Although nearly all the Crab tribe are inhabitants of the water, there
is a species found in the West Indies, a native of the Bahama Islands,
whose habits are unlike those of the rest of its class, and highly
curious in themselves.
[Illustration: THE LAND CRAB, (_Gecarcinus ruricola_.)]
Land Crabs do not, like most other crustaceous animals, live near
salt water, but take up their abode for the greatest part of the year
in holes in the ground, hollow trunks of trees, and other places of
the same description, and inhabit the mountainous districts of the
islands, many miles from the sea-shore; but, although they make these
places their usual haunt, it is necessary for them, once a year,
to repair to the sea, for the purpose of depositing their spawn.
They prepare for their annual migration about the month of April or
May, and, having mustered in immense numbers, the procession sets
forward, with all the regularity of an army, under the guidance of an
experienced commander.
Their destination being the sea, they instinctively move in a direct
line to the nearest coast; no obstacle which they can possibly
surmount will induce them to turn from their course; for if even a
house stands in their way, they endeavour to scale its walls, in which
they sometimes succeed; and should a window remain open, they are not
unlikely to direct their march over the bed of some heedless sleeper.
If, however, a large river crosses their track, they continue to follow
its course without attempting to cross it.
It is said, that they are commonly divided into three battalions, of
which the first consists of the strongest and boldest males, who, like
pioneers, march forward to clear the route. They are often obliged
to halt for want of rain, and go into the most convenient encampment
till the weather changes. The main body consists of females, who never
leave the mountains till the rain has set in for some time; they then
descend in regular order, formed into columns of the breadth of fifty
paces, and three miles in length, and so close that they almost cover
the ground. Three or four days after this, the rear-guard follows, a
straggling undisciplined tribe, consisting of males and females, but
neither so robust nor vigorous as the former parties. The night is
their chief time of proceeding. When terrified, they march back in a
confused manner, holding up their nippers and clattering them loudly,
to intimidate their enemies. Their general food consists of vegetables;
but if any of their companions should become maimed, and unable to
proceed, they are greedily devoured by the rest.
After a march of two, and sometimes three months, in this manner,
they arrive at their destined spot on the sea-coast; they immediately
enter the water, and after the waves have washed over them several
times, retire to holes in the rocks, and other hiding-places, where
they remain until the period of spawning. They then once more seek
the water, and, shaking off their eggs, leave them to the chance of
being hatched, or devoured by tribes of hungry fish, who have already
repaired to the spot in countless shoals, in expectation of their
annual treat. The eggs that escape are hatched under the sand; and,
soon after, millions at a time of the little Crabs are seen quitting
the shore, and slowly travelling up to the mountains. The old ones,
however, are not so active to return: they have become so feeble and
lean, that they can hardly crawl about. Most of them, therefore, are
obliged to continue in the flat parts of the country till they recover;
making holes in the earth, into which they creep, and cover themselves
up with leaves and dirt; here they throw off their old shells, and
continue almost without motion for about six days, during which time
they become so fat, as to be considered delicious food. In about six
weeks, the new shell has become tolerably hard, and the creatures may
be seen slowly returning to their mountain-haunts. In some of the
sugar-islands, it is said they form no inconsiderable portion of the
food of the negroes, who are extremely dexterous in their mode of
seizing them, so as to avoid their nippers.