"86 CRUSTACEA—CRAB. 
THE GAND CRAB 
Iz found in some of the warmer regions of Europe, and in great abundance 
in all the tropical climates in Africa and America. They are of various 
kinds, and endued with various properties; some being healthfu, delicious, 
and nourishing food; others poisonous or malignant to the last degree; some 
are not above half an inch broad, others are found a foot over; some are of 
a dirty brown, and others beautifully mottled 
TE Vel Oo no ack AB, 
Or the Caribee Islands, is the most noted, both for its shape, the delicacy otf 
its flesh, and the singularity of its manners. It somewhat resembles two 
hands cut through the middle and joined together; for each side looks like 
four fingers, and the two nippers or claws resemble the thumbs. All the rest 
of the body is covered with a shell as large as a man’s hand, and 
bunched in the middle, on the fore part of which there are two long eyes of 
the size of a grain of barley, as transparent as crystal, and as hard as 
horn. A little below these is the mouth, covered with a sort of barbs, under 
which there are two broad, sharp teeth, as white as snow. They are not 
placed, as in other animals, crosswise, but in the opposite direction, not 
much unlike the blade of a pair of scissors. With these teeth they can 
easily cut leaves, fruits, and rotten wood, which is their usual food. But 
their principal instrument for cutting and seizing their food is their nippers, 
which catch such a hold, that the animal loses the limb sooner than its 
grasp, and is often seen scampering off, having left its claw still holding fast 
upon the enemy. The faithful claw seems to perform its duty, and keeps 
for al we a minute fastened upon the finger, while the crab is making off. 
In fact, it loses no great matter by leaving a leg or an arm, for they soon 
grow again, and the animal is found as perfect as before. : 
This, however, is the least surprising part of this creature’s history; and 
what we are going to relate, were it not as well known and as confidently 
confirmed as any other circumstance in natural history, might well stagger 
our belief. These animals live not only in a kind of society in their retreats 
in the mountains, but regularly once a year march down to the seaside in a 
body of some millions atatime. As they multiply in great numbers, they 
choose the months of April or May, to begin their expedition ; and then sally 
out by thousands from the stumps of hollow trees, from the clifts of rocks 
and from the holes which they dig for themseives under the surface of the 
earth. At that time, the whole ground is covered with this band of adven- 
turers; there is no setting down one’s ‘oot without treading upon them. 
