BY DAVID G. STEAD. 



747 



Crustacea, I have always found that the best kind of bait is a 

 large Chiton, deprived of its shell, of course. This being very- 

 tough, when attached to a large fish-hook, enables the crabs to 

 gain a strong hold, without fear of the bait giving way. While 

 in pursuit of these animals — especially Grapsus variejatus — I 

 have sometimes witnessed a most ludicrous sight. When swing- 

 ing the bait to and fro, like a pendulum, in some deep crevice of 

 the rocks, arm after arm would be seen to shoot forth from every 

 crack and cranny, as the bait passed along; some of the crabs 

 even going so far as to spring out, in a wild endeavour to reach 

 the coveted morsel. 



The carapace, which is very wide, is drawn out on each side 

 into a long acutely-pointed spine. In medium-sized and small 

 specimens, as a rule, the carapace is covered with short dark setae 

 and very coarse granules; but in large examples these almost 

 disappear (in some, both sette and granules disappear altogether), 

 and are much wider apart. This is worthy of note, inasmuch as 

 some zoologists would, perhaps, be inclined to make a specific 

 distinction, if it so happened that they could only procure the two 

 varieties mentioned, especially as the coarsely granular kind has, 

 as a rule, a more sombre uniform colour than the larger and 

 smoother form, which generally exhibits a beautiful mottled 

 appearance. This variation in colour especially claims our atten- 

 tion, as it is thought by some observers to be a distinguishing 

 sexual mark, whereas it is not so, both varieties — with transitional 

 forms — being found in each sex. 



The anterior portion of the carapace, with the subhepatic and 

 pterygostomial regions, is bordered with a dense margin of 

 plumose sensory hairs. 



As I have stated elsewhere ("Zoologist," May, 1898), the sexes 

 at certain times seem to keep quite apart, and occasionally there 

 may be seen scores of females with not one male amongst them, 

 and vice versa. 



They seem to be of a very quarrelsome nature, as it is quite a 

 common occurrence to find specimens minus part of a " nipper " 

 or leg. 



