405 HERMIT CRABS. 



the beach ; two large specimens, that I found, had 

 each taken possession of the Dolium perdix, or 

 partridge shell, to which they were as firmly 

 attached as if in their natural habitation. The 

 crustaceous portion of these animals is of a beau- 

 tifiil lilac colour, the softer parts yellow, and the 

 antennae of a dark red colour ; the natives call 

 them by the general name of " Sepo ;" the 

 smaller kind inhabit Murices, Trochi, Neritce, 

 Helices, Ly^nnece, Cerethii, and other univalve 

 shells. In some instances I saw large shells of 

 Harpa, &c., inhabited by very small animals of 

 this kind, moving their heavy and cumbrous 

 dwelling slowly and with difficulty ; there were 

 some of a red, and others of a sea-green colour, 

 but the larger were invariably of a beautiful 

 lilac. May not this change of colour depend 

 upon their age ? 



The Pagurii feed upon dead animals, fish, and 

 all kinds of ofi'al, as well as vegetable matter, 

 such as skins of plantains, remains of cocoa nuts, 

 fruits, &c. I have often observed a number of 

 these creatures of various sizes congregated about 

 a dead and putrid fish, and it is ludicrous, on 

 disturbing them in the midst of their feast, to 

 see them marching away, jumbling and over- 

 turning one another in the hurry, causing a 



