CRABS. 63 



colossal power, so are others well w^orthy of note on 

 account of their beauty of colour and elegance of con- 

 formation. Neptunus 2^dagicus, a Crab of medium size, 

 is wonderfully handsome, being ornamented with most 

 strangely arranged spicules, and spotted with purple, 

 shading off into pink. Oceanus crucifer, an inhabitant 

 of the Indian seas, is perfectly charming in his way ; in 

 fact, a sort of " Dresden beauty, ^^ who might be easily 

 mistaken for a specimen of the most exquisite pink and 

 white china. 



From the Chilian coast we have another Crab, of a 

 totally different style of beauty, in the person of 

 Cancer dentatus, who appears to have laid the forest 

 under contribution to furnish his unique wardrobe. 

 A coat of bark, plant-stalk legs, and a very becoming 

 fi'ill, of autumnal-brown fern-leaves, constitute his get 

 up, and it is no flattery to say that he looks uncom- 

 monly wxll in it. From the Caribbean sea we get, 

 amongst a whole host of strange productions, that 

 little gem of a Crab, Mithraculus coronatus. He looks 

 as if designed expressly to be converted into a brooch, 

 his compact little body resembling the most delicately 

 tinted, blue porcelain, whilst his tiny claws are more 

 like minute tufts of fur than aught else we can com- 

 pare them to. 



Leucosia iirania is another strange Chinese Crab, 

 l:esembling in no common degree a pebble of polished 



