SWIMMING-CRAB. 101 



dant pickles, or copperas, or some other like poison- 

 ous substance, that diffused a dark olive, unwholesome 

 green over his complexion. Both species are expert 

 at sidling their bodies into crevices, or hiding under 

 rocks and fuel Their locomotion is effected entirely 

 by means of taper legs and pointed, toe-like claws. 

 Some of their brethren, however, such as our friend 

 the Fiddler (Portunus puber), whose acquaintance 

 the reader has previously made, possess the power of 

 swimming, as well as galloping about like dancers on 

 the tips of their toes. Their hindmost legs appear as 

 if they had passed under a small mangle, having com- 

 pletely lost the claw form, becoming flat and oval at 



VELVET FIDDLE -CRAB (Portunus puber). 



the ends, and ornamented with a hairy fringe. En- 

 dowed with these peculiar legs, they flap the water in 



