MIGRATING CKABS 149 



approaching the moving mass, I discovered that this 

 noise was made by a colony of crabs (tens of thousands 

 apparently) marching inland. All were about the 

 same size, and they kept together in a compact company 

 like an army of soldiers. When I approached, they 

 started off on a run all together, each keeping one claw 

 raised, with pinchers open in a threatening manner. 

 Had a man fallen among them, he would have been 

 pinched black and blue, I have no doubt, before he 

 could escape. The rattling they made could be heard 

 at a distance of several rods, and the sand after they 

 had passed looked like a dusty road after a flock of 

 sheep has been driven over it. I attempted to head 

 them off, but they seemed very determined ; and if I 

 had not moved out of their way, I truly believe they 

 would have run over me. I was afterwards told by 

 some persons that they were emigrating inland for 

 food, by others that they were land crabs, returning 

 home after laying their eggs in the sand of the beach 

 at low tide. I have no means of knowing which of 

 these statements was correct, as I did not see the crabs 

 again. 



MacKay was the finest place I ever saw for butter- 

 flies, and I secured more of these winged beauties, 

 during our short stay there, than in any other place 

 we visited while away from home. My favorite col- 

 lecting-ground was a sunny opening in the forest: a 

 place where low shrubs, weeds, grass, wild banana 



