A NATURALIST. 93 



specimens, and the different shells into which they 

 had introduced themselves. 



The soldier or hermit-crab, when withdrawn from 

 his adopted shell, presents, about the head and claws, 

 a considerable family resemblance to the lobster. The 

 claws, however, are very short and broad, and the 

 body covered with hard shell only in that part which 

 is liable to be exposed or protruded. The posterior 

 or abdominal part of the body is covered only by a 

 tough skin, and tapers towards a small extremity, 

 furnished with a sort of hook-like apparatus, enabling 

 it to hold on to its factitious dwelling. Along the 

 surface of its abdomen, as well as on the back, there 

 are small projections, apparently intended for the 

 same purpose. When once fairly in possession of a 

 shell, it would be quite a difficult matter to pull the 

 crab out, though a very little heat applied to the 

 shell will quickly induce him to leave it. The shells 

 they select are taken solely with reference to their 

 suitableness, and hence you may catch a considerable 

 number of the same species, each of which is in a 

 different species or genus of shell. The shells com- 

 monly used by them, when of larger size, are those 

 of the whilk, which are much used as an article cf 

 food by the islanders, or the smaller conch [strombus] 

 shells. The very young hermit-crabs are found in 

 almost every variety of small shell found on the 

 shores of the Antilles. I have frequently been 

 amused by ladies eagerly engaged in making collec- 

 tions of these beautiful little shells, and not dream- 

 ing of their being tenanted by a living animal, sud- 



