Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1866-01-25
How Apes Catch Crabs.

which apes capture crabs and
some times catch a Tartar:
At length they reached the
boundary Of the former settlement
a dry. sandy soil and strip of beach,
where all vegetation ceased, and
only a single tall pandanus tree
whose roots were thickly interlac-
d with creeping plants formed
he advanced post of the vegetable
ingdom. Behind this they craw-
ID along; cautiously raising their
neads, they saw several apes, at a
distance of two or three hundred
PAGES, who partly looking for
something as they walked mp and
down the beach, while others stood
motionless. 1t was the long tail
ed brown variety, and Frank was
beginning to regret that he had
not his telescope with him to
watch the movements OF these
strange beings more closely, when
one of them, q tremendously
large fellow, began to draw nearer
TO them. Carefully examining
the ground. over which he went on
all-fours he stood at intervals to
scratch himself, or to snap at
some insect that buzzed round him.
He came so close that Frank fan
cied that he must scent them and
give the alarm to the other NOR
keys, when suddenly passing over
a little elevation, covered with
withered, reedy grass, he discover
ed a party of crabs parading up
and down ON the hot sand. With a
bound he was amongst them, but
not quick enough to catch o sim
gle one; for the crabs, though ap-
parently, careless darted like light
ming into aquantity of small holes
or cavities, which made the ground
here resemble a seive, and the ape
could not thrust in his paw after
them, for the orifces were too mar
row.
The mandoor nudged Frank
gently, to draw his attention, and
they saw the ape, after crawling
once or twice up and down the
small slip of land, and peering III
to the various holes, with his nose
close to the ground, suddenly seats
himself very gravely by one of
them, which he fancied most suit
able. He then brought round his
long tail to the front, thrust the
end of it into the cavity, when he
met with an obsticle, and sudden
ly made a face, which SO amused
Frank that he would have laughed
loudly, had not the mandoor rails
ed his finger warningly, and direc
tly after the ape drew out his ex.
traordinary line with a jerk. Al
the end of it, however, hung the de
sired booty, fat crab, by one Of
its claws; and swinging it round
on the ground with such violence
as to make it loose its hold, he
took it in his left paw picked up a
stone in the other, and after crack.
ing the shell, devoured the savory
contents with evident signs of
satisfaction.
Four or five he thus caught III
succession, on each occasion wher
the crab nipped him making {
face of heroic resignation and pain
but each time he was successful
and he must have found in the
dainty dish and the revenge fol
the nip, abundant satisfaction 70,
the pain he endured, or else h
would not have set to work again
SO soon.
Thus then the ape, quite en-
gagged with the sport, without ia
king his eye off the ground, hac
approached to within about TWEEN
ty PAGES of the party concealed be
hind the pandanus tree. Her
again the ground was full of holes
and looking out the one he conjec
tured to be the best, he threw il
his line once more, and probabl,
felt there was some thing aliv'
within, for he awaited the result
with signs Of the most eager at
tention. The affair, however
lasted longer than anticipated; bn
being already tolerably well filled
by his past successful hauls, h,
pulled up his knees, laid his Ions
arms upon them, bowed his head
and half closing his eyes, he assum
ed such a resigned and yet exquis
itely comical face, as only an ape il
capable of putting on under these
circumstances. But his quiet wa
,1actipod 70 no dictnrhod. IN n man