CRABS. 51 



disposed and less nefarious in their habits, to the per- 

 petration of outrages of a similar character. Take him 

 for all in all, B. latro may be considered anything but a 

 well-conducted member of the family to which he 

 belongs. His name denotes the character which ho 

 has fully earned and universally maintains. 



The countless thousands of islands, reefs, and spots 

 of newly-formed land dotting the South Seas and 

 Indian Ocean, are ever on the increase. The founda- 

 tions of these are firmly laid at the sea's bottom by 

 legions of that tiny toiler of the deep, the coral insect, 

 and year by year, and age by age, his ceaseless labours 

 progress upward and ever upward towards the light 

 of heaven; layer by layer, and ledge by ledge, are 

 formed, until the pigmy beginning grows to be a strong 

 sea-wall, like the ramparts of some Old World fortress. 

 In time, the green wave breaks and feathers on its 

 crest, wliilst other walls slowly but surely raise their 

 masses from beneath. Within their circling grasp, a 

 still rock lake at length is formed, round which the 

 angry billows roll and thunder, chafing at the mighty 

 barrier disputing their dominion. Here, within the 

 safe, still pool, collect the thousand and one waifs and 

 strays, ever to be found floating or driven by the tide 

 currents. Fragments of wreck from distant shores, dead 

 fish, empty mollusc shells, echini, sea-weed, and drift- 

 wood cast far out to sea by the floods of the great rivers 



£2 



