208 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
in their slow uniform manner. When the sun shines and 
is hot upon the surface of the ground, they then make an 
universal halt, and wait till the cool of the evening. When 
they are terrified, they march back in a confused dis- 
orderly manner, holding up their nippers, with which they 
sometimes tear off a piece of the skin, and then leave the 
weapon where they inflicted the wound. They even try to 
intimidate their enemies ; for they often clattei their nip- 
pers together, as if it were to threaten those that come to 
disturb 0 them. But though they thus strive to be formidable 
to man, they are much more so to each other ; for they are 
possessed of one most unsocial property, which is, that if 
any of them by accident is maimed in such a manner as to 
be incapable of proceeding, the rest fall upon and devour 
it on the spot, and then pursue their journey. 
When after a fatiguing march, and escaping a thousand 
dangers, for they are sometimes three months in getting to 
the shore, they have arrived at their destined port, they pre- 
pare to cast their spawn. The peas are as yet within their 
bodies, and not excluded, as is usual in animals of this 
kind, under the tail ; for the creature waits for the benefit 
of the sea-water to help the delivery. For this purpose, 
the crab has no sooner reached the shore, than it eagerly 
goes to the edge of the water, and lets the waves wash over 
its body two or three times. This seems only a preparation 
for bringing their spawn to maturity ; for without farther 
delay they withdraw to seek a lodging upon land : in the 
mean time the spawn grows larger, is excluded out of the 
body, and sticks to the barbs under the flab, or more pro 
perlv the tail. This bunch is seen as big as an hen’s egg, 
and exactly resembling the roes of herrings. In this state 
of pregnancy, they once more seek the shore for the last 
time, arid shaking off their spawn into the water, leave ac- 
cident to bring it to maturity. At this time whole shoals 
of hungry fish are at the shore, and about two thirds of the 
crabs eggs are immediately devoured by these rapacious 
invaders." The eggs that escape are hatched under the sand ; 
and soon after millions at a time of these little crabs sire 
seen quitting the shore, and slowly travelling up to the 
mountains. 
The old ones, however, are not so active to return ; they 
have become so feeble and lean, that they can hardly creel) 
along, and the flesh at that time changes its colour. Most 
of them, therefore, are obliged to continue in the flat parts 
of the country till they recover, making holes in the earth, 
which they cover at the mouth with leaves and dirt, so that 
no air may enter. There they throw off their old shells, 
