106 THE YOUNG 



coast to the Little Orme's Head) by Steno- 

 rhynchus phalangium, Hyasaraneus, and H. 

 coarctatus, all of which are not uncommon, 

 but are found below low-water mark. The 

 only one of this sub-tribe that is eaten in 

 this country is the large Maia squinado, the 

 spinous spider-crab, which is found on the 

 south and south-west coasts of this country. 

 The spider-crabs with their long, weak legs, 

 feeble nippers, and slow movements, would 

 have a poor chance in the struggle for 

 existence were it not that this carapace is 

 generally studded with sharp spines which 

 would make them an uncomfortable article, 

 of diet, and that they are usually so over- 

 grown with the sponges, zoophytes, and 

 polyzoa among which they are found that 

 they must be very difficult to distinguish. 



The next sub-tribe is the very important 

 one of the Cyclomeiopa to which belong most 

 of the eatable crabs. The Great Crab 

 {Cancer pagwus) which we are accustomed 

 to see on the fish-mongers stalls, may be 

 considered as the type of this family, which 

 is represented on the shores of our district 

 by the above species, also by the little hairy 

 Pilumnus hirtellus, the common shore-crab 

 {Carcinus mcenas), and two species of the 

 swimming crabs, viz., Portumis depuratov and 

 arcuatus. Of these the Great Crab is com- 

 mon under stones in Rhos Bay, but I have 

 never seen it large enough to be worth 

 cooking. The shore-crab is brought up by 

 the shrimp trawl in hundreds from Point of 

 Ayr upwards, and the cleanser-crab {Portu- 

 nus depuratov) is equally abundant below the 

 Point to the bar. The Cyclometopa are 

 generally broad and somewhat fiat crabs 

 with powerful nippers. The swimming- 

 crabs, which are frequently found far from 

 land, have the last joint of the hindermost 

 pair of feet flattened out so as to resemble a 

 broad paddle. 



The next sub-tribe is that of the Catame- 

 topa, which contains a large number of 

 exotic species, but is only represented in 



NATURALIST. 



our district by one or two species of the 

 genus Pinnotheres which inhabit the shells of 

 living mussels. Two other species, viz., , 

 the angular crab (Gonoplax angulata), and 

 the floating crab {Planes linnceana) are 

 occasionally found on our S. and S.W. 

 coasts. 



The fourth and last sub-tribe is the 

 Oxystomata. The crabs composing it are 

 mostly of small size, and often of very 

 singular forms. But few species are found 

 on the British coasts, and only one, so far 

 as I know, in our districts, viz., the masked 

 crab {Coryster Cassivelaunus) , which is not 

 uncommon from Abergele to the Little 

 Orme's Head. 



2. The second sub-order of the Crustacea 

 is that of the Anomoura or irregular-tails. 

 They are divided into several sections and 

 sub-tribes, but so far as this country is 

 concerned the only sub-tribes represented 

 are Dromidea, by one species olDromia rarely 

 taken in the South ; Porcellanidea, by two 

 species of Porcellana, viz., platycheles (the 

 hairy broad claw) and longicornis, both of 

 which are common under stones between 

 tide marks at Llanddulas. These may at 

 once be distinguished from the Brachyura 

 by the fourth pair of walking legs, which are 

 almost rudimentary. In the tropical genus 

 Conchocetes (one of the Dromidea) they are used 

 carry a half bi-valve shell, like a parasol 

 over the animal.. Lithodea, by Lithodes 

 maia, a northern deep water species ; Paguri- 

 dea, by several species of Pagurus (hermit 

 crabs) of which I have only met with the 

 common P. Bemhardus in our district, where 

 it is very common ; and Galatheidce, by the 

 two genera Galathea and Munida, none of 

 which I have met with in our district. 



3. The third sub-order, Macroura or 

 longtails, is one of great economical 

 importance, comprising the lobsters, prawns, 

 shrimps, as well as the fresh-water cray fish, 

 which comes first in the order of these I 

 wish to consider. I only mention it because 



