374 LAND-CRABS. 



stalking about and holding up their single huge claws in 

 a most ridiculous manner. Notwithstanding, they ap- 

 pear to be overburdened with this unwieldly member, 

 they are by no means easy to capture; but on the 

 slightest attempt upon their liberty they run quickly to 

 the mouth of their burrows for protection, where they 

 will boldly wait and see if the enemy makes any further 

 advances; and, if he does, they retreat quickly backwards, 

 holding out their pincer as a weapon of defence. In the 

 pools of fresh water, and under damp stones, a dark 

 olive-green Sesarma, with bright yellow blotches, may be 

 seen concealed ; but on the slightest attempt to take the 

 stranger captive, he is off with the greatest velocity, 

 darting under the leaves, and scrambling over sticks, 

 until he finds security either in a hole of the ground, or 

 under the mud of the pools ; while on the coast, the 

 observer cannot fail to be delighted and amused with the 

 elegant and agile Thelphma grapsoides, which, by its 

 beauty and brilliancy, gives life and animation to the 

 coral flats, left dry by the receding tide. 



Another Crab, which appears to be rather common 

 also, among the Philippines, is the Chasmagnatlms con- 

 veams (De Haan). It lives in the firm black mud of 

 Manila Bay, and in other parts of Luzon, in company 

 with the Lingula anatina and Area inequivalvis. Like 

 the Xenophthalmus pinnotheroides (White), it doubtless 

 forms oblique, cylindrical holes in the surface of the 

 mud, somewhat in the manner of the Macrophthalmi, and 

 Scopimera globosa. 



On the 23rd we arrived at the little island of Meyo, 

 which appears to be not very long recovered from a state 

 of volcanic sterility, bearing scarcely any traces of vege- 



