Chap. Vll.j 



ANNELIDS. 



301 



are kept regularly employed at Colombo in filling up 

 the holes formed by them on the surface of the Galle 

 face, which is the only equestrian promenade of the 

 capital ; but so infested by these active httle creatures 

 that accidents often occur by horses stumbhng in their 

 troublesome excavations. 



Pamted Crabs. — On the reefs which lie to the south 

 of the harbour at Colombo, the beautiful httle painted 

 crabs ', distinguished by dark red markings on a yellow 

 ground, may be seen all day long running nimbly in 

 the spray, and ascending and descending in security 

 the almost perpendicular sides of the rocks which are 

 washed by the waves. Paddling Crabs '^, with the hind 

 pair of legs terminated by flattened plates to assist them 

 in swdmming, are brought up in the fishermen's nets. 

 Hermit Crabs take possession of the deserted shehs of 

 the univalves, and crawl in pursuit of garbage along 

 the moist beach. Prawns and shrimps furnish deli- 

 cacies for the breaHast table ; and the dehcate little 

 pea crab, Pontonia inflata^^ recalls its Mediterranean 

 congener^, which attracted the attention of Aristotle, 

 from taking up its habitation in the shell of the hving 

 pinna. 



Annelida. — The marine Annelides of the island 

 have not as yet been investigated ; a cursory glance, 

 however, amongst the stones on the beach at Trinco- 

 mahe and in the pools, which afford convenient basins 

 for examining them, would lead to the behef that the 

 marine species are not numerous ; tubicole genera, as 

 well as some nereids, are found, but there seems to be 

 little diversity ; though it is not impossible that a 

 closer scrutiny might be repaid by the discovery of 

 some interesting forms. 



Leeches. — Of all the plagues which beset the traveller 



* Grapsxs strigosus, Herbst. 

 2 Ncptmius jwkifficus, Linn. ; i\\ 

 scutcjuinolentus, Herbst, &c. &c. 



^ Milne Edw. Hist. Nat. Crust. 

 vol. ii. p. 360. 



* Pinnotheres vetermn. 



