DECAPODA. 213 



tion in which it was thrown, so as to prevent its aecumnlation in 

 one place. 



Another species, which inhabits India, is thus noticed oy Bishop 

 Heber in his journal: "All the grass through the I/eccan generally 

 swarms with a small land crab, which burrows in the ground, and 

 runs with considerable swiftness, even when encumbered with a 

 bundle of food as big as itself; this food is grass, or the green stalks 

 of rice, and it is amusing to see the crabs, sitting, as it were, upright, 

 cut their hay with their sharp pincers, and then waddling off with 

 their sheaf to their holes as quickly as their sidelong pace will carry 

 them. They have been found on the table-lands, at an elevation of 

 nearly 4000 feet ; but it is believed that they do not perform an 

 annual pilgrimage to the sea, for the purpose of depositing their 

 eggs." 



^lost probably they jjrefer fresh water. 



The Land Crabs {Gecarcinus)* inhabit the West Indies and other 

 warm countries. These crabs, instead of frequenting the sea, as most 

 crustaceans do, are essentially terrestrial, and they sometimes live 

 at a considerable distance from the shore. They n"evertheless 

 avoid extremely dry situations, and are ordinarily found in marshy 

 districts. They all dig deep holes. They are commonly seen at 

 night, or just after abundant 'rains, when they sally forth in crowds 

 from theu" subterranean habitations in pursuit of food ; some species 

 live principally on vegetables, but others seek animal food with 

 avidity ; great numbers are found in cemeteries. One of the most 

 curious points in the history of these animals is that they make an 

 annual journey to the sea-shore. In the rainy season they abandon 

 their holes; they assemble in almost numberless troops; and, guided 

 by an instinct which is incomprehensible to us, take a direct line 

 towards the sea, although they are often very distant from it. They 

 travel chiefly by night, and nothing but large rivers can arrest or 

 turn them from theh route; they march over houses, scale rocks, and 

 often destroy whole plantations, cutting and devouring the young 

 plants as they pass along. Having reached the sea, these armies of 

 crabs plunge in and bathe several times, and then retire to the plains 

 or neighbouring woods. Some time afterwards the females go 

 again to the sea, and there deposit their e<y:g^; then they resume 

 theh march and return to their ordinary abode ; but are so thin and 

 feeble that they can scarcely di'ag themselves along. 



Some of these crabs take up their abode in the vicinity of sugar- 

 cane fields, and are very injurious to the planters; some of the 

 species being particularly fond of the cane, the juice of which they 

 suck, and chiefly subsist on. They are of course narrowly watched, 

 and no opportunity of catching them is lost sight of; but such is the 

 wonderful facility they have in running, or rather darting, in any 

 direction, or with any part of their bodies foremo>t, tliat they are 

 ahnost always enabled to elude capture. It is seldom, moreover, that 

 they go far from their burrows in the daytime, and their vigilance is 

 such that they regain them in a moment, and disappear securely as 

 soon as a man or dog comes near enough to be seen. 



If we now pass to the consideration of the 



* 77), ge, the earth ; Kapnivos, carcinos, a erah. 



