THE HERMIT OEABS. 77^ 



ground color of the body is vermilion, the granules and spines being generally of a deep blue oi 

 purple ^, the entire carapax is covered with minute bristles. According to Dr. William Stimpson 

 who wrote concerning this Crab In 1857, specimens of this species then readily sold in the Sai 

 Francisco market for five and ten dollars each. A certain demand for them still continues, bui 

 they are apparently brought to market only occasionally. 



The Sanb Bug— Hippa talpoida, Say. 



This is rather an odd species of Crab, related to the Hermit Crabs, from which, however, ii 

 differs greatly in appearance. The body is oval in outline and more than half as broad as long 

 the sides forming a nearly regular curve. The upper part of the body, formed mostly of th( 

 cephalo-thorax, is convex and rather plain, giving a decidedly bug-like appearance to th( 

 creature, as suggested by its common name. The tail, which is long and broad, is pressed uj 

 against the under surface of the body, reaching nearly to the front. The eyes are minute anc 

 placed at the ends of long, slender peduncles; the principal antennae are about as long as tlx 

 carapax, and are curved and strongly plumose. 



"This species burrows like a mole, head first, instead of backward. It can also swim quit( 

 actively, and is sometimes found swimming about in the pools left on the flats at low water. Ii 

 is occasionally dug out of the sand at low-water mark, and is often thrown up by the waves or 

 sand-beaches, but it seems to live in shallow water on sandy bottoms in great numbers, for ir 

 seining on one of the sand-beaches near Wood's HoU for small fishes, a large quantity of this 

 species was taken. Its color is yellowish- white, tinged with purple on the back. It is one of th( 

 favorite articles of food of many fishes. Mr. Smith found the young abundant at Fire Island 

 near high water, burrowing in the sand. This species is still more abundant farther south." ^ 



The Sand Bug ranges from Cape Cod to Florida, but is much more abundant toward th( 

 South than at the North. On the New Jersey coast, and probably at other places farther south, ii 

 is used by the fishermen as bait. It is frequently called by them the " Bait Bug." 



The Heemit Crabs — Exjpagtjrus pollicaeis, Stimpson ; EtrpAatrRtrs bernhardtjs, Brandt 



EUPAGTJRUS LONaiOARPTJS, StimpSOn; AND ALLIED SPECIES. 



There are numerous species of Hermit Crabs living upon our coast, in all depths from th( 

 shore down to several hundred fathoms. Three species which are of large enough size to b( 

 considered as desirable for bait occur, however, in localities where they might be easily taken bj 

 the fishermen. One of the species, Eupagurus bernhardus, is frequently used for that purpose ii 

 England, and could as well be utilized here. The other two species, living in shallow water, ar( 

 JE. pollicaris and H. longicarpus. E. bernhardus ranges from Cape Cod northward, and fron 

 low-water mark to depths of fifty fathoms and more. JS. pollicaris ranges from Massachusetts t( 

 Florida, and occurs at low- water mark, but is more abundant on the rocky and shelly bottoms o 

 the bays and sounds, and upon oyster-beds. U. longicarpus ranges from Massachusetts Bay t< 

 the Oulf of Mexico, and from between tide levels to a depth of ten fathoms. 



The Hermit Crabs protect the hinder, soft portion of their bodies in any empty Gasteropoc 

 shell of sufficient size which is obtainable, carrying this shell upon their back. They move abou 

 very actively and are very pugnacious. Their savage dispositions toward each other has earne( 

 for them, in England, the name of "Soldier Crabs," but both in Europe and this country they an 

 generally termed " Hermits." 



^Veeeill: Vineyard Sound Report, p. 339, 1871-'72. 



