128 CLASS CRUSTACEA. 



caused this animal to receive the additional name of the 

 Soldier Crab. 



"The Soldier when about to seek a new habitation, is 

 still seen," says an amusing writer, "in its own shell, 

 which it appears to have considerably outgrown ; for a 

 part of the naked body is seen at the mouth of it, which 

 the habitation is too small to hide. A shell, therefore, is 

 to be found, large enough to cover the whole body; and 

 yet not so large as to be unmanageable and unwieldy. 

 To answer both these ends is no easy matter, nor the 

 attainment of a slight inquiry. The little Soldier is seen 

 busily parading the shore, along that line of pebbles and 

 shells that is formed by the extremest wave ; still, how- 

 ever, dragging its old incommodious habitation at its tail, 

 unwilling to part with one shell, even though a trouble- 

 some appendage, till it can find another more convenient. 

 It is seen stopping at one shell, turning it and passing 

 it by, going on to another, contemplating that for a while, 

 and then slipping its tail from its old habitation, to try 

 on a new. This, also, is found to be inconvenient; and 

 it quickly returns to its old shell again. In this manner, 

 it frequently changes, till at last it finds one light, 

 roomy, and commodious : to this it adheres, though the 

 shell be sometimes so large as to hide the body of the 

 animal, claws and all." 



Yet it is not till after many trials, and many combats 

 also, that the Soldier is thus completely equipped; for 

 there is often a contest between two of them for some 

 well-looking favourite shell, for which they are rivals. 

 They both endeavour to take possession ; they strike 

 with their claws ; they bite each other, till the weakest 

 is obliged to yield, by giving up the object of dispute. 

 It is then that the victor takes possession, and parades 



