148 History of Nature. [Boon IX. 



mitigated by the warm Light. Of Crabs there are many 

 kinds : as Carabi, Astaci, Majae, Paguri, Heracleotici, 

 Leones, and others that are less esteemed. The Carabi 

 differ from other Crabs in the Tail. In Phoenicia there is a 

 kind called Hippoe, which are so swifr, that it is impossible 

 to overtake them. Crabs live long : they have eight Feet, 

 all turned obliquely : the Female hath the Fore-foot double, 

 the Male single. Moreover, two of their Arms have toothed 

 Pincers. The upper Part of these Fore-claws is moveable ; 

 the lower Part doth not move. The right Ann in all is the 

 larger. When they come in Sculls together, sometimes 

 they are not able to pass the Mouth of the Pontus ; for 

 which Reason they return and fetch a Compass, so that the 

 beaten Way may be seen. The least of all these kind of 

 Crabs is called Pinnotheres 1 ; and on this Account it is the 

 most exposed to Injury. But it possesses the Wisdom to 

 hide itself within the Shells of empty Oysters ; and as it 

 groweth bigger, it changes its Quarters to larger ones. 

 Crabs, when they are afraid, will run backward as fast as 

 they went forward. They fight with one another, and then 

 butt with their Horns like Rams. They are a Remedy 

 against the Stings of Serpents. It is reported, that while the 

 Sun is passing the Sign Cancer, the Bodies of dead Crabs 

 that lie on the dry Land are turned into Scorpions. Of the 

 same Class are the Echini ; 2 which have Spines instead of 

 Feet. Their Manner of going is to roll themselves round; 

 and, therefore, many Times they are found with their Spines 

 rubbed off. Of the same Sort are those which are called 

 Echinometrse, which have the longest Spines and the 

 smallest Cases. Neither are they alt of the same glassy 

 Colour; for those produced about Torone are white, and have 



1 Or Pinnoteres. 



a Professor Edward Forbes believes the species intended by Pliny to 

 be E. limdusj and Echinometra, Echinus esculentus. But in regard to 

 the latter there is some doubt. Ruysch represents it as having a small 

 cup and long spines. One that is elongated, with soft, weak spines, is 

 Amphidelus Mediterraneus ; and a little species with long spines, Cidaris 

 histrix. What Pliny calls eggs are the ovaries, the only eatable parts. 

 Wern. Club. 



