Birgus the Bobber. 
I 3 I 
delicate pulp of young coconuts. In almost 
every palm or pandanus grove, particularly 
those which are situated upon the smaller islets 
of an atoll, the evidences of their occupation 
may be seen in the vast quantities of young 
coconuts lying upon the ground with a large 
hole torn through the husk, and an empty 
interior. Gregarious to a certain extent, the 
robber crabs yet each have their separate 
burrow, and resent the intrusion of another of 
their kind most fiercely. Whilst living at 
Arrecifos we had ample opportunity of studying 
their habits, and found that, although so shy 
and timid in the light of day, they sallied forth 
at night time to feed with the utmost confi¬ 
dence, even though many people were about. 
Like the flying fish, they seemed to be unable 
to resist the attraction of a light at night, and 
our native sailors, providing themselves with 
torches of dried coconut leaves, would some¬ 
times capture two or three hundred at once by 
means of dragging a turtle net along the beach. 
During those months of the year when the 
green turtle come ashore to deposit their eggs 
in the sand, the robber crab has a good time, 
and devours quantities of this delicate food. 
