f the various Australian species of
this marine crustacean, <i>Scylla serrata</i> alone is large
enough to be much used as food, and it is seldom caught. In
Tasmania and Victoria, <i>Pseudocarcinus gigas</i>, called the
King-Crab, which reaches a weight of 20 lbs., is occasionally
brought to market. There is only one fresh-water crab known in
Australia--<i>Telphusa transversa</i>.

1896. Spencer and Hall, `Horne Expedition in Central
Australia,' Zoology, p. 228:

"In the case of <i>Telphusa transversa</i>, the fresh-water
crab, the banks of certain water holes are riddled with its
burrows."

<hw>Crab-hole</hw>, <i>n</i>. a hole leading into a pit-like
burrow, made originally by a burrowing crayfish, and often
afterwards increased in size by the draining into it of water.
The burrows are made by crayfish belonging to the genera
<i>Engaeus</i> and <i>Astacopsis</i>, which are popularly known
as land-crabs.

1848. Letter by Mrs. Perry, given in Canon Goodman's `Church
in Victoria, during Episcopate of Bishop Perry,' p. 72:

"Full of crab holes, which are exceedingly dangerous for the
horses. There are holes varying in depth from one to three
feet, and the smallest of them wide enough to admit the foot of
a horse: nothing more likely than that a horse should break its
leg in one. . . . These holes are formed by a small land-crab
and then gradually enlarged by the water draining into them."

1859. H. Kingsley, `Geoffrey Hamlyn,' p. 368:

"This brute put his foot in a crabhole, and came down, rolling
on my leg.''

1875. Wood and Lapham, `Waiting for the Mail,' p. 49:

"Across the creek we went . . . now tripping over tussocks,
now falling into crab holes."

<hw>Crab-tree</hw>, <i>n</i>. i.q. <i>Bitter-bark</i> (q.v.).

<hw>Cradle</hw>, <i>n</i>. common in Australia, but of
Californian origin. "A trough on rockers in which auriferous
earth or sand is shaken in water, in order to separate and
collect the gold." (`O.E.D.')

1849. `Illustrated London News,' Nov. 17, p. 325, col. 1
(`O.E.D.'): [This applies to California, and is before the
Australian diggings began]:

"Two men can keep each other steadily at work, the one digging
and carrying the earth in a bucket, and the other washing and
rocking the cradle."

1851. Letter by Mrs. Perry, quoted in Canon Goodman's `Church
in Victoria during Episcopate of Bishop Perry,' p. 171:

"The streets are full of cradles and drays packed for the
journey."