endowed with an almost uni- 

 versal power of motion which enables them to be 

 •directed to the various parts of the body with the 

 greatest precision. 



Although the fore-arms, like those of carnivorous 

 members of this family, are used for grasping, I 

 have some doubt whether this species is carnivor- 

 ous. I have tried it with a morsel of shell-fish tied 

 to the end of a stick, but this it always rejected. 

 I offered the same to Portunus pusillus, Leach, 

 which greedily laid hold of it and held so fast that 

 I towed it round the vessel, while it tugged and 

 resisted like a bull-dog, allowing itself to be lifted 

 some height out of the water before it let go its 

 hold. I have often seen Stenorhijnchus picking 

 about its limbs (particularly the second pair, which 

 are generally most invested with sea-weed), and 

 conveying the produce to its mouth. At first I was 

 inclined to think that it must be obtaining small 

 organisms ; but after observing that the detachment 

 of the particles often required considerable force, I 

 watched more closely and was satisfied that the 

 plants were being cropped and conveyed to its 

 mouth. I have watched the behaviour of the crab 

 for some little time daily for weeks together, and 

 still found it carrying vegetable matter to its mouth. 

 If other observations confirm the view that this 

 animal is a true vegetarian, we shall have one 

 example at least of an independent agriculturist 

 who is not only superior of his lands, but carries 

 them with him when he removes. 



This crab, as already stated, appears to be ill- 

 adapted for warfare, yet I believe it to be one of 

 the most wanton and cruel of its kind. I have seen it 

 seize a small-sized individual of its own species — not 

 to devour it, but in the most reckless way to com- 

 mence to tear off its limbs. After being left for a 



