102 THE SEA-SIDE AND AQUAEIUM. 



a strange manner, and row their bodies with great 

 velocity through " the briny deep," in company with 

 the upper classes of fish society ; while their poor 

 unfortunate brethren, minus the proper qualification, 

 are obliged to mix with common Oysters, houseless 

 molluscs, crustaceous burglars,* and other low society 

 at the bottom of the sea. 



There is yet another class of Crabs which we must 

 not forget to mention, for they play a most impor- 

 tant part in the economy of the tank. A member 

 of this family, who may be called a crustaceous 

 Diogenes, without the lantern, is generally termed 

 Soldier-crab, from certain pugnacious propensities he 

 is supposed to possess, or Hermit-crab (Pagurus 

 bernardhus), from always living in a solitary cell or 

 shell. 



Many of the pools at Joppa, and other places on 

 the coast, are studded with these animals. I possess 

 twenty dried specimens of them in their domiciles, of 

 sizes that vary from one quarter of an inch to five 

 inches in length, all taken in less than a single hour. 

 The peculiarity of this Crab is, that in consequence 

 of his tail being soft, he is obliged to protect it arti- 

 ficially. This he does by hooking it on to some tur- 

 binated shell, such as Periwinkle, Whelk, &c., &c., 

 whose original inhabitant has disappeared, and in 

 which Mr Bernardus absquatulates for a certain time, 

 until, finding his " corporation " increase, he is com- 

 pelled to go on an excursion in search of a more 

 * E.g., the Hermit-crab. 



