12 
The South Australian Naturalist . 
always kept a smouldering log in their camps, and carried the 
fire when travelling, the fire originally coming from volcanoes. 
The African Pigmies appeared to have no language of their own, 
using that of the adjacent tribes. They were good linguists. 
Counting was met with in its most primitive form. The draw- 
ings and paintings on the walls of their rock shelters were of j 
considerable artistic value, being executed with great spirit and !' 
freedom of line and color. These little men also had a taste for 
music-making with stringed instruments. 
' 1 
EXCURSION TO THE GRANGE, AUGUST 30, 1924.— !i 
Although the tide was unfavorable for collectors interesting finds 
were made. Three species of phasiantrochus were included | 
among the specimens. The nacreous internal coating of these | 
used to be employed by the natives for earrings and necklaces. 
I’he little white bivalve Mesodesman seems to have a very acute 
sense of sound, and often narrow winding furrows ploughed by 
this tiny mollusc before the oncoming tide led to its discovery by 
the zealous collector. The peculiar habits of that ingenious little 
c'reature the hermit crab (Pagurus sp.) were described. He con- 
structs no dwelling for himself, but uses the cast-off shell of a 
mollusc for that purpose. This shell he carries about on his 
back till he finds another more suitable to his growing propor- 
tions. Into the latter he backs tail foremost, with his serrated 
daws and grips the edge and pulls the shell over his head. His 
hold is so firm that considerable force is required to wrench this 
shell from his grip. A shell of a Sydney rock oyster found on 
the beach led Mr. Kimber to caution young enthusiasts against 
being too ready to believe a new species had been found. Un- 
less the living creature is found in the shell the find may prove, 
as in this case of the Sydney oyster, to be merely a castaway from 
some feast, or jettisoned from a ship. He exhorted younger 
members, however, to be always on the lookout for new mol- 
luscs, and related how on the last dredging trip three crustaceans 
apparently new to science had been brought up. A piece of rock 
caught by the dredger was on the point of being returned to the 
water when a member noticed in a narrow hole, l^in. deep, a crab 
never before recorded as having been found on this side of the 
gulf, although Mr. Matthews had captured one near Edithburgh. 
Unlike the hermit this crab, not having a soft tail, does not carry 
his house about, but searches for food in the neighborhood of his 
retreat. On the slightest notice of danger he returns to his fast- 
ness, and with his claws above his head, clinging to the rock, 
he entrenches himself against all enemies. The manner in which 
