334 



HISTORY OF FISHES. 



cacy of its flesh and (lie singularity of its 

 manners. 



The Violet Crab somewhat resembles two 

 hands cut through the middle and joined 

 together ; for each side looks like four fingers, 

 and the two nippers or claws resemble the 

 thumbs. All the rest of the body is covered 

 with a shell as large as a man's hand, and 

 bunched in the middle, on the fore part of 

 which there are two long eyes of the size of a 

 grain of barley, as transparent as crystal, and 

 as hard as horn. A little below these is the 

 mouth, covered with a sort of barbs, under 

 which there are two broad sharp teeth as white 

 as snow. They are not placed, as in other 

 animals, crossways, but in the opposite direc- 

 tion, not much unlike the blades of a pair of 

 scissars. With these teeth they can easily 

 cut leaves, fruits, and rotten wood, which is 

 their usual food. But their principal instru- 

 ment for cutting and seizing their food is their 

 nippers, which catch such a hold, that the 

 animal loses the limb sooner than its grasp, 

 and is often seen scampering off, having left 

 its claw still holding fast upon the Tenemy. 

 The faithful claw seems to perform its duty, 

 and keeps for above a minute fastened upon 

 the finger while the crab is making off. In 

 fact, it loses no great matter by leaving a leg 

 or an arm, for they soon grow again, and the 

 animal is found as perfect as before. 1 



them to be actively endeavouring to escape ; or on in- 

 troducing the hand into the reticule to produce a par- 

 ticular fine specimen, to receive a smart pinch from the 

 claws of the little hermit. The aquatic soldiers may be 

 seen towing along shells of most disproportionate size ; 

 but their relatives, who travel over the hills by moon- 

 light, know that all unnecessary encumbrance of weight 

 should be avoided. They are as pugnacious and spiteful 

 as any of the crustaceous class ; and when taken, or when 

 they fall and jar themselves considerably, utter a chirp- 

 ing noise, which is evidently an angry expression. They 

 are ever ready to bite with their claws, and the pinch of 

 the larger individuals is quite painful. It is said that 

 when they are changing their shells for the sake of ob- 

 taining more commodious covering*!, they frequently 

 fight for possession, which may be true where two that 

 have forsaken their old shells meet, or happen to make 

 choice of the same vacant one. Rambles of a Naturalist, 

 by John D. Godman, M. D. United States. 



1 The skeleton of the crab is external. Each side is 

 provided with four legs and a hand. The latter is di- 

 vided at the extremity into two parts, resembling the 

 notched jaws of a pair of pincers. One of these parts is 

 movable and the other is not. The feet are furnished 

 with bristles. The senses of the crab are not deficient 

 in acuteness. The sense of smell is not wanting, though 

 it is not yet known where that organ is seated. The 

 powers of vision are lively, and are the result of a com- 

 plex structure, while the organ of hearing, placed near 

 the base of the antennae, is doubtless in every respect 

 adapted to its necessities. It is generally dillicult to 

 surprise land-crabs ; their acuteness of sight or hearing, 

 or perhaps both, being soon alarmed. The antennae are 

 the organs of touch. The crab has no tongue, but pos- 

 sesses the organ of taste. It is a voracious feeder, find 

 not very delicate in its choice. The mouth is furnished 



This, however, is the least surprising part 

 of this creature's history; and what I am going 

 to relate, were it not as well known and as 

 confidently confirmed as any other circumstance 

 in natural history, it might well stagger our 

 belief. These animals live not only in a kind 

 of orderly society in their retreats in the moun- 

 tains, but regularly once a year march down to 

 the sea-side in a body of some millions at a 

 time. As they multiply in great numbers, they 

 choose the months of April or May to begin 

 their expedition; and then sally out by thou- 

 sands from the stumps of hollow trees, from 

 the clefts of the rocks, and from the holes 

 which they dig for themselves under the sur- 

 face of the earth. At that time the whole 

 ground is covered with this band of adventur- 

 ers ; there is no setting down one's foot with- 

 out treading upon them. 8 The sea is their 

 place of destination, and to that they direct 

 their march with right-lined precision. No 

 geometrician could send them to their destined 

 s-tation by a shorter course ; they neither turn 

 to the right or left, whatever obstacles inter- 

 vene ; and even if they meet with a house, they 

 will attempt to scale the walls to keep the un- 

 broken tenor of their way. But though this 

 be the general order of their rout, they upon 

 other occasions are compelled to conform to the 

 lace of the country ; and if it be intersected 

 by rivers, they are then seen to wind along 

 the course of the stream. The procession sets 

 forward from the mountains with the regular- 

 ity of an army, under the guidance of an ex- 

 perienced commander. They are commonly 

 divided into three battalions ; of which the 

 first consists of the strongest and boldest males, 

 that, like pioneers, march forward to clear the 

 route, and face the greatest dangers. These 

 are often obliged to halt for want of rain, and 

 go into the most convenient encampment till 

 the weather changes. The main body of the 

 army is composed of females, which never 

 leave the mountains till the rain is set in for 

 some time, and then descend in regular battalia, 

 being formed into columns of fifty paces broad 

 and three miles deep, and so close that they 

 almost cover the ground. Three or four days 

 after this the rear-guard follows; a straggling 

 undisciplined tribe consisting of males and fe- 

 males, but neither so robust nor so numerous 

 as the former. The night is their chief time 

 of proceeding ; but if it rains by day, they do 

 not fail to profit by the occasion ; and they 



with eight pieces or pairs of jaws ; and grinding teeth 

 are attached to a cartilaginous appendage in the stomach, 

 where the process of mastication is completed. Hence 

 the crab is said to be a ruminating animal. The liver 

 is very large, and is considered by epicures as a delicious 

 morsel. The blood is either colourless or has a slight 

 blue tinge. 

 * Labat. Voyage aux Isle FranQoises, vol. ii. p. 221. 



