In addition to the marine Crustacea above mentioned, there are
several kinds of crabs. That known locally as the “ Purple Rock” or
“ Peeling Crab,” is found on the rocks at water-mark, and is much
sought for by fishermen, who consider it the best bait for catching
fish. The common “ Black Crab” is much more abundant, and
exists in thousands along the sea coast, where, on the hard lava:
rocks, in colour very similar to its own, it may be seen scrambling
about as crabs only can scramble, in and out of the creeks and
holes into which the surf dashes. A somewhat small bright orange-
red coloured crab is very rare, but one specimen was brought to me
from Breakneck Valley, on the leeward side of the Island. The
“ Purple Sand Crab” is also uncommon; it has very large claws, and
is taken occasionally in deep water.
CLASS r v .—ARACHNTDA.
Although doubtless there are still more to be found with careful
search, there are not many Spiders in the Island; those, however,
which have been brought to light form a very interesting portion of
its fauna, since nineteen species out of forty which have been collected
have been pronounced by the Rev. 0. P. Cambridge, who has
examined and described* my several collections, and to whom I am
much indebted for other kindness and ready assistance, to be new
to science, and, as such, I do not think it would be too presuming
to conclude, also indigenous to the place. Of the remaining twenty-
one species, nine are indigenous to Great Britain, two European, five
Egyptian, two Algerian, two from Ceylon and India, and one from
East Central Africa. These have all most probably been introduced
through the medium of commerce and the introduction of plants in
Wardian cases. Mr. Cambridge says, in reference to the characteristics
of this portion of the Island fauna, after his final examination
of the several collections, that “ The European stamp observed
upon in regard to the spiders of the former collection is thus equally
marked in those now recorded and described.”
I t is worthy of note that the native spiders are, almost as a rule,
least abundant now in the Island; in each case where I met with
only one specimen it turned out to be a new species. I t is therefore
* Proceedings of Zoological Society, London, Nov. 25, 1869, and Marcli 4, 1878.
not at all improbable that, like the native plants and the snails, which
we know are- fast disappearing, some having gone entirely, the
spiders, for some cause or other, are also yielding up their native
land to foreign invaders.
There are but two species of Scorpion, and they are not abundant
; they are both introductions, and to Mr. Cambridge I am indebted
for their identification as well as that of a small pseudoscorpion
of which I found only one specimen, and that in the neighbourhood
of some very old dry-looking law books in the Supreme
Court House. Whence he came remains yet to be ascertained ;* what
he was doing there will probably never be known.
O r d e e S c o r p io n id e a .
Fam. Scorpionidce.
Lychas, C. Koch.
L. americanus, C. Koch.—A small brown Scorpion, with rather
a long tail, inhabiting the hot, barren, rocky outskirts of the Island ;
found in damp situations under stones and old timber, and very
rarely in the. town houses. I t is not sufficiently abundant to cause
inconvenience, and never reaches the high land ; most probably it
has been introduced through the medium of commerce.
L. maculatus, C. Koch.—A species which associates with the
other, and is scarcely distinguishable from it, though smaller in size.
Fam. Pseudo-scorpionidoe.
/ Chelifer, Geofir.
C. sp. ?—A minute brown creature resembling a scorpion without
a tail, found inhabiting some dry rubbish behind the Court House,
in the Castle gardens on the low land. I t is very rare.
O r d e r A r a n e id e a .
Fam. Filisfatidæ.
Eilistata, Latr.
*F. condita, Cambr.—This Spider, which is peculiar to St. Helena,
has been described and figured by Mr. Cambridge in “ Proceed. Zool.
* Mr. Cambridge has kindly promised to ask Dr. L. Koch to examine this species.