FIGHT OF THE HERMIT-CRABS. 51 



His rivcal approached with strictly dishonourable in- 

 tentions ; and they both walked round and round the 

 vase, eyeing each other with settled malignity, — like 

 Charles Kean and Wigan in the famous duel of the 

 Corsican Brothers. No words of mine can describe 

 our shouts of laughter at this ludicrous combat, — one 

 combatant uneasy about his unprotected rear, the other 

 sublimely awkward in his borrowed armour. For the 

 sake of distinctness, I will take a liberty with two 

 actors' names, and continue to designate our two crabs 

 as Charles Kean and Alfred Wio-an. C. K., although 

 the blacker, larger, and stronger of the two, was at 

 the disadvantage of being out of his shell, and was 

 slow in coming to close quarters ; at last, after many 

 hesitations, approaches, and retreats, he made a rush 

 behind, seized the shell in his powerful grasp, while 

 with his huo;e claw he haled Wio;an out, fluno; him 

 discomfited aside, and popj^ed his tail into the shell. 

 Wigan looked piteous for a few moments, but soon, 

 his "soul in arms and eager for the shell," he rushed 

 upon his foe ; and then came the tug of crabs ! C. K. 

 had too firm a hold ; he could not be dislodged. I 

 poked his tender tail, which was exposed through the 

 broken shell, and he vacated, leaving Wigan once more 

 in possession. But not for long. Once more Wigan 

 was clutched, haled out, and flung away. I then 

 placed a smaller shell, but perfect, in the vase. Kean 

 at once quitted his dilapidated roof, and ensconced 

 himself in this more modest cottage, leaving Wigan 

 to make himself comfortable in the ruin ; which he did. 



