142 THE TROPICAL WORLD. 



With great facility among the roots of the ittangroves, where it 

 finds a goodly harvest of minute crustaceans. It must, how- 

 ever, not be supposed that ' Johnny ' has all the swamp t6 

 himself; for though he manages to swallow many a victim, 

 he is not seldom doomed to become the prey of creatures 

 more wily or stronger than himself. A large and powerful crab 

 of the Grrapsus family may often be observed stealing, with 

 an almost imperceptible motion, and in a cautious, sidelong 

 manner, towards a gudgeon basking on the shore, and, 

 before the fish has time to' plunge into the sea, the pincer of 

 the crab secures it in a vice-like gripe, from which it is per- 

 fectly hopeless to escape. 



' Johnny ' is a pugnacious little fellow, and rather prolonged 

 fights may be observed between him and his brethren. At the 

 mouth of the Zambesi, Dr. Livingstone saw one which, in 

 fleeing from an apparent danger, jumped into a pool a foot 

 square, which another evidently regarded as his by prior dis- 

 covery. In a twinkling the owner, with eyes flashing fury, and 

 with dorsal fin bristling up in a rage, dashed at the intruding 

 foe. The fight waxed furious. No tempest in a teapot ever 

 equalled the storm of that miniature sea. The warriors were 

 now in the water and anon out of it, for the battle raged on 

 sea and shore. They struck hard, they bit each other, until 

 becoming exhausted, they seized each other by the jaws like 

 two bull-dogs. They paused for breath, and were at it again as 

 fiercely as before, until the combat ended by the precipitate 

 retreat of the invader. 



The vast multitude of marine animals which peoples the 

 mangrove swamps naturally attracts a great number of strand, 

 lacustrine, and sea birds ; for it would be strange, indeed, if 

 guests were wanting where the table is so prodigally supplied. 

 Tlie red ibis, the snow-white egrette, the rosy spoonbill, the 

 tall flamingo, and an abundance of herons and other water- 

 fowl, love to frequent the mangrove thickets, enhancing by 

 their magnificent plumage the beauty of the scene. For, 

 however repulsive may be the swampy ground on which these 

 strange trees delight, yet their bright green foliage, growing 

 in radiated tufts at the ends of the branches, and frequently 

 bespangled with large gaily-coloured flowers, affords a most 

 pleasing spectacle. Many an interesting discovery would 



