HIGHER CRUSTACEA OF NEW YORK CITY 143 



ing out their claws in a menacing manner, but finally running off 

 sideways and concealing themselves under stones or seaweeds. 

 Interesting accounts of the adults are found in the paper by Rathbun. 



The " soft shell crab " of commerce is this species taken after it 

 has shed its hard shell and before the new one has hardened. The 

 operations of catching the crabs about to shed, and keeping and 

 watching them till they do so, form a very important business, 

 whose headquarters are at Crisfield Md. Some of it is done on the 

 shores of Great South bay, L. I. and a short account of the industry 

 has been given by the writer. 1 



Crabbing is one of the amusements of the summer population of 

 the shore, the process being to entice the crab within reach by means 

 of a fish head or other bait and then capture him with a net. As 

 the crabs can give a fairly good nip with their strong claws, it is 

 quite liable to afford considerable amusement. 



The females with eggs are rarely found in this latitude, as they 

 seem to prefer deeper water, but they are occasionally taken on 

 pound nets. The eggs are small and very numerous. 



Length 13 cm across the carapace. Color dark green, white 

 below ; feet blue ; spines and fingers tipped with red. 



Common on southern shore of Long Island and occasionally 

 found on northern. 



Platyonichus ocellatus Latreille 



Lady crab 



Platyonichus ocellatus Latreille. Ency. Meth. 16:152. DeKay. 

 /. c. 1844. p.9, pi. i, fig.i; pi. 5, fig.7. Verrill. /. c. 1874. P-547, pl.i, fig-4- 



Carapace almost circular, with five acute teeth on each side; last 

 pair of legs flattened and rounded. Color light with red spots. 



This is a very handsome species, and according to De Kay the 

 name lady crab is given it on account of the beauty of its coloring. 

 As in the blue crab, the last pair of legs are flattened, so that it is a 

 good swimmer. Its usual habitat is the sandy beaches, even the 

 most exposed, where at low water mark, it buries itself, all but the 

 eyes and antennae and is on the watch for enemies and prey. If 



1 N. Y. S'.ate Mus. ssth An. Rep't. igoi. p. 1-129-38. 



