, 1885-10-03
oaAas AND Their PgeuLIARIrIgs


ouoc OF a frio FOOL
I Frank wlkeson 10 New York SUM-
\ When a crab sheds its shell, which it
does once a month throughout the
warm season, it is probably the most
helpless creature in existence. 1t is
merely a lump Of delicate, soft flesh,
with soft, boneless legs attached. 1t is
as defenseless as a naked oyster would
be. Any fish could eat it. Any sea
spider or seal flea could kill it. 1t can
not move, as its sheathless legs are UNI
able to support its weight. Where the
water teens with fishes eager to devour
one another, and where cells, bloody
minded and ever hungry, ceaselessy
beat their feeding ground in search oil
food, it is surprising that crabs are not
e terminated. They would be if it
were not for n most marvellous provision
of nature. | am told by truthful men
that when a crab finds his shell too
small for him that, though usually the
most unsocial and irritable OF creatures.
he makes signals of distress True to
the unwritten maritime law that gov
erns crab life, the first hardshell crab
that sees the plight that his brother is
in hastens to him.
Treasured by the protective presence
OF his relative, the crab that has out
grown his clothes cunningly shucks
himself out Of them. This operation is
watched with great interest and consid-
cradle excitement by the hard-shelled
crab. When completed so that the crab
lies unelad and helpless before him, he
does not eat him, as enc would expect
such a erossgrained and selfish creature
to do. He waits until the soft crab has
tucked his unprotected legs under him
and folded his claws, as though prayer
fully heseeching Divine protection, aud
then he gently gets on top of his de
tenceless relative. lie carefully places
his long legs under him, and hugs him
lightly and lovingly to his breast.
The h~ardshelled crab stands, or rather
lies, on his post OF duty stanohly. When
on guard, he will resolutely face any
thing that swims in the water, and
fight with reckless courage. Eels, fish,
anything and everything hat swoops
around the softshell crab will be fiercely
attacked by tho %pop-eyed, bad-tempered
sentinel that is on duty. 1t is seldom
that he will desert his post in the pres
cnco of man. When a softshelled crab
is taken in a net, his protector is gen
orally secured also. If undisturbed by
man they do not leave their helpless
comrade until his shell is sufficiently
hard to enable him to protect himself,
which Is generally in from three to four
days. Then he walks of sideways,
with his eyes sticking out and his claws
waving, AS much as TO say, "If You
look crooked at me, my little boy, III
come back and pinch you"
lie knows that he has rendered a
great service to one of his kind, and he
confdentially expects some other crab
to render him the same invaluable serv-
ice in his hour of need; but he wants no
tenderness, no loving thanks. lie did
it through his stern sense Of duty. He
knows his kind, and knows that any
stranger crab he meets during his travels
will answer his purpose as well as the
one he has befriended. So lie sullenly
retires to the shade afforded by a bit Of
seaweed and there deyotes his attention
to catching something to eat.
Crabs have the peculiar property of
being able to shed, or throw of, their
limbs at will. They can, if it is ne ces
sary to their safety, drop any or all
their legs, or either or both of their
claws. The mutilation is of but slight
consequence, as new legs or claws
speedily grow. 1t is no wonder
that they fight fiercely, since they
know that the loss of limbs will not dis
able them. | have seen comparatively
small crabs firmly held by a claw or leg
by larger mes. After.struggling to free
themselves a minute, they would throw
OIL the limb by which they were held,
and run away. Where many crabs are
confined in a box or basket, large mum
bers Of them will drop n or both claws
before they have been confined an hour.
If their legs and claws are tested when
they are first caught, it will be found
hat they are firmly attached to the
body of the crab. Pull on the legs, one
by one, and it will be seen that any leg
is sufficiently strong to hold up the
weight of the crab. Take hold of one of
the strong 1ippers, the II you just
held him up by, and hold him over the
water. There. he has thrown OF the
hipper, and has fallen into the water,
and is off.
What do crabs eatl Everything that
they come across that they can chaw
nourishment from. Dead fish, dead
animals, bits of meat or bread, yege-
tables, and some kinds of poorly pro
tected shell fish. They have intelli-
gence, and can and do dig CLANS for
food. The soft-shelled or long-necked
clans burrow into the mud that lies on
the bottom Of the bays to the depth of
from four inches to one foot. The
crabs know that soft-shelled clans n
not shut their shells tightly, and that
they can eat them. They find the clam
bed, and, if the clans are not deeply
buried, they dig them up and eat them.