$OZ THE LAND CRAB. 



They live in the clefts of rocks, the hollows of trees, 

 or in holes which they dig for themselves in the 

 mountains. About the months of April and May 

 in every year, they descend in a body of some mil- 

 lions at a time to the sea-coast, in order to deposit 

 their spawn, and at this season the whole ground, 

 seems alive with them. They march in a direct 

 line to their place of destination, and are said seldom 

 to turn out of their way on account of intervening 

 obstacles. Even if they meet with a lofty wall or a 

 house, they will attempt to scale it. If they arrive 

 at a river, they wind along the course of the stream. 



They are as regular in their procession as an army 

 under the direction of an experienced commander, 

 faeing generally divided into three battalions. The 

 first of .these consists of the strongest males, which 

 inarch forward to clear the route and face the great- 

 est dangers. The main body is composed of females, 

 which are sometimes formed into columns fifty or 

 sixty yards broad and three miles deep. The first 

 division is often obliged to halt from want of rain, 

 and the females never come from the mountains till 

 the rains have set in for some time. Three or four 

 days after these, the rear-guard follows, a straggling 

 undisciplined tribe, consisting of males and femaler, 

 but neither so robust nor so vigorous as the former. 



They proceed chiefly in the night ; but if it rain 

 during the day they always profit by it. When the 

 sun is hot they invariably halt till the evening. When 

 terrified they run back in a confused and disorderly 

 manner, holding up and clattering their nippers, 

 with a threatening attitude j and if they are suffered 



