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Fauna: Invertebrates 



bristles on the other legs. They are nearly omnivorous, and 

 attack and devour not only insects, worms, and fish, but also 

 chickens and young ducks. The sandy beaches are alive with 

 burrowino; shore crabs of the genus Ocypode, which are ex- 

 ceeciingly rapid in their n^ovements. These crabs can make a 

 purring or growling noise which is very uncanny as coming 

 from a crustacean, and is supposed to be caused by rubbing a 

 membrane on the inner side of the big claw. The coarser 

 crabs (as the Ocypoda are sometimes called) live in burrows in 

 the sea-sand, each in his own hole, being very jealous ot any 

 encroachment on their claim. 



The Grapsus crabs, boldly spotted and very handsomely 

 coloured, frequent the rocks at the mouths of rivers or along the 

 sea coast. The Calappa crabs keep more to the shallow water 

 in shore. They close up like a tortoise it meddled with, with- 

 drawing their limbs within the carapace and belly shield, the 

 much-broadened integument of the big claws assisting to form 

 part of this compact, round Japanese puzzle-box, which Nature 

 has painted most gaudily with a network of red streaks and 

 spots. 



Fresh-water crayfish (really large prawns of the genus 

 PaLemon) are found in most of the rivers ; and sea crayfish 

 (^Paniilirus) are abundant in the estuaries and along the coast. 

 The true prawns of the genera Leander and Atya are excellent 

 for eating;. 



There are many species of Hermit crab along the sea-coast, 

 and the extraordinary "mantis-shrimps" (the size of lobsters, 

 with long, slender, toothed front claws shaped like those of a 

 mantis) are found in the estuaries of rivers. 



As regards Arachnida, they are of course abundantly 

 represented in this tropical region. Liberia, in common with 



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