A NATURALIST. 95 



that have forsaken their old shells meet, or happen 

 to make choice of the same vacant one. It is also 

 said, that one crab is sometimes forced to give up the 

 shell he is in, should a stronger chance to desire it. 

 This, as I never saw it, I must continue to doubt; 

 for I cannot imagine how the stronger could possibly 

 accomplish his purpose, seeing that the occupant has 

 nothing to do but keep close quarters. The invader 

 would have no chance of seizing him to pull him out, 

 nor could he do him any injury by biting upon the 

 surface of his hard claws, the only part that would 

 be exposed. If it be true that one can dispossess 

 the other, it must be by some contrivance of which 

 we are still ignorant. These soldier-crabs feed on a 

 great variety of substances, scarcely refusing any- 

 thing that is edible : like the family they belong to, 

 they have a decided partiality for putrid meats, and 

 the planters accuse them also of too great a fondness 

 for the sugar-cane. Their excursions are altogether 

 nocturnal : in the day-time they lie concealed very 

 effectually in small holes, among stones, or any kind 

 of rubbish, and are rarely taken notice of, even where 

 hundreds are within a short distance of each other. 

 The larger soldier-crabs are sometimes eaten by the 

 blacks, but they are not much sought after even by 

 them, as they are generally regarded with aversion 

 and prejudice. There is no reason, that we are 

 aware of, why they should not be as good as many 

 other crabs, but they certainly are not equally 

 esteemed. 



JOHN. 



