580 THE GEEEN, OE SHORE CEAB. 



proportion, and destitute of the tubercles which are so characteristic in the former species. 

 Both these crabs are natives of the East Indies. 



WE now arrive at the family of the Portunidae, or Swimming Crabs, which may be 

 recognised by the construction of the last pair of feet, which are flattened sideways, and 

 have the last joint dilated into a thin oblique plate, which answers as an oar or a fin, and 

 enables the creature to propel itself through the water. The first example of this family 

 is the GEEEN, or SHOEE-CRAB, so familiar to every one who has passed even an hour on 

 the coast between the time of high and low water. Although one of the commonest of 

 our native crustaceans, it is at the same time one of the most interesting, and, owing to its 

 diurnal habits, its fearless nature, and its love for the shallow waters, it is very easily 

 observed. I have spent many a pleasant hour in watching the habits of this little 

 creature, and could hardly have imagined the activity, the piercing sight, and the clever- 

 ness with which this crab is endowed. 



It is a fierce and even voracious animal, chasing and faiily running down living prey, 

 and actually leaping upon its victim with a spring like that of the hunting spider. I have 

 seen the Green Crabs run after and catch even the active sandhoppers, calculating with 

 nice precision the spot on which they alighted, and pouncing on them before they could 

 get themselves into position for a second leap. If the prey should be of tolerable size, 

 the crab does not leap at it, but darts out one of its claws with a stroke so sharp and 

 quick, that the eye can scarcely follow it, and as true of aim as the serpent's dart, draws 

 back the victim, seizes it immediately with the other claw, and begins to pull it to pieces 

 before it can recover from the shock. 



Any living thing that can be caught becomes prey to the Green Crab. I have seen it 

 actively pursuing the flies that settle in great numbers on the decaying sea- weed, and once 

 observed it to dash at, seize, and eat a burrowing wasp which had settled on a stone. 

 When catching a small and active creature like a sandhopper or a fly, the crab moves 

 quickly towards the spot, leaps at its victim, flinging its body over it, and enclosing it 

 within a kind of cage formed by its legs. It then pokes one claw into the living cage, 

 picks out the enclosed victim, pulls it to pieces, and tucks the morsels into its mouth. 

 As for flies, they are eaten at once without being pulled to pieces ; but the sandhoppers 

 and larger creatures always undergo that preliminary process. It is a cruel cannibal, 

 feeding on its own kind without the least hesitation, and displaying equal ingenuity in 

 chasing a Green Crab that is smaller than itself, or escaping from one that is larger. 



An amusing instance of its fox-like craft is related by M. de Quatrefages : " One day 

 1 threw a large arenicola (i.e. lug- worm) into a pool of several feet in extent. A troop of 

 little shrimps, who were sedately enjoying themselves in the clear element, dispersed in 

 alarm, startled by the noise made by the fall of this strange body, but, recovering them- 

 selves in a moment, they rallied, and, while the annelid was endeavouring to bury itself 

 in the sand, one of the youngest, arid consequently the most venturesome of the party 

 seized the creature by the middle of its body. 



Emboldened by this example, the others lost no time in imitating it, and the poor 

 arenicola was pulled about in all directions, until a full-grown shrimp, darting from 

 behind a tuft of corallines, dispersed his feebler comrades, and appropriated the booty 

 to himself. I soon saw, however, that he would be compelled to divide the spoil, for, at 

 that very instant, there poured forth from the moving sand some scores of small turbos 

 and buccinums, who, conscious that a victim was at hand, wished to participate in the 

 feast. Without any sign of uncertainty or hesitation, they moved straight forward 

 towards the arenicola, whose body was covered in the twinkling of an eye with those 

 voracious molluscs. 



I thought his fate definitively settled, when a small Shore-crab issued from beneath 

 a stone, put to flight the shrimp, and, by dragging off the arenicola, very nearly upset all 

 the turbos, who forthwith hurried back to their sandy haunts. Then, however, a large 

 edible crab appeared upon the scene, and the poor little Maenas was obliged in his turn to 

 beat a retreat, in order to escape out of reach of the formidable pincers of his stronger 

 kinsman. But he still kept a watchful eye over the dainty morsel which he had tasted, 



