374 CRUSTACKA. 



this species to be about equally common. Dr. Ball states that it inhabits 

 holes in the hard mud, but whether made by itself he cannot say. (The 

 Gonoplax bispinosa is said by Mr. Cranch " to live in excavations formed 

 in the hardened mud, and that their habitations, at the extremities of 

 which they live, are open at each end." Leach, Mai. Pod. Bi'it.) In the 

 ordinary rejectamenta of the tide it occurs much more frequently than any 

 other species, and generally in a young state. The carapace of the largest 

 example in my collection, from Belfast Bay, is 'A\ inches in breadth and 

 2^ in length. Pennant and Leach state that this crab is sent in quantities 

 to London, where it is eaten by the poor ; and M. EdAvards observes that 

 it is used in like manner in Paris. In other large towns also I have re- 

 marked it on sale, but in Belfast the Cancer j)a(/nnis, as has been already 

 remarked, is the only species of crab used as an article of food. The 

 Carcinus M(snas is much in request by juvenile anglers and fishermen for 

 bait. I have seen it so used by persons fishing for flounders {Platessa 

 Jlesiis) in the river Bann, near Portstewart. By Dr. J. L. Drummond I 

 am informed that its liver is the chief bait used by boys at Lame in fish- 

 ing for the young of the Merlanf/us carhonarius, called there pickock. 

 Dr. Ball states that when these crabs are about to change their shells, 

 or have recently done so, they are sought for under the sea-weeds at low- 

 tide by the fishermen at Youghal, chiefly as bait for flat-fish, and are 

 superior to anything that can be used — in this soft state they are here 

 caileiS. pil-crabs (qu. peeled-crabs). 



A specimen of the great northern diver, shot in Dublin Bay, was brought 

 to me ; in its crop I found three very large specimens of C. 3Icenas, de- 

 prived of their legs. I recently found in same locality a specimen of 

 Actinia (/emmacea in the act of swallowing a well-grown sjjecimen of 

 this crab, thus proving that the race has more enemies than I have seen 

 recorded.—/?. B., 16 Dec, 18.54. 



At the quays of Youghal these crabs are caught in great numbers simply 

 with fish-entrails tied to a string. They prove such an annoyance to boys 

 fishing at Belfast quay by consuming their bait, that all of them caught 

 in the act are instantly trampled to death, and hence may have arisen the 

 proverb of " crab's allowance." Dr. Ball was once witness to the body of 

 a person drowned when bathing at Youghal, being taken out of the water 

 an hour and a half after his disappearance, when several of these crabs 

 were engaged eating the eye-lids of the corpse. 



July 20, 1851. — Carcinus 3Ianas of all sizes up to 3 inches in breadth, 

 lying dead on the beach at Newcastle, Co. Down. 



M. Edwards remarks that the name of " Crabes enrages " is applied to 

 tliis species on the coast of Xormandy ; and it is sufficiently appropriate, 

 for when arrested in their rapid progress over the beach — and well (as re- 

 marked by that author) they can run — they instantly throw up their claws 

 in anger to attack the intruder, and if not guarded against, will give him 

 feelimi evidence of their displeasure. M. Edwards too observes, that they 

 have been kept alive for a long time out of the water, but he would per- 

 haps hardly be prepared to expect that they are so tenacious of life as 

 shown in the following instance, communicated by Mr. R. Patterson : — ■ 

 " I remember above twenty years ago spending one of my school vacations at 

 Holywood, Belfast Bay, and on one occasion was so Annoyed by the com- 

 mon crabs ( C. Mceuas) eating the bait from my fishing-hook, that at length 

 1 took a number of the crabs and by way of retaliation buried them alive 

 in the garden. Some time after, but how long I cannot now remember, 

 I was tempted to dig them up to see what kind of a state they were then 



