OR LAND CRAB. 115 



iiiidate their enemies ; for they often clatter 

 their nippers together, as if to threaten those 

 that disturb them. But though they thus 

 strive to be formidable to man, they are much 

 more so to each other ; for they are possessed 

 of one most unsocial property, which is, that 

 if any of them by accident be maimed, in 

 such a manner as to be incapable of proceed- 

 ing, the rest fall upon and devour it on the 

 spot, and then pursue their journey. When, 

 after a fatiguing march, and escaping a 

 thousand dangers (for they are sometimes 

 three months in getting to the shore), they 

 have arrived at the destined port, they pre- 

 pare to cast their spawn, which, shaking off 

 into the water, they leave accident to bring 

 it to maturity. At this time shoals o^ 

 hungry fish are at the shore in expectation 

 of this annual supply : the sea to a great 

 distance seems black with them ; and about 

 two- thirds of the Crab's eggs are immediately 

 devoured by these rapacious invaders. The 

 eggs that escape are hatched under the sand ; 

 and, soon after, millions at a time of these 

 little Crabs are seen quitting the shore, and 

 slowly travelling up to the mountains. This 



