THE LOBSTER KIND. 



333 



various properties; some being healthful, de- 

 licious, and nourishing food ; others, poisonous 

 or malignant to the last degree ; some are not 

 above half an inch broad, others are found a 



most noxious pests that can infest a plantation. Their 

 burrows extend to a great depth, and run in various di- 

 rections; they are also, like those of our fiddlers, nearly 

 full of muddy water; so that, when these marauders 

 once plump into their dens, they must be considered as 

 entirely beyond pursuit. They are so numerous, and 

 they multiply in such numbers, as in some seasons to 

 destroy a large proportion of a sugar crop, and some, 

 times their ravages, combined with those of the rats and 

 other plunderers, are absolutely ruinous to the sea-side 

 planters. I was shown, by the superintendent of a place 

 thus infested, a great quantity of cane utterly killed by 

 these creatures, which cut it ofl" in a peculiar manner, 

 in order to suck the juice ; and he assured me that, dur- 

 ing that season, the crop would be two-thirds less than 

 its average, solely owing to the inroads of the crabs and 

 rats, which, if possible, are still more numerous. It was 

 to me an irresistible source of amusement to observe the 

 air of spite and vexation with which he spoke of the 

 crabs; .the rats he could shoot, poison, or drive ofl' for a 

 time with dogs. But the crabs would not eat his poi- 

 son while sugar cane was growing ; the dogs could only 

 chase them into their holes; and if, in helpless irritation, 

 he sometimes fired his gun at a cluster of them, the shot 

 only rattled over their shells like hail against a window. 

 It is truly desirable that some summary mode of lessen- 

 ing their number could be devised, and it is probable that 

 this will be best effected by poison, as it may be possible 

 to obtain a bait sufficiently attractive to ensnare them. 

 Species of this genus are found in various parts of our 

 country, more especially towards the south. About Cape 

 May, our friends may have excellent opportunities of 

 testing the truth of what is said of their swiftness and 

 vigilance. 



The land crab, which is common to many of the West 

 India islands, is more generally known as the Jamaica 

 crab, because it has been most frequently described from 

 observation in that island. Wherever found, they have 

 all the habit of living, during great part of the year, in 

 the highlands, where they pass the daytime concealed in 

 huts, cavities, and under stones, and come out at night 

 for their food. They are remarkable for collecting in 

 vast bodies, and marching annually to the sea-side, in 

 order to deposit their eggs in the sand ; and this accom- 

 plished, they return to their former abodes, if undisturbed. 

 They commence their march in the night, and move in 

 the most direct line towards the destined point. So ob- 

 stinately do they pursue this route, that they will not turn 

 out of it for any obstacle that can possibly be surmounted. 

 During the daytime, they skulk and lie hid as closely as 

 possible, but thousands upon thousands of them are taken 

 for the use of the table by whites and blacks, as on their 

 seaward march they are very fat and of fine flavour. On 

 the homeward journey, those that have escaped capture 

 are weak, exhausted, and unfit for use. Before dismiss- 

 ing the crabs, I must mention one which was a source 

 of much annoyance to me at first, and of considerable in- 

 terest afterwards, from the observation of its habits. At 

 that time I resided in a house situated about two hun- 

 dred yards from the sea, fronting the setting sun, having 

 in clear weather the lofty mountains of Porto Rico in 

 view, distant about eighty miles. Like most of the 

 houses in the island, ours had seen better days, as was 

 evident from various breaks in the floors, angles rotted 

 oft' the doors, sunken sills, and other indications of de- 

 cay. Our sleeping room, which was on the lower floor, 

 was especially in this condition ; but as the weather was 

 delightfully warm, a few cracks and openings, though 



foot over; some are of a dirty brown, and 

 others beautifully mottled. That animal called 

 the Violet Crab of the Caribbee islands, is 

 the most noted, both for its shape, the deli- 



rather large, did not threaten much inconvenience. Our 

 bed was provided with that indispensable accompaniment, 

 a mosquito bar or curtain, to which we were indebted 

 for escape from various annoyances. Scarcely had we 

 extinguished the light, and composed ourselves to rest, 

 than we heard, in various parts of the room, the most 

 startling noises. It appeared as if numerous hard and 

 heavy bodies were trailed along the floor; they then 

 sounded as if climbing up the chairs and other furniture, 

 and frequently something like a large stone would tum- 

 ble down from such elevations with a loud noise, followed 

 by a peculiar chirping uoise. What an effect this pro- 

 duced upon entirely inexperienced strangers, may well 

 be imagined by those who have been suddenly waked up 

 in the dark, by some unaccountable noise in the room. 

 Finally, these invaders began to ascend the bed ; but 

 happily the musquito bar was securely tucked under the 

 bed all around, and they were denied access, though their 

 efforts and tumbles to the floor produced no very com- 

 fortable reflections. Towards daylight they began to re- 

 tire, and in the morning no trace of any such visitants 

 could be perceived. On mentioning our troubles, we 

 were told that this nocturnal disturber was only Bernard 

 the Hermit, called generally the soldier crab, perhaps 

 from the peculiar habit he has of protecting his body by 

 thrusting it into an empty shell, which he afterwards 

 carries about, until he outgrows it, when it is relin- 

 quished for a larger. Not choosing to pass another night 

 quite so noisily, due care was taken to exclude Mon- 

 sieur Bernard, whose knockings were thenceforward 

 confined to the outside of the house. I baited a large 

 wire rat-trap with some corn meal, and placed it out- 

 side of the back door, and in the morning found it 

 literally half filled with these crab?, from the largest 

 sized shell that could enter the trap, down to such as 

 were not larger than a hickory nut. Here was a fine 

 collection made at once, affording a very considerable 

 variety in the size and age of the specimens, and the 

 different shells into which they had introduced them- 

 sel ves. 



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 facti- 

 tious dwelling. Along the surface of its abdomen, as 

 well as on the back, there are small projections, appar- 

 ently 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 suit 

 ableness, and hence you may catch a considerable num 

 ber of the same species, each of which is in a different 

 species or genus of shell. The shells commonly used by 

 them, when of larger size, are those of the whilk, which 

 are much used as an article of 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 fre- 

 quently been amused by ladies eagerly engaged in making 

 collections of these beautiful little shells, and not dream- 

 ing of their being tenanted by a living animal, suddenly 

 startled, on displaying their acquisitions, by observing 



