244 POPULAR HISTORY OF THE AQUARIUM. 



hold^ with his long claws_, of tlie old one^ carrying it about 

 with him, and sometimes even re-entering it and then try- 

 ing the new one again, till quite decided in his own mind 

 as to which is the best to occupy for a permanency. The 

 Paguri, in choosing their shells, do not appear generally to 

 object much to their outsides being occupied by the para- 

 sitic Anemone, which is so frequent a companion of the 

 Hermit. A Nereis, or Sea- Worm, often shares the hollow 

 of the shell with the Crab, while Acorns, or Balani, often 

 occupy its outer surface. Whether these associations are 

 fortuitous, or whether chosen by the animals on account of 

 expected mutual advantages, is a question which will per- 

 haps find its solution when Aquarians have had more oppor- 

 tunities of watching their habits. The more I see of these 

 interesting creatures, the more firmly am I convinced that 

 there is a great deal to be learned about them yet; and a 

 very pleasant occupation will it be to " work out,^" as Natu- 

 ralists term it, the various points of their natural history, — 

 their birth, their metamorphoses, their exuviations, and their 

 associations. 



ZoE OF Pagurus. 



"The Zoe of the Pagurus,'^ says Mr. H. Goodsir, " when 



