Pagurus Maculatus: The red motled Rock Crab.
The Body of this Crab is round; The Legs larger and longer than
in other Kinds, the Claws red, except which, the whole is motled
in a beautiful Manner with Red and White. These Crabs inhabit the
Rocks hanging over the Sea; they are the nimblest of all other Crabs;
they run with surprising Agility along the upright Side of a Rock,
and even under Rocks that hang horizontally over the Sea; this they
are often necessitated to do for escaping the Assaults of rapacious
Birds which pursue them. These Crabs so far as I could observe never
go to Land, but frequent mostly those Parts of the Promontories
and Islands of Rocks, in and near the Sea, where by the continual
and violent Agitation of the Waves against the Rocks, they are always
wet, continually receiving the Spray of the Sea, which often washes
them into it, but they instantly return to the Rock again, not being
able to live under Water, and yet requiring more of that Element
than any of the crustaceous Kinds that are not Fish.
Cancer Chelis Crassissimis: The rough-shelled Crab.
These Crabs are usually of the Size of the Figure, and are commonly
taken from the Bottom of the Sea in shallow Water, the Legs contrary
to the precedent are small in Proportion to its Body, the two Claws
remarkable large and flat. But as the Structure of this Fish is
so much better understood by the Figure of it than by the most tedious
Description, I shall only observe that the whole Shell is covered
with innumerable little Tubercles, resembling Shagrine: The colour
of it is brown variously stained with purple: The Structure of this
Crab is singular, and in nothing more than the nearness of the Eyes
to one another, and the uncommon Width and Largeness of its Claws.
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