HERMIT-CEAB. 113 



A short time since, I placed two Hermit-crabs in 

 a cup, for reasons above stated. One was about an 

 inch and a-half, the other three-quarters of an inch, 

 in length. They both soon seemed to recover their 

 health and spirits. As it is highly amusing to witness 

 a Lobster-crab proceed to occupy a new shell, I 

 placed in the cup a Purpura, that had several old 

 Barnacle shells attached parasitically upon it. 



The little Crab seemed as lively as a kitten, and 

 about as fall of pranks. He very quickly crept inside 

 the shell, and hid himself from view, whether inten- 

 tionally or not it is impossible for me to say. Imme- 

 diately afterwards, the large Crab came to the smooth 

 lip of the Whelk, and put in his claw, in the usual 

 style of all members of his family, to see if anything 

 was there to hinder his quiet occupancy of the dwell- 

 ing. We can fancy how the mischievous little Crab 

 would shrink into the very end whorl as soon as he 

 got a hint of his big brother's procedure. Being 

 satisfied with his survey, the sober Hermit lifted up 

 his soft and beautifully-painted "continuation," and 

 let it drop with a graceful curve inside the aperture, 

 then moved it about to find a proper spot on which 

 to hook it. 



Not an instant elapsed before he whipped it out 

 again with the celerity of lightning. 



He was in a rage. He had been tricked and in- 

 sulted, and in his fright perhaps thought he was in- 

 jured, instead of only being slightly tickled. Eevenge 

 was evidently indicated by his excited movements. 

 H 



