The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-01-06
An OdII FoIiOIr,

rics his house on his back, and has his
teeth on his legs.
That's tough story, but-dcar me !
its nothing to what you'll have to be-
licvc when you como to study the curl
GUS creatures that live in the sea.
AS to carrying his house about with
him, that is nothing new, all crabs and
turtles do that, but must admit he's
the only fellow I ever heard of who has
teeth on his legs. If you and I are not
acquainted with him, it is merely be-
cause we haven't been prying into the
domestic manners of the tzr;s family
all these years, as some scientific gen
tlomcn have. They have known about
him these many years, and no has even
got into dictionary. Look in Web
tors big dictionary, Mt tho word Linn
illus, and you'll see picture of him.
Limulus, you must know, is his grand
Latin name, which he doesn't wear at
homo in the sea. There he is called
Horsc-foos Grab, or King Grab.
And there's another droll thing about
him-he's just the shape OF the bottom
of horses foot, with n long, sharp tail
striking out at the heel. He's funny
sight when he is digging-and digging
is his special delight, I can tell you.
This shell is i'll two pieces; the front
piece bends down and shovels up the
dirt, the back piece bends down tho
other way, and the hard, sharp tail
braces against the, ground, while all his
teet-cight or ten there arc-throw out
the dirt on both sides 1t doesn't take
long for him to burrow into the mud out
of sight.
But I haven't told you about those
useful legs, which do the work of jaws,
beside their regular business of carry
ing their owner about.
There arc five pairs of them, beside
short pair i'll front, called feclcrs, or an
tcnnn, if you want the book name. The
first four pairs arc furnished with sharp
tccth-lots of them, sometimes as many
rs $50.
When this comicol gentleman wants
to eat, he scizes soft worm, OF some
other sen delicacy, with his two hind
feet, and holds it up to his mouth. which
is conveniently placed among MI these
useful legs. Then the $50 sharp little
teeth go to work and rasp the food into
bits. and the mouth takes it up.
How 10 wan c,n,>oeo oil 4li, woo,
found out? A naturalist, who was curl
GUS to sec what the horsehoOf did with
the food that he always pulled under his
shell, waited till he was hard Mt work
Nthis dinner, and then very coolly turned
him over on his back. Mr.. Limulus was
too busy to mind, 30 he went right on
eating, and the naturalist saw the whole
performance.
But haven't told you half the won-
derful things about him. When he is
first Matched he is quarter of nm inch
in diameter, has no tail, and has shell
Just tho right size for him, of course.
When he gets bigger he outgrows the
shell, as you youngsters do your clothes,
and he has got to get out of the old suit.
It's very droll sight to see him come
out OF himself in that way. He don't
have SO much trouble about it rs lob
sters and some other crabs do--he Just
splits open the front edge of his shell,
and pulls himself ont. But you know
ne has been growing some time since
that baby suit fitted him, and the fact
is he has been very much crowded these
last few days. So, when he gets fairly
ont of the shell, he swells out an inch or
two bigger than he was before, and in
short time he has another shell big
enough for him, beside a little sharp
tail.
So he goes on as long as he lives,
throwing off his old shells and getting
new ones.
This interesting little fellow is we'll
supplied with eyes, having two large
ones up high on the shell, to see all
about with, ana two more in front.
must tell you how Mamma Horse
foot makes her nursery. In May or
June, when she has, perhaps, half pint