HALIEUTICA, I. 320-342 



The Hermit-crabs have no shell of their oAvn from 

 birth, but are born naked " and unprotected and 

 weak ; yet they devise for themselves an acquired 

 home, covering their feeble bodies with a bastard 

 shelter. For when they see a shell left all desolatej 

 the tenant having left his home, they creep in below 

 the alien mantle and settle there and dwell and take 

 it for their home. And along with it they travel 

 and move their shelter from within — whether ^ it be 

 some Nerites that hath left the shell or a Trumpet 

 or a Strombus. Most of all they love the shelters 

 of the Strombus, because these are wide '^ and light 

 to carry. But when the Hermit-crab within grows ** 

 and fills the cavity, it keeps that house no longer, 

 but leaves it and seeks a wider shell-vessel to put 

 on. Ofttimes battle arises and great contention 

 among the Hermit-crabs about a hollow shell and 

 the stronger drives out the weaker and herself puts 

 on the fitting house. 



One fish there is covered with a hollow shell, like 

 in form to the Poulpe, which men call the Nautilus,* 

 so named because it sails of itself. It dwells in the 

 sands and it rises to the surface of the water face 

 downwards, so that the sea may not fill it. But when 



' A. 5+8 a 16 av^avd/j-evov fxereLO-Svuei irdXiv eh &\Xo fiei^ov 

 6ffrpa.Kov, olov eh re to tov vr)peiTov Koi to tov (TTp6fi^ov . . . ttoX- 

 XciKtj 5' eh Tovs Kr]pvKas to()s fxiKpoijs ; Ael. I.e. 



' A. 530 a 6 Trpo/j-riKecrTepa 5' icTi to. ev tois (rTp6/x^ois tCiv iv 

 Toh VTjpeiTais. 



^ A. o4-8 a 19 oTav 5' eiahiivg, ffvfnrepi<p^peL touto Kai iv to&t<p 

 Tp4<pfTai rrdXiV Kai av^auofievov irdXiv eh &Wo fj.eTei<r5vvei yitetfoj' ; 

 Ael. I.e. ; Plin. ix. 98. 



« ArgonmUa arc/o L., cf. A. 622 b 5 ; Athen. 317 fff., who 

 preserves the famous epigram of Calliraachus {E. vi.) ; Ael. 

 ix. 34. ; Antig. 56 ; Plin. ix. 88. 



239 



