72 FISHERIES OF THE ORIENTAL REGION, 



Ocypoda ceratopthalma, Pallas, and 0. cordimana, Desmarest, 

 are the names of two racing crabs, common in the Indian region, 

 and known by the surprising rapidity with which they run side- 

 ways over the sands, or burrow into them to escape detection. 

 Their long eye-stalks, grey colour, and swiftness of foot must serve 

 for their identification anywhere. 



When out exploring in Perak I found, at a height of 4000 ft. 

 above the sea, a small, smooth green crab which probably belonged 

 to the genus Geocarcinus. These animals are found in all tropical 

 countries, living at some distance from the sea in burrows which 

 they excavate near marshes or in moist forests. It is said that 

 they feed at night, and moreover that they migrate at certain 

 seasons to the sea to deposit their eggs ; but accurate observation 

 is needed on these points. 



Amongst the long-tailed crustaceans the rock-lobster has not 

 been mentioned, the Palinurus fasciatus, Fabr. ; of naturalists and 

 Hudang-ondor of the Malays. When off Malacca in October, 

 1S83, I had the good fortune to catch, with a hook and line, one 

 of the largest specimens of this rock-lobster that I have seen. The 

 antennas were enormous, being over six feet long, while the 

 variegated white and black carapace and showy spines made it one 

 of the handsomest species of the genus. Many persons call this 

 a crayfish, but as that term is applied to the freshwater lobsters it 

 had better be restricted to them. It will be remembered, of course, 

 that Palinurus has no large claw like the common lobster. The . 

 curious long-tailed lobster, Ibacus antarcticus, L., known by the 

 wide, flat carapace, and the large and leaf-like outer antennas and 

 partly flexible tail-pieces, is found from India to Australia, but is 

 not common. It is not confined to the tropics. 



It need hardly be said that hermit-crabs abound on the Malay- 

 sian coast, as they do in all tropical seas, including the genera 

 Pagurus, Eupagurus, Diogenes, Calcinus, Cenobita and others. 

 Any one who has been in the tropics need not be told how exceed- 

 ingly numerous the hermit-crabs are. Such a thing as an empty 

 sea-shell is what is rarely seen. They are filled with these adven- 

 titious lodgers, but for the most part so carefully concealed that 



