392 



CRUSTACEOLOGY. 



Imstacea. they multiply in great numbers. They choose the 

 T"""* month of April or May to begin their expedition, and 

 then sally out by thousands from the stumps of hollow 

 trees, which they excavate, from the holes -which they 

 dig lor themselves under the surface of the earth, clefts 

 of the rocks, and other hiding places. At that time, 

 the whole ground is covered with this band of adven- 

 turers ; there is no setting down one's foot without 

 treading on them. 



" The sea is their place of destination, and to that 

 they direct their march with the utmost precision. They 

 never turn to the right or left for any obstacles that in- 

 tervene, if they can possibly pass over them ; and even 

 if they meet with a house they will attempt to scale 

 the walls. But though this be the general order of the 

 route, they are upon other occasions obliged to conform 

 to the face of the country ; and if it is intersected with 

 rivers, they are seen to wind along the course of the 

 streams ; hut if only a small rivulet occurs, they force a 

 passage across it. The procession sets forward from 

 the mountains with the regularity of an army, under 

 the guidance of an experienced commander. They are 

 said to be commonly divided into three battalions, of 

 which the first consists of the strongest and boldest 

 males, that, like pioneers, march forward to clear the 

 route and face the greatest dangers. They are often 

 obliged to halt for want of rain, and to go into the 

 most convenient encampment till the weather changes. 

 The main body of the army is composed of females, 

 which never leave the mountains till the rain is set in 

 for some time, and then descend in regular order, be- 

 ing formed into columns of fifty paces broad, and three 

 miles deep, and so close, that they almost cover the 

 •ground. Three or four days after this, the rear guard 

 follows, a straggling undisciplined troop, consisting of 

 males and females, but neither so robust nor so vigo- 

 rous as the former. The night is the chief time of 

 proceeding, but if it rains by day they do not fail to 

 profit by the occasion ; and they continue to move for- 

 ward in a slow uniform manner. When the sun shines 

 and is hot upon the surface of the ground, they halt 

 and wait until the cool of the evening. When they are 

 terrified, they march backward in a confused and dis- 

 orderly manner, holding up their nippers. They try 

 to intimidate their enemies by clattering then* nippers 

 together, as if it were to threaten those who come to 

 disturb them. Their disposition is carnivorous, though 

 they most commonly subsist on vegetables ; for if, by 

 any accident, one should get maimed in such a manner 

 as to be incapable of proceeding, the rest fall on him 

 and devour him on the spot, and then pursue their 

 journey. 



" After a march of sometimes two or perhaps three 

 months, in this manner they arrive at their destined 

 spot on the sea-coast, and then proceed to cast their 

 spawn. The eggs are as yet within their bodies, and 

 not excluded and retained, as is usual with animals of 

 this kind, under the tail ; for the creature waits for the 

 .benefit of the sea water to facilitate their exclusion. 

 For this purpose, the crab has no sooner reached the 

 shore, than it goes eagerly to the edge of the water, 

 and lets the waves wash over its body two or tliree 

 times. Tins has been thought necessary by some to 

 ripen the spawn in the ovaria, as the crab appearing 

 satisfied after a slight bathing, immediately retires, and 

 seeks a lodging on the land. After this they say the 

 spawn grows larger, is excluded from the body, and 

 adheres to the ciliations under the tail. This bunch is 

 *«een as big as a hen's egg, and exactly resembling the 



roes of herrings. In tin* state of pregnancy they once Crustacea, 

 more seek the shore for the last time; and shaking their , «-»-y— • ' 

 spawn into the water, leave them to the chance of 

 fortune and accident to bring tliem to maturity. At 

 this time large shoals of hungry fishes are at the shore 

 in expectation of this annual supply ; the sea, to a great 

 distance, seems quite black with them, and about two- 

 thirds of the eggs are immediately devoured by those 

 rapacious invaders. The eggs that escape are hatched 

 under the sand, and soon after millions at a time of 

 those little crabs are seen quitting the shore and slowly 

 travelling up to the mountains. The old ones, how- 

 ever, are not so active to return ; they have become 

 so feeble and lean that they can hardly crawl along, 

 and the flesh at the time changes colour. The greater 

 part of them, therefore, are obliged to continue in the 

 plains and lower parts of the country, until they re- 

 cover, making holes in the earth which they cover 

 with leaves and dirt, so as to exclude the light and air. 

 In tliis cavity they throw off their old shells, which they 

 leave behind them, as it were quite whole. At this time 

 they are quite naked, and almost without motion for 

 six days together, when they begin to grow fat, and 

 are then most delicious eating. It is said they have 

 under their stomachs four large white calcareous stones, 

 which gradually decrease as in proportion the shell 

 hardens, and when they come to perfection entirely 

 disappear. Soon after this the animal is observed 

 slowly making its way back, and all this is com- 

 monly performed in the space of six weeks. This 

 animal, when possessed of its retreats in the moun- 

 tains, is impregnable ; for only subsisting on vege- 

 tables, it seldom ventures out ; and its habitation be- 

 ing in the most inaccessible places, it remains for a 

 greater part of the season in perfect security. It is 

 only when impelled by the desire of bringing forth its 

 young, and when compelled to descend- into the flat 

 country, that it is taken. At that time the natives wait 

 for their descent in eager expectation of their arrival, 

 and destroy thousands ; but disregarding their bodies, 

 they only seek for the small spawn which lies on each 

 side of the stomach, within the shell, of about the thick- 

 ness of a man's thumb. They are much more valuable 

 on their return, after they have cast their shells ; for 

 being covered with a skin resembling soit parchment, 

 almost every part except the stomach may be eaten. 

 They are taken in the holes by feeling for them with 

 an instrument ; they are sought after by night, when 

 on then journey, by flambeaux light. The instant the 

 animal perceives itself attacked, it throws itself on its 

 back, and with its claws pinches most dreadfully what- 

 ever it happens to fasten upon. But dextrous crab- 

 catchers take them by their hinder legs in such a man- 

 ner that they cannot make use of their nippers, and 

 thus throw them into their bags. Sometimes also they 

 are taken when they take refuge in the bottoms of 

 holes in rocks on the sea-side, by clapping a stick to 

 the mouth of the hole, which prevents their getting 

 out; and then soon after the tide coming, enters the 

 holes, and the animal is found, upon the water retiring^ 

 drowned in its retreat. 



" These crabs are of various colours : some are red- 

 dish, variegated with black ; some yellowish, and others 

 black, inclining to blue. Those of a light colour are 

 esteemed most, and when full in flesh are well tasted, 

 In some of the sugar islands they are eaten without 

 apprehension of danger, and form no inconsiderable 

 part of the food of the poor negroes." 



They vary much in size ; the largest grow to nlxwc 



