THE STRAWBERRY CRAB. 137 



softness of the rock, a sort of indurated clay, on 

 which (at least with us) they generally grow; a sub- 

 stance which often grinds away under the chisel, 

 instead of splitting oflF. 



THE STRAWBERRY CRAB. 



Among the multitudes of curious creatures which 

 the dredge rakes up from the prolific bottom of Wey- 

 mouth Bay there occurs occasionally a pretty little 

 Crab, which is sometimes called the Strawberry, from 

 its being studded all over with pink tubercles on a 

 white ground, remotely resembling the seeds that 

 adhere to the fleshy surface of that delicious fruit. 

 The same peculiarity has been seized to give its scien- 

 tific appellation, Eurynome aspera. These tubercles 

 under a low magnifier are very curious, consisting of 

 short cylindrical columns, the truncate ends of which 

 are beset with polished red or white hemispherical 

 knobs. The first pair of legs have the joints very 

 long, projecting awkwardly in an angle on each side, 

 and the wrists have a curious twist. 



Mr. Bell in his beautiful work on the British Crus- 

 tacea, calls this one of our rare species, and says that 

 little is known of its habits. I am the more pleased 

 to have an opportunity of adding an item to its history, 

 and of tracing some connexion between its habits and 

 the peculiarities of its conformation. 



The story may be summed up in a word ; the Straw- 

 berry Crab is a climber. If it were a terrestrial animal, 

 I should say its habits are arboreal. True, it now and 

 then wanders over the bottom of its abode, with slow 

 and painful march, the hind- feet held up at an angle 



