ON CRUSTACEA. 
283 
ing concealed at every other time. It forms an article of 
food. 
Ocypode is another genus of Crustacea, very natural, 
though previously to the time of our author, but imperfectly 
characterized. 
These Crustacea are proper to the hot climates of the two 
hemispheres, and remain on the sandy tracts of the edges of 
the sea, or of rivers near their mouth. They there hol- 
low burrows, into which they retire in case of danger, and 
where they pass the night. It is presumable that they also 
shut themselves up there during the period of the moulting 
Olivier in vain attempted by running to catch the species 
which he observed on the coasts of Syria, which is probably 
the same of which Pliny makes mention, and which the 
Greeks designated, by reason of the celerity of its course, 
under the name of Hippeus — cavalier or knight. 
“ They ran,” says Olivier, “ towards the sea, or repaired into 
their hole, according as one or the other was most within their 
reach. They almost always trace, in running, an oblique 
line.” M. Bose also tells us, with respect to a species proper 
to Carolina f alba), that he had some difficulty in overtaking 
these Crustacea on horse-back, and killing them by musket- 
shot. The ocypodes, like the analogous Crustacea, in all pro- 
bability feed upon the carcases of animals. Some of the 
facts reported by travellers, relative to the earth-crabs, should 
be applied to them, but some only, because they have con- 
founded under this latter name many Crustacea of different 
genera, such as gecarcinus, grapsus, &c. Pere Labat, in 
his “ Nouvelle relation de l’Afrique Occidentale,” speaks of a 
species of tourlourou, which is found at the point of Barbary, 
and which is there called crab. It is reported that this ani- 
mal cannot be eaten without danger of poison, and that these 
same Crustacea cut in pieces and devour the individuals of 
their own species, which have been lamed by any accident. 
13 
