362 THE AQUARIAN NATURALIST. 



liarities of their form, and the wonderful adaptation of 

 all the limbs to a residence in such a dwelling, cannot 

 fail to strike the most incurious observer. The chelae 

 or large claws are proportionately strong and massive, 

 armed with blunt tuberculated teeth, and sufficiently 

 formidable in their aspect to render our advice to 

 young ladies not to put their fingers within the reach 

 of such a tenacious pair of pincers, probably super- 

 fluous. It will be observed, moreover, that these 

 claws differ remarkably in size, one being exceedingly 

 small as compared with its fellow, a provision, the 

 wisdom of which becomes at once apparent when the 

 animal retreats into its citadel. Had the two chelae 

 been of equal dimensions, and both of them as large 

 as the biggest of them, it is evident that they could 

 never have been retracted within the orifice of the 

 shelly residence ; whereas, by the plan adopted, when 

 the animal retires into its concealment, the smaller 

 one may be entirely withdrawn, while the larger 

 closes and guards the orifice. 



The two succeeding pairs of legs, which alone are 

 used for walking, and are consequently of great size 

 and strength, unlike the corresponding pairs of the 

 Lobster, which are terminated by pincers, end in 

 strong pointed levers, whereby the animal can not 

 only crawl along, but drag after it its heavy habita- 

 tion; both which operations are effected with such 

 vigour and energy, that we warn our friends, that they 

 might as well set a pair of horses dragging a plough 

 behind them to promenade their choicest parterres, 

 as to allow one of these creatures to roam about in a 

 delicately-stocked aquarium : their path is marked 



