xv, i Cowles: Habits of Tropical Crustacea 85 
even after three-quarters of an hour, so after giving the hermit 
every encouragement such as placing the old shell near it, etc., 
I came to the conclusion that the species under consideration 
differs in this respect from the European species. But further 
observation with other specimens led me to believe that the 
removal of the hermit from one aquarium to another just after 
it had vacated the anemone-covered shell disturbed the hermit 
so much that the usually instinctive behavior in which the 
anemones are transferred to the new habitation was inhibited. 
I shall now describe my observations of a case in which the 
behavior of Pagurus deformis during its change of habitation 
may be called normal although inaccurate. In this case a 
hermit, in a shell carrying two large, grayish brown anemones 
on the upper surface and a small white one in the mouth of the 
shell, was placed near a Dolium shell somewhat larger than the 
one it was occupying. The hermit began to examine the new 
shell almost immediately ; it put its pincers and some of its legs 
inside of the shell and remained in this position for a consider- 
able length of time. Occasionally the pincers were moved about 
and were used apparently to examine the outside of the shell. 
Then, suddenly, the abdomen was inserted into the new shell, 
and the hermit without moving away grasped one of the large 
anemones, clawing, pinching, and pulling it. The anemone, 
instead of contracting as it would if disturbed by the observer, 
remained expanded even though the mauling it received was 
really very strenuous and although it was frequently jammed 
against the newly occupied shell. After these movements had 
continued for at least ten minutes the base of the anemone be- 
came loose in several places. Instead of completing its work 
at once, the hermit began to pinch and claw the other large 
anemone which withdrew its tentacles, soon however protruding 
them again. Then suddenly the hermit left the second one, and 
picked off the small white one which it applied at the mouth of 
the new shell almost directly under its own head, where the 
small anemone soon became firmly attached. Then the crab 
again attacked one of the large anemones, removed it easily, 
turned it round and round between its legs and pincers, and 
finally pushed the base against the side of the new shell. The 
anemone failed to become attached, slipped down onto the her- 
mit’s legs, stuck to them for a moment, dropped off, and finally 
attached itself to the glass bottom of the aquarium. Again the 
hermit crab seemed to lose interest in the anemone upon which 
it was working, and began tugging, pinching, and scratching 
the only one remaining attached to its old shell. After a long 
