392 HABITS OF THE HORSE-SHOE CRAB. 



Near Point Romania, on the Peninsula of Malacca, 

 among several other curiosities of nature, I observed 

 numbers of the Limulus Moluccamts, or Horse-shoe Crab. 

 It progresses in a very awkward manner, beginning its 

 onward movement by raising its enormons cephalo-thorax, 

 or carapace, several degrees from the ground, by extend- 

 ing the joints of its legs, and standing on its toes or 

 ungual joints, which operation is, however, entirely con- 

 cealed from common observation ; thus reminding one of 

 the manceuvering operations of the ancient Testudo, a 

 sort of machine employed by the Romans in besieging 

 cities, under the roof of which the soldiers worked when 

 undermining the walls. When the anterior part of the 

 shell, or carapace, is sufficiently elevated, the whole 

 weight of the animal is thrown forwards, the shell is 

 then again raised, and the operation repeated. It carries 

 its spiniform tail and flattened abdomen trailing on the 

 the ground ; but when irritated, it raises the latter at an 

 obtuse angle with the body, while the tail is elevated per- 

 pendicularly in the air, and moved from side to side in a 

 threatening manner, When alive, the animal is of a dull, 

 greyish, leaden colour, and dirty brown on the abdominal 

 surface. I have sometimes been amused in putting to 

 flight a whole army of little Limuli, just after their 

 emergence from the ova. Their raised and threatening 

 tails, angry menaces, and uncouth efforts to escape, are 

 truly ludicrous. These young fry are frequently met 

 with among the shallow bays of the islands in the 'China 

 Sea, and I have found those of another species, (Limulus 

 longispinaj at Leegeetan, on the coast of Borneo. Among 

 the Japanese, the Limulus is employed to indicate the 



