143 BY THE DEEP SEA* 



tough skin that hinges the joints of the limbs together is of 

 the same hue as the eyes. Such is the appearance of the 

 living Velvet Fiddler; the museum specimens lack much of 

 his brightness and beauty. 



The name of Fiddler has been given to him, according to 

 Mr. Gosse, " because the see-saw motion of the bent and 

 flattened joints of the oar-feet is so much like that of a 

 fiddler's elbow." You will, I am sure, agree that this is a 

 satisfactory explanation when you see the Velvet Fiddler 

 flinging these feet about in a perfectly unnecessary, and in- 

 e.Tectual manner, considering that he is out of water. When 

 we disturb him during our exploration of the drang, he puts 

 up his pincer-claws in similar fashion to the tactics adopted 

 by the Shore-crab; but we are not to be alarmed in that 

 manner. Pretending to hit him between the eyes with one 

 hand, we slip the other behind him, and catch the longest part 

 of his carapace between our finger and thumb, and his kicks 

 and threats are thrown away. 



There are seven other species of Swimming-crabs belonging 

 to this genus, Portunus^ found in British waters, but as they 

 all inhabit deep water, and can be obtained only with the 

 dredge, or by arrangement with the crabbers, who regretfully 

 find them in their pots, they are not likely to thrust themselves 

 on the notice of the shore-naturalist. 



Gazing into the rock-pools, an observer who was acquainted 

 with molluscan life, but not with the Crustacea, would be aston- 

 ished at the marvellous rate at which winkles, dog-whelks, 

 tops, and other shells move over the bottom ; but if he lifted 

 one of these he would discover that the builder of the house 

 had given up possession, and a tenant had taken it for a term. 

 This tenant is one or other of a dozen species of crabs known 

 indiscriminately to the great British Public as /he Hermit Crab 

 or Soldier Crab. The fact that it shuts itself up in a solitary 

 cell is sufficient to account for its name of Hermit-crab ; and 

 a strong tendency to wage war upon a fellow crab, who may 



