
268 SOMETHING ABOUT CRABS. 
in England than with us. Our naturalists seem to be chiefly 
aoranled with the study of structure. When their habits are 
better understood we shall doubtless learn something which 
as yet are only known of foreign species. One of these we 
would instance in closing. 
The Hermit, as its name imparts, loves solitude so far as 
the occupancy of its shell is concerned. There is an English 
species, Prideaux' Hermit, that seems to take Patrick's view 
of seclusion: "Its very nice to be all alone by one's self, 
especially if one has his sweetheart with him." So this 
Hermit believes in having for a companion the dressy Cloak- 
let Actinia; nor will he live without her. And if form and 
color be considered, remarkably recherche is this Sea-ane- 
mone. Her form adapts her to surround the shell mouth 
like a frill, while her disk is of waxy white, and the rest is 
elegantly varied with reddish-brown, rose-purple and scarlet. 
This gorgeous creature adheres around the entrance of the 
Horis ahell, so that his lookout is from a mantel richer 
than any field of cloth-of-gold. But when the Hermit has 
outgrown his house, and maving-day. comes, does he leave 
his "beautifol though helpless companion? No, a better gal- 
- lantry is his. He causes her to loose her long adherence to ` 
the shell’s mouth, and to cleave to the vodenide of his tho- 
rax. In this way he carries her with him to their new home. 
And what then? Most tenderly he places her in position, 
and holds her there until a good adhesion of the base takes 
effect, when she witt her prateotor, is snugly domiciled 
again. These facts are given in pleasant detail by Gosse, 
from whom we quote the following : 
*Is there not here much more than what our modern das 
. jologists are prone to call automatic movements, the results 
of reflex sensorial action? The more I study the lower 
animals, the more firmly am I persuaded of the existence in 
them of psychieal faculties, such as consciousness, intelli- 
gence, will and choice! and that, even in those forms in 
which as yet no nervous centers have been detected.” 


