122 MR. J. T. CUNNINGHAM ON MARINE FISHES [Jan. 18, 



world-wide distribution, having been recorded from the Medi- 

 terranean, Cadiz, Madeira, Cape Yerde Islands, Senegambia, 

 West Indies, Brazil, Philippines, Japan, and S.E. Australia. It 

 was taken by me with the other species at St. Helena inhabiting 

 Septa nodi f era and other shells. 



Family Dromiid^. 



DROMIA VULGARIS. 



Dromia vulgaris H. Milne-Edwards, Hist. Nat. des Crust, ii. 

 p. 173, pi. xxi. figs. 5-8; A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, Exp. 

 Travailleur et Talisman, Crust. Decap. pt. i. p. 17 ; Melliss, p. 203. 



I obtained one specimen of this species but am not quite sure 

 how it was caught, whether in the trawl or the stump-traps, but 

 believe it was by the former. Its distribution is similar to that 

 of Panidirus guttatus, namely, Mediterranean, Senega], Cape 

 Verde Islands, Florida, W. Indies. It has also been taken on 

 the south coast of England. In recording this species from 

 Senegal and the Cape Yerdes, Milne-Edwards and Bouvier state 

 that it had not previously been taken so far south, overlooking 

 the fact that it had been recorded at St. Helena by Melliss. 



Family Grapsidx 



Grapsus grapsus Linn. 



This little black crab, mentioned by Melliss as the common 

 Black Crab, is very abundant and resembles in colour the volcanic 

 rocks over which it runs, living more out of the water than 

 in it. It seems to be endowed with almost suj^ernatural cunning 

 and intelligence, numbers collecting to feed on a piece of fish or 

 offal in a few minutes where none were previously visible and 

 disappearing with equal celerity when one approaches. The boys 

 have a curious method of catching them by dangling a stone 

 attached to a string beneath one, and so driving it up to the top 

 of the quay ; in this case the crab seems to be more afraid of the 

 stone close below it than of the human enemy above, though it 

 often suddenly lets go altogether and drops into the water. Its 

 distribution is circumtropical . 



Plagusia depressa Herbst. 



This crab is less common than the preceding and lives about 

 the edge of the water ; it is much larger than the Grapsus 

 and of a reddish colour, a fact which seems to show that the 

 protective resemblance of the other is accidental. This seems to 

 be the species mentioned by Melliss (p. 206) as locally known by 

 the names Purple Rock Crab and Peeling Crab. Like the Grapsus, 

 it is found all round the world in the tropics. 



