Page:The aquarium - an unveiling of the wonders of the deep sea.djvu/178

Rh softness of the rock, a sort of indurated clay, on which (at least with us) they generally grow; a substance which often grinds away under the chisel, instead of splitting off.

Among the multitudes of curious creatures which the dredge rakes up from the prolific bottom of Weymouth Bay there occurs occasionally a pretty little Crab, which is sometimes called the Strawberry, from its being studded all over with pink tubercles on a white ground, remotely resembling the seeds that adhere to the fleshy surface of that delicious fruit. The same peculiarity has been seized to give its scientific appellation, Eurynome aspera. These tubercles under a low magnifier are very curious, consisting of short cylindrical columns, the truncate ends of which are beset with polished red or white hemispherical knobs, The first pair of legs have the joints very long, projecting awkwardly in an angle on each side, and the wrists have a curious twist.

Mr. Bell in his beautiful work on the British Crustacea, calls this one of our rare species, and says that little is known of its habits. I am the more pleased to have an opportunity of adding an item to its history, and of tracing some connexion between its habits and the peculiarities of its conformation.

The story may be summed up in a word; the Strawberry Crab is a climber. If it were a terrestrial animal, I should say its habits are arboreal. True, it now and then wanders over the bottom of its abode, with slow and painful march, the hind feet held up at an angle