294 SUPPLEMENT 



with any body. The bUick colour of the taumalin should in- 

 dicate, according to the report of some writers, that these 

 Crustacea are poisoned. But very positive experiments would 

 be necessary to convince us that the fruits of this tree and 

 other dangerous vegetables, are the only agents which can 

 communicate this black colour to the taumalin. The violet 

 crabs have been in a gi'eat measure destroyed in the island of 

 Martinique ; but the Carribs take them there from the neigh- 

 bouring islands. 



Linngeus informs us, on the authority of Brown, that the 

 cancer ruricola, a variety in all probability of the same 

 species, sacrifices, to save itself, the yjincer or claw with 

 which it has seized the fingers of the person who has attempted 

 to seize it ; and that the strong action of this pincer lasts for 

 a minute after it has been detached fro in the body. 



Other land Crustacea are to be met with on the Gold coast, 

 in the Island of Java, &c., but they are probably ocypods ; 

 for it appears that in general the gecarcini are proper to South 

 America. 



The Grapsi, which are named in the French Antilles 

 " crahes de 'paletuviers^'' are easily distinguished by their port 

 and appearance. These Crustacea are extended through all 

 parts of the world, but more particularly through those which 

 are situated near the tropics. They appear to be the same 

 which in Martinique are called Ceriques, as we have before 

 mentioned. 



" I have seen," says M. Bosc, " many of the grapsus pictus 

 in America, and I have observed that they always keep them- 

 selves concealed during the day, under stones and other 

 bodies which are found in the sea» I have further remarked, 

 that although they do not swim, they have the faculty of sup- 

 porting themselves for a short time on the water, by reason of 

 the breadth of their body and feet, and this by means of 

 repeated leaps. They make these movements always side- 



