CRABRO C R AM BE. 



work'.. Others, as the true crabs, Partunns, &c, are 

 more generally distributed, extending from the equator 

 to the polar circles. 



The local habitations of these animals are, however, 

 very varied. Some few species of crabs penetrate to 

 a considerable distance inland, but are compelled to 

 return to the sea at the period of coupling and ovipo- 

 sition. Other species, although having the form of 

 the marine crabs, do not, emit the fresh water, as in 

 the Tflphusff. Again, amongst the marine species, 

 the majority do not quit the shores, whilst others are 

 found at great distances in the high seas, where they 

 can rest only on the floating banks of sea-weeds so abun- 

 dant in the tropics. And even in those species which 

 frequent the coasts, the same situations arc not con- 

 genial to them all; some, as the Dorippe and Inachi, 

 reside at great depths of the sea, from two to four 

 hundred feet, whilst others keep continually at the 

 surface of the waters, passing a great part of their 

 existence upon the shores continually washed by the 

 waves. Some species, again, frequent only the rocky 

 parts of the coast, abounding in madrepores and diffi- 

 cult of access, whilst others prefer sandy shoals, in 

 which they bury themselves. 



Amongst the land crabs some species, as the 

 Ocypodc^ make deep burrows, at the mouth of which 

 they ordinarily take their station after the fashion of 

 sentinels, whilst some, as the Raniiuc, prefer more 

 elevated places, and sometimes even mount the roofs 

 of the huts of the Indians. The crabs are, moreover, 

 the most active animals of the class with reference to 

 their powers of walking, although the Maaroura cer- 

 tainly excel them in swimming. In those crabs which 

 run fastest the eight hind legs are alone employed, 

 and arc terminated by strong pointed hooks. They 

 walk with the same facility, forwards, backwards, and 

 from side to side, indeed in all possible oblique direc- 

 tions. They will also ascend inclined planes, and 

 even almost perpendicular surfaces, provided these 

 planes be not quite smooth. Many, as the Ocypode 

 and (irrarrini, are noted for their rapidity in running; 

 indeed it is said that a. man at full speed would be 

 unable to overtake them. Many species of crabs 

 walk with much less agility than the others, being 

 more decidedly aquatic. They are therefore provided 

 with dilated legs, having the margins furnished with 

 rows of hairs, which are thence converted into natural 

 oars, and by the assistance of which these species are 

 able to perform the same motions in the water as the 

 others do on the shore, and in equally varied direc- 

 tions. Such are the Podophlhalmi, ^'lututcc, Portuni, 

 &c., which have hence acquired the name of shuttle 

 crabs, Cancer vocans. 



Crabs are in general very courageous, and when 

 their retreat is cut off they stretch out their claws, 

 and endeavour to nip with them, which they do 

 with much force, owing to the size of these parts. 

 Some species, in shutting these claws with violence 

 and rapidity, produce a strong sound ; and as they 

 hold their claws in the air with which they make 

 this noise, they have fancifully obtained the name ol 

 Calling Crabs. 



Crabs, fcs well as the generality of the class Crus- 

 tacea, feed upon animal matter, especially when in a 

 state of decomposition. Dead bodies, floating upon 

 the surface of the waves, or cast upon the shore by 

 them, are immediately covered with these animals, 

 and there is every reason to suppose that they are 

 attracted by their powers of scent, although the seat 



of this sense is not known. Some of the carnivorous 

 crabs even attack living prey, and fight fiercely in 

 order to procure it. In these combats they often lose 

 their claws, which are however soon reproduced, but 

 they never attain the same size as previously. This 

 reproduction of the limbs is one of the most curious 

 circumstances connected with the class, and respect- 

 ing which we shall give further details in our obser- 

 vations upon the class. In like manner \v.: shall 

 reserve the account of the transformations which 

 these animals have recently been asserted to undergo 

 by Mr. J. V. Thompson, in his valuable Zoological 

 Researches, as well as an account of the periodical 

 moulting undergone by them. 



CRABRO (Geoffrey). A genus of hymenopterous 

 insects synonymous with CIMBEX. 



CRABRONIDjE (Leach). A family, or perhaps 

 rather a sub-family, of hymenopterous insects belong- 

 ing to the section Aculcata and subsection Fossores or 

 false wasps. The head is large and nearlv square, 

 seen from above; the antennae often gradually 

 thickened at the tips ; the abdomen oval or elliptic, 

 broadest at the middle, or narrowed at the base into 

 a peduncle. The insects introduced into this family 

 may be divided into two distinct sections with refer- 

 ence to their natural habits,which are verv interesting : 

 first, the true burrowers, which form their own nests, 

 either in the sand or in decayed rotten posts, and 

 similar situations ; these have the fore-legs in gene- 

 ral armed with strong spurs to enable them to perform 

 their laborious operations in the construction of their 

 nests ; and, secondly, the species which are destitute 

 of these spurs, and which consequently being unable 

 to make their own nests, deposit their eggs in the 

 nests of the other species, and in which the parent 

 fly has already deposited a supply of food consisting 

 of other insects, upon the bodies of which, as well as 

 also (in all probability, although the point has not yet 

 been decided) upon the real inhabitant of the cell, the 

 larvae hatched from the eggs thus surreptitiously 

 introduced into the cells feed. The genera are, Try- 

 poxylon, Latreille, which provisions its nest with 

 small spiders ; Gorytes, which are considered para- 

 sites ; Crabro, which generally burrow in wood, and 

 provision their nests with the caterpillars of small 

 moths found upon the oak, as well as with dipterous 

 flies*. Some of the male have the anterior tarsi dilated 

 into a curious circular plate ; Stigmus and Pemphrcdon, 

 which burrow in sand, one of the species of the latter 

 burying numbers of plant lice for the food of her 

 future progeny ; Mellintis, All/son, Psen, Philanthus, 

 the larva of which is supplied with bees ; and Cer- 

 ceres (which see for a more detailed account of the 

 habits of the last two genera). 



CRAMBE (Linnaeus). A genus of herbaceous 

 perennials, one of them a native of Britain, and 

 known by the name of sea-kale. These plants belong 

 to the class Tctradynamia, and natural order Cruciferae. 

 Sea-kale is found wild on sandy shores, and as it 

 rises with large succulent shoots and unexpanded 

 leaves early in the spring, had been long used as a 

 substitute for young cabbage by the country people 

 in those places where it was plentiful. Near four- 

 score years back it was brought, though partially, 

 into garden culture ; but was in little esteem till about 



* We liave just noticed one of the species of this genus flying 

 rilont; with a crane fly, larger than itself, the legs ol' which It 

 had previously cut off. 



L -2 



