
A STROLL BY THE SEA-SIDE. 249 
but unluckily it is already occupied by a brother hermit. A 
freebooter is our hermit, and so without any apologies it 
proceeds by force to eject the tenant. A fight ensues, and 
oftentimes ends in the ejectment and mutilation of one or the 
other. Perhaps the name Soldier-crab is more appropriate, 
from its belligerent character. Gosse has described one of 
these fights, from which we subjoin the following: “The 
Soldiers (as indeed becomes their profession) are well known 
to be pugnacious and impudent, yet watchful and cautious. 
Indeed, their manners and disposition, no less than their ap- 
pearance, bear the strongest resemblance to those of spiders. 
Two of them can scarcely approach each other without mani- 
festations of hostility ; each warily stretches out his long feet 
and feels the other, just as spiders do, and strives to find an 
opportunity of seizing his opponent in some tender part 
with his own strong claws. Generally they are satisfied 
With the proofs afforded of mutual prowess, and each, finding 
the other armed at all points, retires; but not unseldom a 
regular passage of arms ensues; the claws are rapidly thrown 
about, widely gaping and threatening, and the combatants 
roll over and over in the tussle. Sometimes, however, the 
aggressive spirit is more decided and ferocious. One in the 
aquarium of the Zoological Gardens was seen to approach 
another, who tenanted a shell somewhat larger than his own, 
and, suddenly seizing his victim’s front with his powerful 
claw, drag him like lightning from his house, into which 
; e aggressor as swiftly inserts his own body, leaving the 
miserable sufferer struggling in the agonies of death.” 
The reader must bear in mind that we have only touched 
"pon the more common forms to be met with on the coast, 
and that without the least difficulty he may find a legion of 
others, equally as ipteresting, and readily preserved alive in 
“water for a considerable time. He will do well to carry 
“way with him a pailful of these animals, with a generous 
“Supply of sea-water in which to immerse them. The nume- 
rous sea-worms, of which we have not spoken, will repay 
AMER. NATURALIST, VOL. II. 32 

