CHAP. VII.] 



ANNELIDS. 



301 



are kept regularly employed at Colombo in filling up 

 the holes formed by them on the surface of the Galle 

 face. This, the only equestrian promenade of the 

 capital, is so infested by these active little creatures 

 that accidents . often occur by horses stumbling in their 

 troublesome excavations. 



Painted Crabs. On the reef of rocks which lies to 

 the south of the harbour' at Colombo, the beautiful little 

 painted crabs^, distinguished by dark red markings on a 

 yellow ground, may be seen all day long running nimbly 

 in the spray, and ascending and descending in security 

 the almost perpendicular sides of the rocks which are 

 washed by the waves. Paddling Crabs 2 , with the hind 

 pair of legs terminated by flattened plates to assist them 

 in swimming, are brought up in the fishermen's nets. 

 Hermit Crabs take possession of the deserted shells of 

 the univalves, and crawl in pursuit of garbage along 

 the moist beach. Prawns and shrimps furnish deli- 

 cacies for the breakfast table; and the delicate little 

 pea crab, Pontonia inflata 3 , recalls its Mediterranean 

 congener 4 , which attracted the attention of Aristotle, 

 from taking up its habitation in the shell of the living 

 pinna. 



ANNELID J3. The marine Annelides of the island 

 have not as yet been investigated ; a cursory glance, 

 however, amongst the stones on the beach at Trinco- 

 malie and in the pools, that afford convenient basins 

 for examining them, would lead to the belief that the 

 marine species are not numerous; tubicole genera, as 

 well as some nereids, are found, but there seems to be 

 little diversity, though it is not impossible that a 

 closer scrutiny might be repaid by the discovery of 

 some interesting forms. 



Leeches. Of all the plagues which beset the traveller 



1 Grapsus strigosus, Herbst. 

 * Neptuntis pektffictts, Linn, j 

 sanguinolentus, Herbst, &c. &c. 



3 MILKE EDW. Hist. Nat. Crust. 

 vol. ii. p. 360. 



4 Pinnotheres veterum. 



