A RED CRAB. 227 



grew; but the minutes slipped quickly by, daylight 

 was fading in this sheltered spot, shut out from the 

 north and west by steep hills, and too soon came the 

 call to return to the ship. On the beach I picked up 

 the carapace of a crab— bright red and beset with 

 sharp protuberances — evidently freshly feasted on by 

 some rapacious animal. The whole of the body and 

 the shell of the under part as well as the claws 

 had disappeared, leaving nothing but the carapace, 

 which I presume had been found too hard and indi- 

 gestible. Darwin informs us that the sea-otter of this 

 region feeds largely on this or some allied species of 

 crab. 



The cold was sufficient to make the little stove in 

 the saloon of the steamer very acceptable, but at no 

 time throughout the voyage could be called severe. 

 Between noon and three p.m. on the 5th of June the 

 thermometer in the open air stood about 40° Fahr., 

 and fell at night only two or three degrees below 

 freezing-point. The barometer was high, gradually 

 rising from 30 inches to 30-3, at which it stood on the 

 following day. Everything promised settled weather, 

 and it was therefore disappointing to find, the sky 

 completely covered when I went on deck early in the 

 morning of the 6th. A light breeze from the north 

 raised the temperature by a few degrees and brought 

 the clouds. The scenery throughout the day was 

 even of a grander character than before, and the 

 absence of sunshine gave it a sterner aspect. At 

 times, when passing the smaller islandsj I was forcibly 

 reminded of the upper lake of Kiilarney, the re- 

 semblance being much increased by the appearance 



