A TALK ABOUT CRABS 
111 
will-o’-the-wisps, disappearing as I came near 
to them, but flashing brightly on ahead as 
far as the eye could reach. It was not until 
I stayed perfectly quiet that I discovered 
that these twinkling gems were the brandished 
nippers of a host of males of Gelasimus annulipes. 
By long watching I found that the little 
creatures were waving their nippers with a 
purpose—the purpose apparently being to 
attract the attention of an occasional infrequent 
female, who, uncertain, coy, and hard to 
please, might be seen unconsciously sifting 
the sand at the mouth of her burrow. If this 
demure little flirt happened to creep near the 
burrow of one of the males, then that favoured 
individual became frantic with excitement, 
dancing round his domain on tiptoe and 
waving his great cherry hand as if demented. 
Then, if another male, burning with jealousy, 
showed a desire to interfere, the two pigmy 
suitors would make savage back-handed swipes 
at one another, wielding their cumbrous hands 
as if they were no weight at all.” 
These grotesque little creatures are very 
useful to mankind for, like the earthworm, 
they bring up the subsoil during the excavation 
of their underground burrows and cast it upon 
the surface several feet from the entrance. 
On their return journeys they will take back 
