THE CRAB, 99 



speed would be unable to overtake tbem. The typical species of 

 the genus Gecareinus is the Cancer ruricola Linn., a native of 

 the West Indies, and generally known under the name of the violet 

 crab, or Tourlonrom of the French. They reside in the moun- 

 tainous district, but as soon as the rainy season sets in, in May 

 and June, they make their way to the sea, in order to deposit 

 their spawn in the water, in such vast numbers that the roads are 

 covered by them. They resemble a vast army marching in battle- 

 array, keeping steadily onwards in a direct line, without allowing 

 any obstacle to impede their steps, scaling even the walls of houses 

 which happen to be in their route, and travelling chiefly by night. 

 \^Tien ariived at length at the sea- shore, they are much enfeebled, 

 and dash into the water with great eagerness, which they repeat 

 several times ; they then retii'c to some neighljonring wood or other 

 covert, and, in a short time afterwards, the females again return 

 to the water, and commit their eggs to the waves, which are ahve 

 with fishes waiting their annual treat, and by which a veiy great 

 deal of the spawn is devoured. The crabs then return to their 

 old quarters by the same route, but this, in their still enfeebled 

 state, is a difficult task. "NVlien aiTived there, however, they have 

 to undergo another annual laljour, namely, that of moulting, and 

 which takes place in their subterranean burrows, the mouths of 

 which, it is said, they close. ]\Iany species of crabs walk with 

 much less agility than the others, being more decidedly aquatic. 

 They are therefore provided with dilated legs, having the margins 

 furnished \\\th. rows of hairs, which are thence converted into 

 natural oars, and l)y the assistance of which these species are able 

 to perform the same motions in the water as the others do on the 

 shore, and in equally varied directions. Such are the Podophthalmi, 

 Matufce, Portuni, &c., which have hence acquired the name of 

 shuttle crabs. 



Crabs, as well as the generality of the class Ct'ustacea, feed upon 

 animal matter, especially when in a state of decomposition. Dead 

 bodies, floating upon the surface of the waves, or cast upon the 

 shore by them, are immediately covered A^itli these animals, and 

 there is every reason to suppose that they are attracted by their 

 powers of scent, although the seat of this sense is not known. 

 Some of the carnivorous crabs even attack living prey, and fight 

 fiercely in order to procm-e it. In these combats they often lose 

 their claws, which are however soon reproduced, but they never 

 attain the same size as previously. 



In the sub-order Macruraof MACROURA,the abdomen is 

 elongated, equalling in size the remainder of the body, and 



