126 "U-S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 292 



individuals were observed approximately two miles from the coast. 

 One small crab was found occupying a shell of the snail Neritina 

 punctulata at the water's edge of the Layou River (fresh water) at 

 Clarke Hall. Dr. J. P. E. Morrison found two specimens at South 

 Chiltern (station 117) at an altitude of 1,300 feet. 



There is some indication that these crabs are highly gregarious. 

 The largest number of individuals observed at one time was im- 

 mediately south of the mouth of the Rosalie River in a triangular 

 area between a banana plantation, the river, and the ocean. Here 

 among the shaded but dry litter, hundreds of individuals were ob- 

 served, most of them crawUng about the forest floor, but a number 

 of them were feeding on the fruits of Terminalia catappa. As many 

 as five or six small ones were within an area of one square foot, and 

 under some of the stones a dozen or more had congregated. This 

 population was observed shortly after noon on February 14, 1964. 



Although such large numbers were not observed wandering about 

 the north slope of Tarou Cliffs, just south of the mouth of the Layou 

 River, 19 individuals were collected at about 2:00 p.m. within a few 

 minutes; of the 19, however, 14 were found in a small pile of rocks 

 less than a square foot in area. In this locality, burrows of small 

 individuals of Gecarcinus lateralis and Cardisoma guanhumi were 

 present in the immediate vicinity, and within 15 feet there were the 

 burrows of large individuals of C. guanhumi. 



Usually Coenobita is much more active at night near the mouth 

 of the Layou than during the day, and dozens of specimens may be 

 collected at night along the foot of the Cliff; however, they were 

 never observed in the adjacent marshy area near the burrows of 

 Ucides cordatus. 



Distribution. — Southern Florida to Venezuela (Bermudas, Great 

 Abaco I., Bimini Is., Eleuthera I., New Providence I., Andros I., 

 Water Cay, Acklins I., Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Isla Mona, 

 Puerto Rico, Saint Thomas, Saint Croix, Saba, Antigua I., Guade- 

 loupe, Dominica, Barbados, Trinidad, Isla Los Roques, Isla de Aves, 

 Bonaire, Curagao, Aruba, Isla de Providencia, Swan Is.). Brazilian 

 records of this species in the older literature need verification. 



Dominica Stations: 2, 6, 15, 17, 22, 25, 94, 97, 99, 109, 117, 129 

 (0-1,300 ft.). 



Remarks. — It may be noteworthy that none of the 25 females 

 of this species from Dominica are o vigorous; they were collected in 

 January, February, March, and June. 



