228 ZOOLOGISCHE MEDEDEELINGEN — DEEL TIT. 

species of Sesarma are known to dig holes into which they retire at 
approaching danger, in the way of Ocypode; nay, some species, that were 
partly enclosed by de Man in a subgenus Geosesarma, on account of the 
few and large ovae, carried along by the Q, normally live in woods, far 
from any water, hiding under leaves and fallen stems. Such species as 
frequent mangrove swamps are generally found together with the common 
fiddler crabs, but, unlike these, they do not seem to be gregarious, though 
they likewise dig holes above the flood-line. I know only of one species, 
that seems to be strictly marine, Sesarma rupicola Stimpson, which, accor- 
ding to its discoverer, ,lives among rocks at about half-tide, on shores 
more or less exposed to the surf”. There are rather many species living 
both in brackish and in fresh water and, not content with this, are fre- 
quently found strolling about on land. These excursions are apt to expose 
the animals to many dangers, but the crabs seem to be gifted with real 
courage: at least Sesarma dehaant H. Milne-Edwards is known to defend 
“itself successfully from the attacks of small dogs” (Stimpson). They part 
with their limbs with the utmost ease. Birds and other land animals may 
prey upon them and pick away their limbs; the crabs themselves are likely 
to indulge in occasional battles, for the sake of the fair sex, but the loss 
of even the greater part of their legs does not seem to afflict them in 
the least, as the remaining stump rapidly buds out again (see also note 
on p. 206). I do not know of any species producing a’ sound, though it 
is not unlikely that the very prominent transverse crest at the inner face 
of the palm of Sesarma taeniolata White, at least in the case of the ¢’, 
may serve for this purpose. 
As to the distribution in the tropical countries, four areas are to be 
distinguished, the Indo-Pacific, the West African, the East and the West 
American regions. There is scarcely, if at all, a species of the genera 
here spoken of, occurring in more than one of this regions, Metasesarma 
and Clistocoeloma are Indo-Pacific; also Sarmatium, with the exception 
of one species (Sarm. pectinatum H. Milne-Edwards) in the East American, 
and another (Sarm. curvatum H. Milne-Edwards) in the West African 
region. South Africa belongs in this respect wholly to the Indo-Pacific 
region, in which the vast majority of Sesarma-species occur. 
The following list contains the species of Sesarma, Metasesarma, Sar- 
matium and Clistocoeloma, found in the Indo-Pacific region. With 
an asterisk are marked those species that are contained in the collection 
of the Leiden Museum, or, at least, will form part of it before long. 
Ses. (Ses.) aequifrons Rathbun. 
*Ses. (Ses.) amphinome de Man. 
