44 Life Beneath the Waves. 



moment with apparent astonishment, he 

 pushes it contemptuously away, and 

 hastens to find some snug hole or obscure 

 corner wherein he can hide himself, till he 

 can again issue forth in all the glory and 

 comfort of a new suit of armour. 



His present skin is now very soft 

 and tender, and by no means calculated 

 to act as a defence against the attacks of 

 his companions those of his own kind 

 being especially ready to take every advan- 

 tage of his weak and forlorn condition. 

 Upon one occasion I noticed a tiny crab 

 crouching down under a stone, close to the 

 spot where another crab, twice his own 

 size, was occupied in casting off his shell; 

 whether the little one owed the larger one 

 a grudge, or not, I cannot say, but no sooner 

 was the latter rendered defenceless by the 

 loss of his armour, than the little wretch 



