STINGING CORALS 493 



possibility of this ; but with the Pandanus ^ the task would be 

 very much easier. I was told by Mr. Liesk that on these 

 islands the Birgos lives only on the nuts which have fallen to 

 the ground. 



Captain Moresby informs me that this crab inhabits the 

 Chagos and Seychelle groups, but not the neighbouring Maldiva 

 archipelago. It formerly abounded at Mauritius, but only a 

 few sniall ones are now found there. In the Pacific this 

 species, or one with closely allied habits, is said ^ to inhabit 

 a single coral island north of the Society group. To show 

 the wonderful strength of the front pair of pincers, I may 

 mention that Captain Moresby confined one in a strong tin 

 box, which had held biscuits, the lid being secured with wire ; 

 but the crab turned down the edges and escaped. In turning 

 down the edges it actually punched many small holes quite 

 through the tin ! 



I was a good deal surprised by finding two species of coral 

 of the genus Millepora (M. complanata and alcicornis), possessed 

 of the power of stinging. The stony branches or plates, when 

 taken fresh from the water, have a harsh feel and are not slimy, 

 although possessing a strong and disagreeable smell. The 

 stinging property seems to vary in different specimens : when 

 a piece was pressed or rubbed on the tender skin of the face or 

 arm, a pricking sensation was usually caused, which came on 

 after the interval of a second, and lasted only for a few minutes. 

 One day, however, by merely touching my face with one of the 

 branches, pain was instantaneously caused ; it increased as 

 usual after a few seconds, and remaining sharp for some 

 minutes, was perceptible for half an hour afterwards. The 

 sensation was as bad as that from a nettle, but more like that 

 caused by the Physalia or Portuguese man-of-war. Little red 

 spots were produced on the tender skin of the arm, which 

 appeared as if they would have formed watery pustules, but 

 did not. M. Quoy mentions this case of the Millepora ; and 

 I have heard of stinging corals in the West Indies. Many 

 marine animals seem to have this power of stinging : besides 

 the Portuguese man-of-war, many jelly-fish, and the Aplysia or 

 sea-slug of the Cape de Verd Islands, it is stated in the Voyage 



^ '^^0. Proceedings of Zoological Society, 1832, p. 17. 

 2 Tyerman and Bennett, Voyage^ etc., vol. ii. p. 33. 



