SEA-SPIDERS. 381 



wise enough to appreciate the dangers attendant upon 

 helping themselves to the delicious meal, placed be- 

 tween a pair of shells, as though to be the bait of a 

 live trap, in which they might be caught by the claws 

 like rats or mice, are obliged to be cautious : watch- 

 ing, therefore, their opportunity, when the oyster 

 opens its shells to enjoy a little sunshine, the cun- 

 ning crustacean just pops a stone between the two 

 valves, and then proceeds to pick out leisurely the 

 tempting morsels *. Perhaps the Pea-Crab is partial 

 to mussel, and once within the shell, luxuriates at 

 leisure on her favourite food. 



Passing on to the various other forms of Crusta- 

 ceans everywhere to be met with on our coasts, the 

 naturalist need never want employment, or the 

 admirer of the grotesque and strange, subjects for 

 amusement. 



The SEA-SPIDERS, as they are not inappropriately 

 designated, present a remarkable group of singularly 

 constructed creatures, from among which many spe- 

 cies, well adapted to the aquarium, may easily be 

 selected, more especially as they are comparatively 

 of harmless disposition. Their movements are slow 



* " Si quis in sequorea Cancrum conspexerit alga, 

 Laudibus extollet, tantam mirabitur artem. 

 Concessa ex alto solers prudentia Cancro, 

 Cui parta est dulcis magno sine praeda labore. 

 Ostrea distendit testas et claustra recludit 

 Portarum, pascitque lutum, scopulisque repanda 

 Gliscit aquas, parvum madida de rupe lapillum 

 Obliquus tollit Cancer, chelisque recurvis 

 Continet, in testis lapidem demittit apertis, 

 Assidet, atque epulis laetus saturatur amicis," 



