28 Mr. R. C. Taylor's Notes relative to the Geology of Cuba, 



the raccoon. The Hutia is the largest if not the only native 

 quadruped of Cuba, and we observed it on the very spot 

 where we conceived we had recognised its fossil remains. Its 

 flesh is sought by the negroes as a favourite food. 



On first consideration it appeared almost incredible that 

 land shells should accumulate in such multitudes as we find 

 them, packed together in layers irregularly within the red 

 stalagmitical limestone. But having witnessed in the caves of 

 La Silla the myriads of dead shells there assembled and lying 

 in heaps upon the floor of red earth, we perceived that the 

 process was then going on before our eyes, and that by the 

 infiltration and crystallization of carbonate of lime, these shells 

 were entombed, consolidated, and the whole mass converted 

 to a beautiful marble. This process continues until some of 

 the caves are completely filled up, and the recent mass be- 

 comes an integral part of the original rock. 



In the interior chambers of the caves, which were the 

 furthest removed from light, the only living shell I observed 

 was a Clausillia, which adhered to the walls in great num- 

 bers. 



I may observe that no traces of the original shells were no- 

 ticed in the newly-formed rock ; the matter of the shell seems 

 to be absorbed during the change it undergoes, and its con- 

 version to solid rock. 



There yet remains an interesting fact to be pointed out. 

 Amongst the numerous land-shells which the red shelly mo- 

 dern rock exhibits may be detected, occasionally a univalve 

 which is decidedly marine, and the same circumstance is ob- 

 servable among the dead land-shells in the caves. It was this 

 occurrence of marine shells that occasioned our hesitation, and 

 prevented us from earlier deciding on the real origin and cha- 

 racter of the new red shelly limestone. We perceived that 

 perfectly fresh or recent marine univalves were by no means 

 uncommon even upon the highest crest of the mountain of 

 La Silla. This mystery was solved when we found that the 

 active agents in the transportation, and in the admixture of 

 sea and land exuviae, were the soldier crabs, which abound 

 here, and which inhabit the littoral shells almost wholly, 

 wherever they are found, borrowing those habitations for their 

 temporary purposes, and discarding them when too small for 

 their convenience. 



The soldier crabs (genus Pagurus) at certain seasons re- 

 sort to the sea-shore, where we have seen them in great quan- 

 tities. They return from their pilgrimage, carrying or rather 

 dragging the shell of some marine univalve for many a 

 weary mile; and thus, like the pilgrims of the olden time, each 



