316 HABITS OF CRUSTACEANS. 



selves under stones and sea-weed. They were jumping 

 about in all directions, and appeared to wage a continual 

 war, not only with hundreds of Tropidinoti and other 

 Orthopterous insects, but with a bark brown Carabideous 

 insect, which was found running with great rapidity 

 among them, evidently bent on destruction. 



The Cliarybdis miles of De Haan was swimming and 

 shuffling about in the shallow water of the flat, sandy 

 beach, proving a very troublesome companion to those 

 seamen who were bare-footed, on account of the very 

 long, large, sharp spiny powerful claws, with which they 

 are furnished ; for although they fold the chelae on the 

 forepart of the carapace, and contract their legs when 

 caught, they would dart among the legs of the boat's 

 crew, and inflict rather severe scratches. As, however, 

 they were large, and fit for the pot, this was considered a 

 mere trifle by honest, hungry Jack. 



On one occasion, I was very much surprised and de- 

 lighted, as we were sitting in a circle with the natives 

 around a large wood fire, to see some young boys bring 

 in several large Crabs, having their chelae, or foot-claws, 

 covered in a very remarkable manner, with a quantity of 

 coarse silky hair, so very dense and thick that they more 

 resembled rabbits' feet than the claws of a Crustaceous 

 animal. These curious Crabs, which were the Eriocheir 

 Japonicus of De Haan, were immediately, even before 

 I could rescue a specimen, thrown upon the embers 

 alive, and when burnt crisp and brown, broken by the 

 teeth of the assembled islanders, and consumed, with a 

 few exceptions, shell and all. They appeared very much to 

 relish this primitive, and somewhat savage kind of feast, 



