MIGRATION. 181 



their spawn, and afterwards return to the 

 woods and higher lands, where they continue 

 for the remaining part of the season ; nor do 

 their young ones ever fail to follow them as 

 soon as ever they are able to crawl. The old 

 crabs generally regain their habitations in the 

 mountains, which are seldom within less than a 

 mile, and not often above three from the shore, 

 by the latter end of June, and then provide 

 themselves with convenient burrows, in which 

 they pass the greater part of the day, going out 

 only at night to feed. In December and 

 January they begin to be in spawn, and are 

 then very fat and delicate ; but they continue 

 to grow richer until the month of May, which 

 is the season for them to wash off their eggs. 

 They begin to move down in February, and are 

 very much abroad in March and April — the 

 pairing season." About the beginning or middle 

 of June, the inland migration commences ; and 

 * about the months of July or August the crabs 

 fatten again, and prepare for mouldering, (that 

 is, retreating to their burrows,) filling up the 

 holes with dry grass, leaves, and abundance of 

 other materials. When the proper time comes, 

 each retires to its hole, shuts up the passage, 

 and remains quite inactive, until it gets rid of 

 its old shell, and is fully provided with a new 

 one. How long they continue in this state is 

 uncertain, but the shell is observed to burst 

 both at the back and sides, to give a passage 

 to the body. Afterwards, the animal gradually 

 extracts its limbs from all the other parts. At 



