IN FEATHERS AXD FUR. 235 
protrude from between the body of the Crab and the shell, the head 
of a beautiful worm, which rapidly glided out around the Crab's 
right cheek, and passing between the upper and lower foot-jaws, 
seized the morsel of food, and retreating, forcibly dragged it from 
the Crab's very mouth. Though the Crab sought to recover his 
hold, he manifested not the least sign of anger at the actions of the 
worm. I had afterwards many opportunities of seeing this scene 
enacted over again ; indeed, on every occasion that I fed the Crab, 
and watched its eating, the worm appeared after a few moments. 
The place of the worm's appearance was always the same. I was 
surprised to see w r ith what force comparatively large pieces were 
torn off, and swallowed, and how firmly the jaws held the piece 
when it would not yield. Sometimes it was dragged quite away 
from the Crab's jaws and quickly carried into the shell ; occasionally, 
in this case, he put in one of his claws and recovered his morsel ; 
but sometimes the worm made good its foray, and enjoyed his 
plunder in secret." 
This worm is a very popular worm for bait, and so commonly 
is it found living w T ith the Hermit, that the fishermen in England 
always break the shell of a Hermit to find it. 
I don't think this fellow deserves his name, do you ? Droll 
Hermit, I think, to have two inseparable companions, one outside 
and the other inside his house, and neither of them any relation to 
him. I guess the long-word-makers will have to hunt up a new 
name for him. 
What sort of a family do you suppose Mamma Crab thinks it 
necessary to cast upon the world ? No less than from twelve to 
twenty thousand babies every year ! No wonder Crabs are so 
plenty. 
There's another sort of Crab I want to tell you about. I 
don't know what you would call him, but I call him, the Little 
Doctor, and what else would you call him, when he spends his 
whole life making pills. 
I must admit he don't look much like any doctor you ever 
saw — in fact, he is no bigger than a pea. 
He lives on the sea-shore, and he makes his pills out of sand, 
though what he wants of sand-pills is more than any one knows 
yet. They'll know all about it before long, however, for the wise 
men are on the watch for him, and we shall have his whole history 
some day, little and shy as he is. 
