148 MISS MARION I. NEWBIGIN. 
moving from shell to shell, utterly regardless of the 
question whether the new shel] is more or less commodious 
than the old. 
Above the hermits we come to the true crabs, of which 
there are many kinds. Most abundant is the common 
shore crab, which lives anywhere and everywhere, is 
indifferent to a considerable freshening of the water, and 
will survive all other animals in confinement. When attacked 
it will ‘sham dead’ with the utmost patience, and then 
scuttle off with much more rapidity than one would expect. 
Its relative, the edible crab, on the other hand, when 
alarmed, tucks its legs under its broad shell, buries 
itself in the sand, and offers to the enemy nothing but a 
broad expanse of hard red carapace. It is a much shyer 
form than the shore crab, and much less often seen, though 
it also is very abundant. Then we have the spider crabs, 
stupidest and slowest of creatures, who let the sea-grass 
grow, not only under their feet but on their backs, and 
trust to Providence that no one will see the living crab 
beneath the flourishing forest of weed. In confinement they 
behave like caddis-worms, and carefully decorate themselves 
with any weed there happens to be in the tank in which 
they are living. Many of them have extraordinarily long 
lecs and move them with the utmost deliberation. They 
all have eight legs, in addition to the great claws, so to get 
all these legs moved is a work of considerable time. One 
of the spider-crabs (Hyas araneus) is exceedingly common 
on the shore, but its shy habits and its coat of weed, 
zoophytes and sponges, prevent it being often seen except when 
specially hunted for. The larger crustacea of the shore are, 
to my mind, one of the most interesting of groups, not only 
because they live so well in captivity, but also because 
their structure is so easily made out and so well repays 
study. 
As to the fishes of the shore, besides those which come in- 
shore to lay their eggs, there are not a few which are to be 
found all the year round. Commonest among these is the 
common Blenny, sometimes called the ‘miller’s thumb, a 
pretty little fish with an unusually large head. In the 
deeper pools the sea-scorpions, with their beautiful colouring 
