Some Friends in Armor 113 



has no memory or this memory In him is so feehle as 

 to carry him only to the point of recognizing a strange 

 environment. Beyond this he fails to apprehend any- 

 thing else — not even the identity of his old companion. 



If this inference be correct, we may reasonably ex- 

 pect to find that their transference to a corresponding 

 container will result in no display of belligerence. And 

 this is what we do find. The similarity of their sur- 

 roundings misleads them into accepting the newer as 

 their customary home; and as there is nothing un- 

 fam.iliar in the newer place, they do not mistake each 

 other for strangers. But this is not all. If I now drop 

 a strange crab from one of the larger tanks into their 

 presence, neither of the two original occupants seems 

 to be aware of the addition until compelled to defend 

 himself from the inevitable onslaught of the newcomer. 



One more word regarding this matter. Near a 

 north window in my study stands a rectangular aqua- 

 rium holding about twenty gallons of salt water. In 

 one corner of this miniature replica of the seashore 

 bottom is a large brown anemone {Metridium margi- 

 natum) attached to a rock. Among the other animals 

 with which the aquarium Is stocked are several hermit 

 crabs of both sexes. Conspicuous among these is a 

 singularly huge male who by reason of his decrepit 

 appearance and obviously old age drew from my chil- 

 dren the alliterative, but fanciful, name of Hank the 

 Hermit. Throughout the past winter Hank's great 

 diversion, apart from exploring the nooks and inter- 

 stices of the gravelly floor, and giving battle to imagi- 

 nary enemies concealed in those retreats, was to make 

 daily tours with monotonous regularity around the 



