A MILE OF CRABS 



spend half their time under water, and the other half, when 

 the tide is out, wandering about the beach in search of food. 

 Though crowds of them frequent the same locality they 

 never venture to intrude into one another's burrows, and 

 should one attempt to do so, a loud scraping noise made by 

 the rightful owner warns him as plainly as possible that 

 " trespassers will be prosecuted." Even when hard pressed 

 one of these crabs will rely on his agility to bring him safely 

 to his own home rather than risk the peril of intruding into 

 the dwelling of a stranger. 



Before taking leave of the crabs, we will mention one 

 more species. Gecarcinus ruricola, a native of Jamaica, 

 usually takes up quarters two or three miles from the 

 sea, where it spends the day hidden away under rocks, 

 in hollow trees, or in holes and burrows. Like other land- 

 crabs it is able to run with extraordinary swiftness, and 

 in the pairing season the whole colony sets out en masse 

 for the sea. Issuing in myriads from their lurking-places, 

 the crabs form a mighty band, which sometimes, accord- 

 ing to Mr. Browne, covers an area more than a mile in 

 length and forty yards wide. Nothing turns them from 

 their course. With the males leading the way, they make a 

 bee-line for the sea, passing over all obstacles not only 

 hills and hedges, but even houses and cliffs and constantly 

 risk their lives rather than make a circuit. In the late 

 summer they change their coats, for which purpose they 

 retire to their burrows and carefully close up all the apertures 

 in order to keep out any possible enemies until the new shell 

 has become hard enough for them to venture in the open 

 once more. 



It occasionally happens that the mining propensities of 

 crustaceans become decidedly troublesome, for it is stated 

 that "the embankments of the Mississippi are sometimes 



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