104 



hour, and on exaniining the vessel I could not fiud my frieud ; I 

 gearched on tbe table, thiuking it might have thrown itself out, but 

 it \vas without success ; I turned over tbe stones and weeds, and with 

 tbe likę result. I tben commeuced turning over tbe gravel, and at 

 lašt found tbat Kika edulis yvas a burrowing Crustacean. I aceord- 

 inglv trausferred it for facility of obsenration to a vase, and placing 

 in it tbe šame material, namely, tbe coarse gravel and weeds, in this 

 gravel it buried itself tbree several times. Burrowing in tbis loose 

 material was evidently a difficult matter ; it required great patience 

 and perseverance to overcome tbe ditficulty occasioued by tbe loose 

 gravel constantly falling in on tbe excavator ; it took tbe animal ten 

 minutes to burrow to about tbe deptb of tbree parts of its lengtb. 

 I afterwards transferred it to a vase witb sand to tbe deptb of tbree 

 or four inches at the bottom ; in tbis it quickly disappeared, tbree 

 minutes sufficiug to com pietely cover itself. In tbis vase it was tbat 

 I made tbe following observations on it. 



Its mode of mining is extraordinary : lying at the bottom of tbe 

 rase, it commenced proceedings by probing tbe sand around witb its 

 third pair of feet, and inserting them to some deptb in it ; wben it 

 found a spot suited for the purpose, tbat is, free from any large 

 stones, it at once commenced excavating. These operations were 

 carried out by tbe external pedipalps, whicb are very long and 

 strong, and also by tbe first, third and fourtb pairs of legs ; tbe 

 second pair of legs, as may be supposed, are for this purpose per- 

 fectly useless : tbev are as mucb as possible placed out of the way, 

 being bent up snugly •n'itb the band tumed backwards : tbe only 

 motion I could detect was a nervous action in tbe moveable finger, 

 constantly attempting to clutcb objects, but not seizing anytbing. 

 The fifth pair of feet have a simple thougb useful office assigned 

 them : it is to support the body in the proper position until tbe 

 burrowing bas progressed sufficiently to enable the burrower to do 

 ivitbout thcir support ; tbey are tben immediately called into more 

 active employment, and assist in the work of excavation. Tbe spot 

 for burrowing baving been selected, the little animal steadies its 

 body by means of its fiftb pair of legs, and this allows the greatest 

 free'doin of action to the body. The pedipalps perform a prominent 

 part in the burrowing ; tbe nail on the lašt joint is curved sbgbtly 

 forward, and tbe advantage of this is clearly seen, as in digging, the 

 l)edipalps are forced into the sand or shingle, and are thus forced 

 forward and outvrards, and tbey prevent tbe side of the burrow from 

 falling in ; tbe third and fourtb pairs of feet are in constant motion, 

 probing tbe sand and loosening it, thus hghtening the labour for tbe 

 pedipalps ; all these movements take place very regularly and at the 

 šame time. A small bollovv baving been made, the animal raises its 

 body by means of its fiftb pair of legs to nearly a right angle with 

 the bottom ; its eyes, uliicb are very large and carried at right angles 

 with tbe body, are thus suddenly tbrown forward witb a spring in a 

 line w-itb tbe rostrum, and the hollow is surveyed; sbould it not be 

 of a sufRcient deptb tbe body is again lowered and tbe buiTowing 

 continues, tbe eyes resuming their original position ; when tbe hole 



