SWAMMERDAM. 93 



the subject. This denial of a fact, which can so 

 readily be proved, is one of the ' curiosities of litera- 

 ture/ Swammerdam, a Dutch naturalist contemptu- 

 ously observes, 'What an idle fable that is which is 

 established even among those who study shell-fishes, 

 when they show some kind of the crab kind in their 

 museums, adding at the same time, that they pass 

 from one shell to another, devour the animals that 

 lived in those shells, and keep them for their own 

 habitations. They dignify them with the high-sound- 

 ing names, and additions, as Soldiers, Hermits, and 

 the like ; and thus, having no experience, they com- 

 mit gross errors, and deceive themselves, as well as 

 others, with their idle imaginations/ 



That there is nothing mythical in the matter can 

 easily be made apparent to any person who chooses 

 to visit the sea-shore. At such locality he need have 

 no difficulty in recognising the Hermit-Crab, or 

 meeting with numerous specimens for examination. 

 Supposing such a one is at a rock-pool, and, more- 

 over, that he knows by sight the Buckie (periwinkle), 

 and Common Whelk, he will probably in such case 

 be aware that the animals occupying these shells are 

 snail-like in construction, and that their locomotion 

 is consequently slow and formal. If, therefore, 

 when peering into any pool he sees the Buckie, for 

 instance, apparently change its nature, and instead of 



4 Dragging its slow length along,' 



scamper off suddenly, or roll over and over from the 



