138 BY THE DEEP SEA. 



Angers of a paler brown even than the general hue of the big 

 claws, and have such a specimen alive before me as I write. 



In the course of our stone-turning we are likely to come 

 upon a little purplish-brown crab, about an inch across the 

 carapace, and bristling all over with hairs and spines. It is 

 known to the naturalist as Pilumnus hirtellus, but none of the 

 writers on crabs appears to have troubled about a popular 

 name for it, so it is incumbent upon me to supply the defic- 

 iency. For the purpose of communication with my readers, 

 I therefore dub Pihtmnus hirtellus with the nickname or alias 

 of Hairy Crab. The front of the carapace is cut up into a 

 number of teeth much sharper than those of Xa?itho ; in fact, 



in comparison with those, these 

 of the Hairy-crab are spines. 

 One of these spines protects the 

 orbit of the eye, and there are 

 four others on each side between 

 it and the base of the pincer- 

 claws. The pincer-claws have a 

 very robust appearance in com- 

 parison with the size of the trunk, 

 HAIRY-CRAB. being thick and rounded ; one is 



usually larger than its fellow, but 



it may be either the right or the left. The smaller of the two 

 is covered with tubercles on the upper parts, the larger is 

 smooth. The smaller legs are very hairy indeed, and similar 

 hairs are scattered over the carapace among the short down 

 with which it is covered. It is common all along the Southern 

 and Western coasts of England and around IreJand, under 

 stones at low-water, though by no means so abundant as 

 Xantho, and others we have to mention. Bell, in his 

 w History of Stalk-eyed Crustacea," almost seems to question 

 Dr. Leach's statement that it is found at low tide mark, for 

 he adds, " those which I have obtained have been from 

 deep water." Dr. Leach, however, was quite correct in his 



