592 THE ARMED CRAB. 



all warm parts of the globe, not, however, being natives of the British coasts. Now and 

 then a FLOATING CRAB (Planes Linneana], is swept into our seas together with masses 

 of the well-known Gulf-weed ; but its presence is purely accidental and cannot entitle 

 it to rank among the British species. 



The Painted Crab is a native of the Antilles, and is a very active as well as beautiful 

 species, haunting the sea-shore and running about nimbly in the spray. It is a good 

 climber, and can ascend or descend nearly perpendicular rocks provided that they are 

 washed by the waves. Some species of this genus prefer the mouths of tidal rivers, and 

 remain mostly at the edge of the water. They seem to rejoice in the hottest rays of the 

 tropical sun, and run about nimbly hither and thither, with the sunbeams flashing on 

 their wet bodies. They are all wary and timid beings, betaking themselves to the water 

 on the least alarm, and flinging themselves into the waves with such force that their flat 

 bodies skim for some little distance over the surface, much as the flying squirrel skims 

 through the air between two trees. While running along they strike their claws against 

 each other as if for the purpose of menacing their pursuer, and when a number of these 

 crabs are startled in one locality, the clatter which they make is surprising. The color 

 of the Painted Crab is reddish, covered with spots and variegations of yellow. It is 

 not at all a large species, the carapace being seldom more than two inches in length. 



Two remarkable species of crabs are shown in the accompanying illustration. 



The lower left-hand figure represents the CRESTED CRAB, a curious animal that in- 

 habits Japan. Most of the species of this genus are found in the hot parts of the world, 

 such as the Sandwich Islands, the Mauritius, and the West Indies. The whole shape of 

 this creature is strange in the extreme, its carapace being covered with all kinds of 

 tubercles and spines, and edged with saw-like teeth. Even the claws are covered with 

 unexpected spikes and tubercles, and when folded in front of the body, assume a very 

 crest-like aspect. The creature instinctively makes use of its extraordinary shape for 

 the purpose of concealment, and when it is alarmed it tucks its legs away under the 

 broad carapace, folds its claws over its front, and remains perfectly motionless in spite 

 of all annoyances. A sailor has been known to find one of these crabs on the seashore, 

 to take it for a curious stone, and so to put it in his pocket. Some time afterwards, 

 when he had laid down the supposed stone, he was not a little surprised to see it put 

 forth a number of legs, and run away at best speed. 



The name of Crested Crab is given to this species in allusion to the form of the 

 closed claws. In the illustration, one claw is shown raised, for the purpose of exhibiting 

 its remarkable shape, and the other is represented as it appears when folded, so as to 

 bring before the reader's eye the inanimate aspect of the creature when it has closed all 

 its limbs. 



The ARMED CRAB is also a native of Japan and China, and belongs to the same 

 family as the preceding animal. The chief peculiarity in this creature are the four sharp 

 spines with which the carapace is armed, those at the side being of very great dimensions, 

 each measuring half the length of the body. The claws are sharp and powerful, and are 

 formed in a manner somewhat resembling the same members in the crested crab. 



Allusion has more than once been made to the power of voluntarily throwing off a limb, 

 a faculty which is inherent in all the Crustacea, but in some species is prevalent to a 

 wonderful degree. The land-crabs, for example, will always sacrifice their best claw as a 

 means of purchasing safety, and seem able to part with almost any number of legs 

 without feeling the loss. If, for example, a land-crab or mud-crab be taken up by the 

 legs, it suddenly shakes itself loose, leaving in the captor's hands the limbs which he has 

 grasped, and making off with the remainder. The animal always throws off its limb at 

 one of the joints, seeming to achieve the feat by a sudden muscular contraction, like the 

 movement which shakes off a blind-worm's tail, snaps away the wings from a flying 

 ant, or breaks up the whole anatomy of a brittle-star into fragments. If the limbs be cut 

 or severed between two of the joints, there is a flow of blood and the creature seems to 

 feel the injury acutely. It soon, however, heals itself by shaking off the injured portion 



