THE MAItlNE AQUAKIUM. 127 



taken in such large quantities that, when obtained by a 

 seine, it is often used as manure. Its usual places of 

 resort are upon oyster-beds, where it is thought to com- 

 mit great ravages by destroying the spawn of the oyster. 

 There arc several other species of crabs to be obtained 

 on the American coast, and most of them could, no doubt, 

 be introduced with advantage. 



The Molucca Crab, King-crab, Horse-foot or Horse-bunker 

 (Polyphemus occidentals — Plate VIII., Fig. 3), all of which 

 names it bears, is extremely common on some parts of 

 the shores of New York State. It is called llorse-foot 

 on account of its shape ; and still retains, in some dis- 

 tricts, the name given to it by the early English colonists, 

 of King-crab, on account of its size. It is likewise called 

 by lishermen the sauce-pan, on account of its shape. 

 Its shell is sometimes made use of to bale out boats. 

 These crabs come up on the shore at high-water, in the 

 month of May, and are used to feed hogs upon ; and, it 

 is said, the latter must be fed on some other food a 

 month or two before being slaughtered, as the flesh of 

 those animals would, otherwise, be apt to retain a rank, 

 disagreeable taste. The flesh of this crab is also eaten 

 with avidity by chickens, whose eggs, it has been asserted, 

 retain the same taste ; but I have never found it so. 

 It is sometimes used as food by man, when the flesh is 

 carefully separated from the other parts. Dr. De Kay 

 says, " They crawl along the bottom, and I have never 

 seen them swimmiug near the surface. When thrown upon 

 their backs, they inflect the anterior portion of the shield 

 upon the posterior, and likewise turn it so far back, that, 



