BMOCS, a genus of Long-Tailed Crustacea, approaching the Hermit Crabs (Pajurus) established by Leach. The following are the leading characters ;—Middle antcnnre having their second articulation crested or tufted • feet of the first pair of legs unequal, terminated by pincers or icnob-claws ; feet of the second and third pair terminated simply, in other words, by a single nail ; fourth pair smaller and didactylous, or terminated by two fingers, one moveable ; fifth pair rudimentary, very small, but didactylous; carapace somewhat in the form of a reversed heart, with the apex pointing forwards ; post abdomen or tail orbicular, critstriecous above, the plates being sub annular, or rudiments of rings.
There are two species recorded, and of these Birgus Latro, Leach, Pagers Latro, Fabr. and Lein., Cancer Latre,Linn., Cancer crunicnat us, Biirs-Krabbe (Purse-Crab) of Itumphiue, is the largest.. Its rostrum is terminated by a single point. The pincers are red, the left being much larger than the right, and both deeply toothed. The feet of the next three pairs are toothed on the edges, and marked with undulated streaks. It is a native of Amboyna and other naighbvuring islands, where it is said to inhabit the fissures of rocks by day, and to come forth at night to seek its food on the beach. Mr. Cuming found it sufficiently abundant in Lord Hood's Ishuid in the but there the Purse-Crabs dwelt at the roots of trees, and not in holes in the rocks. When he met them hi his road, they set themselves up in a threatening attitude and then retreated backwards, making both at first and afterwards a great snapping with their pincers. There appears to be a tradition among the natives that it climbs Cocoa-Nut Trees (Cocos nucifera) in the night to get the cocoanuts. Linnzcus, Herbst, and envier repeat this story, which, as Owen observes, is confirmed in a degree by Quoy and Gnimard, who relate that individuals of this species were fed by them for many months on cocoa-nute alone ; and still more amply by the observations com municated to him by Mr. Cuming, who states that these Purse-Crabs climb the Pandanus odoratessintus, a kind of palm, for the purpose of feeding on the small nut that grows thereon, and that ho saw them in the tree.
Linnzcus gives the Antilles as the locality of this Purse-Crab, as well as Amnboyna, upon the authority of Rochefort, but this has arisen from a misunderstanding of the text of Rochefort In the following passage Rochefort refers to some of the Land Crabs of the Antilles, and not to the genus Birgus : " What is the more worthy of note relating to these crabs is, that once a year, namely, after they are returned front their journey to the sea, they hide themselves entirely in the earth for some six weeks, so that not one appears. During this time they change their skin, or
crust, and renew them selves altogether. They place the earth at this season so dexterously nt the entrance of their holes, that one cannot perceive the opening. This they do that they may not be exposed to the air. For when they thus throw aside their old garb, the whole of their body is as it were naked, being only covered by a thin and delicate skin, which thickens and hardens by degrees into n crust as solid as that which they have left Monsieur du Mental reports that he caused people to dig on purpose in those places where there was any appearance of their lying hid, and having met with some of them, that he found that they were enveloped as it were in the leaves of trees, which without doubt served them for nourishment and for n nest during this retreat ; but they wore so languid and so incapable of supporting the fresh air, that they seemed half dead, though in other respects they wore fat and very delicate food. The inhabitants of the Isles call them at this period Purse-Crabs, and esteem them much. He saw quite close to them their old covering, that is to say, their shell, which appeared as entire as if the animal had been still within. What is wonderful is, that though he employed very good eyes, he could scarcely observe the opening or slit whence the body of the animal had come forth and had disengnged itself from this prison. Neverthelessofter having taken great care he remarked in the empty shells a small separation near the tail, by which the crabs had extricated themselves." Then follows the most approved way of dressing them Land-Crabs for the table, a modo which is still in practice with little variation in the West Indies at the present day.
In a manuscript entitled ' Mt moires en Femme de Dictionneire contentuit I'll ietoire Naturelle notamment do Cacao, l'Indigo, le Sucre, et he Talmo, Par M. Inepecteur pour la Compagnie do dernagor,' there is a very full account of the Land-Crabs (Tourlouroux) of the Antilles, and the writer of the mruniscript, speaking of their condition after they have thrown off their old crusts, says, " If they take the crabs then, they find than covered only with n slight red skin, tender and delicate as moistened parchment ; the crabs aro then much more delicious than they are at any other season; they call them at that period Puree-Crabs " (tom. ii. p. 52t3). The manuscript is without date, but was written after the publication of LabeCe works, which the writer quotes.
Ilirgus Latro, which grows to n largo size, is said to be excellent food when properly prepared. It wasp favourite diet with the natives of Lord Hood's Island, but Mr. Cumin did not taste it.
There are specimens in the British Museum. There is only one species of this genus.