HEEMIT-CEAB. 107 



There was a large Periwinkle in the tank, who; 

 having taken it into his head to promenade about, 

 came at last sailing under the byssiferous molluscs 

 suspended from the rock, with his horns full set. 

 No sooner did the artful Pagurus observe this, than 

 he immediately popped out from his observatory, and 

 gave, or attempted to give, the aforementioned horns 

 a nip. Whether he really expected to take a piece 

 off them, or whether he knew that the movement 

 would cause the Buckie to make a dead stop, or not, 

 I cannot say ; but certain it is, the latter did actually 

 stop, and just in the very position desired by the 

 cunning Hermit, who quickly mounted on his back, 

 and from thence succeeded in gaining a seat on the 

 Mussel-bed. But as it happens that artful people 

 are frequently caught in their own traps, so it proved 

 to be the case in the present instance. The cunning 

 Crab had forgotten, that in all probability the 

 Periwinkle, after a decent pause, would peep out, 

 and, should he find the road clear, would certainly 

 start oft 7 again upon his circumambulations. In the 

 present instance this was exactly the case ; leaving 

 his companion to find out the loss of his footstool 

 when he attempted to descend, and at the same time 

 to discover how he had been tricked by his own want 

 of foresight. When the discovery did take place, 

 Mr Crab's movements were indeed extraordinary. 

 It was impossible to resist a smile at witnessing his 

 despair. He continually ran to and fro coming 

 very much out of his shell, to take a peep over what 



