384 



of the footstalk of the lateral antennae is furnished 



with a spine or elongated point. 



These crabs are of very common occurrence upon 

 the shore, and are known under the name of the hermit- 

 crabs, from their singular and' solitary mode of life, 

 which is passed entirely in old and forsaken univalve 

 shells, exhibiting a most beautiful instance of that 

 connexion which is always found to exist between 

 the structure and functions of animals ; hence it is 

 that we see the reason why the abdomen of these 

 crabs is of a soft and fleshy nature, since, if it were 

 hard and shelly, like that of the lobster, it would be 

 impossible for it to accommodate itself to its tortuous 

 abode, whereby it is enabled to escape from those 

 dangers, to which it would be exposed from the 

 boisterous element in which it resides, if it were not 

 thus amply secured from harm. The species of 

 which this genus is composed are very numerous, and 

 are found in all parts of the globe. The following 

 extract from Mr. Bennett's Wanderings in New 

 South Wales will be read with interest, as it con- 

 tains a satisfactory account of the habits of these 

 animals : 



" A great number of the Pagitri, hermit, or soldier- 

 crabs, of different sizes, were running about the beach ; 

 two large specimens that I found had each taken 

 possession of the Doliinn perdiv, or partridge shell, 

 to which they were as firmly attached as if in their 

 natural habitation. The smaller kind inhabit Muri- 

 ces, Trochi, Neritce, Helices, Lyn^nea:, Cerethii, and 

 the univalve shells. In some instances I saw large 

 shells of Harpa, &c., inhabited by very small animals 

 of this kind, moving their heavy and cumbrous 

 dwelling slowly and with difficulty : thete were 

 some of a red, and others of a sea-green colour, 

 but the larger were invariably of a beautiful lilac. 

 May not this change of colour depend upon their 

 age ? The Paguri feed upon dead animals, fish, -and 

 all kinds of offal, as well as vegetable matter, such as 

 skins of plantain, remains of cocoa-nuts, fruits, &c. 

 I have often observed a number of these creatures, of 

 various sizes, congregated about a dead and putrid 

 fish ; and it is ludicrous, on disturbing them in the 

 midst of their feast, to see them marching -away, 

 fumbling and overturning one another in the hurry, 

 causing a clattering noise to proceed from this col- 

 lision of their borrowed coverings, and, should they 

 not be able to escape capture, they draw themselves 

 closely into the shell, closing the aperture so firmly, 

 by closing the claws over the entrance, as to render it 

 impossible to extract them without breaking the shell 

 to pieces. Thus secured, they remain immovable and 

 apparently dead, and may be kicked or thrown about 

 without giving any indications of life ; but danger 

 past, they emerge partly from the shell as before, and 

 move briskly away. The natives use them occasion- 

 ally, but rarely, as food." 



The manoeuvres of these creatures, when their ha- 

 bitations have become too small for them, are not less 

 ludicrous. Crawling slowly along the line of empty 

 shells, &c., left by the last wave, and unwilling to part 

 even with their incommodious domicile until another 

 is obtained, they carefully examine, one by one, the 

 shells which lie in their way, slipping the tail out of 

 the old house into the new one, and again betaking 

 itself to the old one, if this should not suit. In this 

 manner they proceed until they have found a habita- 

 tion to their liking, which, as we learn from Mr. Ben- 

 nett, is by no means proportioned to their size. 



-PALIURUS. 



There are several British species of this genus 

 figured by Leach in his " Malacostraca Podophthalaui 

 Britannica," the commonest and best known being the 

 Cancer Sernhardms of Linnteus, (Pagurus Streblonyx 

 of Leach,) which is of a moderate size. Its claws are 

 armed with short spines, and are somewhat heart- 

 shaped, that on the right hand side being the largest. 

 This genus constitutes the type of a family of long- 

 tailed crabs (Pagztridce), which comprises the follow- 

 ing genera Jfirgus, Pagurm, Cocnobita, and Proyliy- 

 lax. The type of the genus Birgus (which is gene- 

 rally distinguished by the harder consistence of their 

 teguments, orbicular tail, and reversed, heart-shaped 

 carapax,) is one of the largest crustaceous animals. It 

 is the Cancer lain Linnaeus, or the Bacrskrabbe (purse 

 crab) of Rumphius, and is an inhabitant of Amboyna, 

 and was found in abundance by Mr. Cuming in Lord 

 Hood's Island, in the Pacific, livins; at the roots of 

 trees, and not in forsaken shells. When disturbed, it 

 puts itself into a threatening attitude, and retreats 

 backwards, making a noise with its claws. It has 

 been long asserted that it climbs the cocoa-trees ; and 

 Messrs. Quoy and Gaimard,in proof of the correctness 

 of this assertion, fed this species for many months 

 on cocoa-nuts ; Mr. Cuming also discovered that it 

 climbs the Pandanus odoratissinins, a kind of palm- 

 tree, or feeds upon the small nut which grows thereon. 



PAL^EMONID^E (SAUCOQUES, or CAKIDES, 

 Latreille). A very extensive family of long-tailed 

 Crustacea (Malacostraca macrura), of small or but 

 moderate size, having the intermediate antennae in- 

 serted higher than the lateral, the footstalk of the lat- 

 ter being entirely covered by a largo scale ; the body 

 is arched, and of a slight consistence, the front being 

 often produced over the head into a long and serrated 

 spine ; the antennae are always porrected, the lateral 

 pair being generally very long and slender, and the 

 intermediate pair often terminated by two or three 

 threads ; the outer pair of foot jaws considerably elon- 

 gated and slender, rather resembling palpi ; the ex- 

 ternal plate of the natatory caudal apparatus is always 

 divided intotwo parts; the central plate is long, narrow, 

 and pointed ; the fulse or abdominal prolegs consist 

 of five pairs, and are long and generally foliaceous. 



This family is well exemplified by the shrimp and 

 prawn, as well as by other species which, in various 

 parts of the world, are much eaten either by being 

 simply boiled, or salted and potted. The genera 

 are very numerous, and are distinguished by the 

 number of filaments of the intermediate antennas, the 

 number of didactyle claws, the annular structure 

 of the tibiae of some of the legs, &c. The chief 

 genera are Atya, Crangon (which see), Alp/ieeits, II/p- 

 polyte, Pandalus, Paltsmon, and Athanas. The genus 

 PalfBmon, Fabricius (the type of which is the com- 

 mon prawn, P.serratus, Pennant), is distinguished by 

 having three setae to the internal antenna:-, the four 

 anterior legs didactyle, the second pair being larger 

 than the first pair, which are folded back, the wrist 

 inarticulate, and the front of the, carapax very much 

 elongated and toothed. 



PALINURUS (Fabricius). The spiny lobster. 

 See ASTACID.*. 



PALIURUS (Tournefort). A genus of deciduous 

 shrubs, natives of the south of Europe and Nepal, 

 belonging to the order Rhamnece. The Christ's thorn 

 (P. aculeatus) is a prickly shrub, but its flowers are 

 ornamental. They succeed well in any garden soil, 

 and are increased by layers or cutting of the roots. 



