250 KEELING ISLAND. 



is a large bay-like space, composed, of the finest 

 white sand : it is quite level, and is only covered 

 by the tide at high water ; from this large bay 

 smaller creeks penetrate the suiTounding woods. 

 To see a field of glittering white sand, representing 

 water, with the cocoa-nut trees extending their tall 

 and waving trunks round the margin, formed a 

 singular and very pretty view. 



1 have before alluded to a crab which lives on 

 the cocoa-nuts : it is very common on all parts of 

 the dry land, and grows to a monstrous size : it is 

 closely aUied or identical with the Birgos latro. 

 The front pair of legs terminate in very strong and 

 heavy pincers, and the last pair are fitted with 

 others weaker and much narrower. It would, at 

 first, be thought quite impossible for a crab to open 

 a strong cocoa-nut covered with the husk ; but Mr. 

 Liesk assures me that he has rej^eatedly seen this 

 effected. The crab begins by tearing the husk, 

 fibre by fibre, and always from that end under 

 which the three eye-holes are situated; when this 

 is completed, the crab commences hammering 

 with its heavy claws on one of the eye-holes till an 

 opening is made. Then turning round its body, 

 by the aid of its posterior and narrow pair of p'm- 

 cers it extracts the white albuminous substance. 

 I think this is as curious a case of instinct as ever 

 I heard of, and likewise of adaptation in structure 

 between two objects apparently so remote from 

 each other in the scheme of nature as a crab and 

 a cocoa-nut tree. The Birgos is diurnal in its 

 habits ; but every night it is said to pay a visit to 

 the sea, no doubt for the purpose of moistening its 

 branchiae. The young are likewise hatched, and. 

 live for some time, on the coast. These crabs in- 

 habit deep burrows, which they hollow out beneath 

 the roots of trees, and where they accumulate sur- 



