240 



THE NATURALIST IN AUSTRALIA. 



hand corner. With reference to their highly pugnacious propensities and scarlet 



colouring, the species is commonly distinguished by the local titles of the "Fighting" 



or " Soldier Crab." The eyes in the members of the genus Gelasimus are, as will be 



recognised by their portraits, remarkable organs. 



Being set at the extremities of long moveable 



footstalks, their owners command an extensive 



all round vision, a fact which accounts for the 



readiness with which these crabs take alarm and 



disappear when approached. These elongated 



eyestalks are, moreover, possessed of completely 



independent powers of motion, and when, as 



often happens, a single " optic " only is lowered 



into the elongated groove that . is provided for 



its reception, the action is ludicrously suggestive 



of a sagacious wink. 



Broome Creek, of which an illustration is 

 given and to which reference is made in Chap- 

 ter V., is conspicuously rich in Gelasimi. In 

 addition to this commonest scarlet 

 type, G. coarctata, the writer met 

 with no less than four other not- 

 ably distinct species as the result 

 of a few hours' " mud-larking." 

 As a rule, all of these several 

 varieties were found to frequent in- 

 dependent 



zones, in 

 relation to 

 the tide 

 level. One 

 form,equal 

 in size to 

 the scarlet 

 species, 

 and, in this 



W. Sarillf-Kent, Photo. 

 MANGROVE FIGHTING CRABS, GelOiillUlS COafctata. TWO-THIRDS NATURAL SIZE. 



