396 ANIMAL FOOD RESOURCES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS. 



moreover under the tail of the larger ones there is a s;reat 

 mass of fat, which when melted, sometimes yields as 

 much as a quart of limpid oil. 



The island of Taboga, near Panama, has always been 

 celebrated for its land crabs. Towards the end of Lent, 

 but more particularly after the first heavy showers of 

 the rainy season, they leave their holes in the mountains 

 and descend in great numbers to the seaside, marching 

 during the night, being steadily bent on reaching the 

 sandy beaches of the island. The females are loaded 

 with ova, and the males are as ill-tempered as a Londoner 

 who has to take his family to the seaside whether he 

 will or not. Men, women and children, start out after 

 dark with lanterns, and hunt the crabs in their descent. 

 Large kettles are left at home ready with boiling water 

 into which the bag full of doomed land crabs is emptied 

 when the hunt is over. 



This wonderful animal migration is looked on as a 

 sort of Godsend to make up for the rigour of Lent. 



It is found in this locality only on the group of islands 

 of which Taboga is the largest. 



The land crabs are considered a great luxury both 

 in Panama and in Jamaica. It is reported of a governor 

 of the latter island, that in his opinion the two best 

 things in Jamaica were the land crabs and the Sambo 

 girls. In Jamaica and some other West India islands 

 millions on millions, at certain periods, may be seen pro- 

 gressing from the hills to the sea, and from the sea back 

 to the hills, uniting at certain periods in vast numbers, 

 and moving in the most direct course to the sea, march- 

 ing in squadrons and lines, just like bands of soldiers 

 proceeding to a battle point of concentration, but halting 

 twice a day for feeding and repose. 



When the black or violet mountain crab is fat and in 

 a perfect state, it surpasses everything of the sort in 

 flavour and delicacy ; and frequently joins a little of the 

 bitter with its native richness, which renders it not only 

 the more agreeable in general, but makes ifc sit extremely 

 easy upon the stomach. They are frequently boiled and 



