THE SAND-SCREW. 



623 



it was bitten to rags when she took it up. It is very fond of worms, will eat any kind 

 of carrion, and sometimes, when pressed by hunger, has no scruple in eating its own 

 kind. It has many enemies, as is sure to be the case when a little creature is pro- 

 duced in absolute clouds, when it is quite harmless, easily obtained, and excellent food. 

 Sea-birds feed largely upon the Sand-hoppers, and many land-birds are in the habit of 

 passing much of their time upon the shore, and eating their fill of these Crustacea. The 

 green crab is a terrible enemy to the Sand-hopper, even running it down in fair chase, 

 as I have witnessed, and displaying wonderful ingenuity in pouncing upon the active 

 little creature just as it descends from its leap. Even a little beetle, not a quarter its 

 size, feeds upon the Sand-hopper, instinctively attacking it from below, where it is com- 

 paratively undefended by its shelly coat. Sometimes three or four beetles will unite in 

 their attacks upon a single Sand-hopper. The technical name of this beetle is Cillmum 

 lateralc. 



C. PERNYS. Corophium loaglcorae. 



D. SAND-SCREW. SuJcator arenarius 



A. SAND-HOPPER. Talttrus saltaior. 

 B. KROYER'S SAND-SCREW. Kroyera areaarla. 



The SHORE-HOPPER (Orchestia littored) is also plentiful on sandy coasts, preferring 

 those where the sand is sprinkled with rocks. It may be known from the sand-hopper 

 by its more compressed body, the partly clawed character of the two first pair of legs, 

 and the comparatively small size of the first pair. Though it hops on the sand, like 

 the preceding species, and has many similar habits, it is seldom found occupying the 

 same locality, the sand-hopper taking to one part of the coast and the Shore-hopper to 

 another. 



ON reference to the illustration, a strange-looking creature will be seen occupying the 

 lower left-hand corner. This is the common SAND-SCREW, an example of the next 

 family. In these creatures the antennae end in a lash-like point, called appropriately 

 the flagellum, or little whip. The Sand-screw is so called from the odd movements 

 which it makes when laid upon dry sand, wriggling along while lying on its side, and 

 displaying an awkwardness in this respect which contrasts greatly with the wonderful 

 power and freedom with which it can force its way through the wet sand. In the course 

 of its burrowings, it makes many tortuous tracks in the sand, that are generally taken 

 for the trace of some worm's passage. 



