NIPPER-CRAB. Poiybius Heiml 



L-CRAB. Pod&pthaimus 0-4 u. 



dart upon its prey, grasp it firmly with its sharply pointed and powerful claws, a,nd 

 retain its hold until the unfortunate victim is quite fatigued and falls an easy prey. 

 It is not so handsome as the velvet fiddler, having none of the beautiful scarlet and azure 

 tints which decorate that species, and being mostly coloured with different shades 

 of brown. 



OUR last example of this interesting family is the SENTINEL-CRAB, so called from its 

 extreme watchfulness and the wonderful manner in which its eyes are arranged so as to 

 explore objects in every direction, without needing to move, or even to raise itself from 

 its flat and crouching attitude. The generic name of this creature is of Greek origin, 

 being composed of two words, the former signifying a foot, and the latter an eye, and is 

 given to it on account of the strangely long footstalks on which the eyes are set. The 

 figure represents the animal as it appears when alarmed, or when it desires to look around 

 it, the eyes being lifted so as to command an extensive view. When the creature is at 

 rest, the footstalks lie horizontally upon the body, and are received into two channels or 

 grooves, where they lie hidden and safe from danger. These grooves may be seen on 

 reference to the illustration. 



A somewhat similar disposition is found in some of the land-crabs, but differing in 

 the arrangement of the footstalks. Each of these curious organs consists of two pieces, 

 and in the Sentinel-crab the first is long and the second very short, while in the land-crab 

 exactly the reverse takes place, the length of the footstalk depending on the second joint. 

 Only one species of Sentinel-crab is at present known, and is a native of the Indian 

 Ocean. It never attains very great size, its length varying from two to four inches. 



