CRABS. 49 



strange creatures are eacn furnished with a sj^ecies of 

 natural magazine, containing fatty matter, which they 

 carry beneath their tails. Some Crabs of large size 

 have been known to yield enough to produce a quart 

 of oil, limpid, of excellent quality, and highly esteemed 

 by the natives. B. latro is much given to nocturnal 

 rambling, and frequent visits are by him paid to locali- 

 ties within the cheering influences of the salt-sea wave ; 

 but we do not agree with those ^\Titers who have accused 

 him of nightly hydropathic journeys. During the breed- 

 ing season some considerable time is sj^ent by the 

 whole family in exploring the countless rock-pools and 

 lagunes between the coral reefs. Here, after the de- 

 parture of the parents for their homes amongst the 

 roots, the juvenile crabs continue to desport themselves, 

 until gro^vn strong enough to attack the nuts on their 

 own account, when they proceed to join their seniors in 

 the family diggings. The natives, when they set their 

 minds on a Crab-himting expedition, provide them- 

 selves with much the same kind of equipment as a 

 party of Enghsh gamekeepers would use when about to 

 extract a secretive badger from his burrow\ Digging, 

 and that of the most determined and energetic descrip- 

 tion, is the favourite method of bringing the game to 

 light, which desirable consummation is rarely arrived at 

 until a very large amount of loud shouting and need- 

 less leaping about has leen had recourse to, The 



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