262 SEASIDE DIVINITY. 



his back, with a tenacity greater than that with 

 which the old man of the sea clung to Sindbad's 

 neck, and we may suppose that the unfortunate 

 spider-crab's feeble limbs were often wearied out 

 by the burden they were thus compelled to sus- 

 tain. 



Another remarkable species is the Spinous crab, 

 not uncommon on many parts of the shores of 

 Britain, one of the family of the Maiada, which 

 bears a considerable resemblance to the spider- 

 crabs already spoken of. Its body is oval and 

 convex ; it possesses in front two stout horns, and 

 the whole surface is covered with spines and tu- 

 bercles of various sizes. The Masked-crab is 

 another singular species, deriving its name from 

 the circumstance that the depressions and protu- 

 berances on its shell are so arranged as to present 

 some resemblance to the human face. The 

 Wrinkled-crab is another species, the shell of 

 which is corrugated transversely, and the Velvet- 

 crab has a coat of fine hairs covering his shell. 

 The smallest of all the crab family is the Pea- 

 crab, Pinnotheres pisum, of which there are 

 several varieties. They form a very interesting 

 group, not only on account of their diminutive 

 size, but their habits. These little crustaceans are 

 only about a quarter of an inch across their shells, 

 which are rounded and convex, and of a delicate 

 texture of a brownish colour. 



The most singular circumstance regarding these 

 minute crabs is that they take up their abode in 

 the large bivalve shells, not after the shell has 



