The Opelousas courier., 1885-09-26
APES FISHING FOR CRABS
A Java Species that Sacrifices
Its Comfort to it's Palate.
Submitting to Physical Suffering in Order
to Get a Good Dinner.

to Get a Good Dinner.
They have on the coast Of Java IL
peculiar long-tailed ape, and a sand
crab that grows to extraordinary size
and possesses great strength in its
claws" said a gentleman who lived in
Java years ago. "The apes are par
ticularly fond of the crabs, which are
very shy and wonderfully quick in
their movements. They live in deep
holes in the sand, but spend much OF
their time on the outside of their holes,
where they can run and hop about.
They range in size from that of a sill
yer dollar to that of our g lille crabs.
Their claws are not large, but have
a grip that is visc-like. The apes
make daily raids on the haunts of the
crabs, and occasionally succeed, 10y
creeping stealthily to within a few
feet of a group of them, in sprlnging
upon them and capturing one before
they have scampered to their holes.
Usually, however, the crabs are SO
wary that while the ape is still in the
air during his spring toward them,
they have separated and disappeared
into the ground. The ape, finding
himself too slow to make q capture,
then resorts to n bit of strategy to Sc
cure a dinner. His mode of final cap
ture infiicts upon him a pang of phys.
ical suffering which is frequently
more than he can bear, but his love
for the crab as a morsel of food is so
strong that he neve hesitates to ac-
cept the personal discomfort which
it's capture involves, and usually bears
it with a stoicism which might inspire
admiration if it were not for it's COM
ical side.
when the ape finds that he is foil
ed in his effort to capture a crab by
springing at a group, he backs HIM
self up to a hole in which a crab has
disappeared. Sitting down, he thrusts
his long tail into the hole. The crab,
to punish such unwonted intrusion,
SEXES the end of his tail in his strong
claws the moment it approaches near
enough. Any n who may have been
so fortunate as to hide himself in the
bushes unobserved by the ape making
the raid, will haye, a hard time to re-
strain his laughter when the critical
moment of contact between the crabs
claw and the apes tail is reached.
There is a look of comical suspense on
the apes face as he thrusts his tail
down into the hole. When the crab
closes on the tail the expression of
suspense departs. The ape gives an
involuntary start, and then settles
back on his launches, while he closes
his teeth together with a determined
air, and eventually, springing for
ward, out comes the tail from the
hole, with the crab dangling to it.
Instantly the ape swishes his tail for
ward and brings the crab to the
ground with a force that stuns it and
Ca Uses it to drop its grip. With a
stone the ape smashes the shell of the
crab, and is soon picking out the meat
and proceeding with his meal.
Zone day l was watching a large
ape fishing in this way for crabs. The
apes are as shy as tue creatures they
hunt so persistently, and the least
sound from the brush will send them
scampering away. The ape l was
watching made a dismal failure of
his attempt to spring on a crab, and
at once proceeded TO fish one out of a
hole. He selected a hole into which
l had seen a very large crab disap-
pear, aud | anticipated fun. The apes
tail had gone its full length into the
hole before his face indicated that the
crab had made the connection. Sud-
denly he gave a start and a yell. He
bent his body nearly double, and slap
ped his hands on his knees, and wag-
ged his head, with his teeth closed
tight and his lips drawn down, while
on his face was a look of agony and,
despair doubly intensified. He made
several attempts to withdraw his tail,
but fell back each time and howled
as the crab drew it taut. Tears act
ually ran down the ludicrous face of
the suffering ape, and when he clapp-
ed both hands to his forehead and
swayed his body to and fro like a little
old man tortured by the toothache,
bowling dismally the while l could
no longer restrain myself, and yelled
with laughter. This frightened the
ape, and be gave a quick spring for.
ward. Out came the crab and away
went the ape. The crab hung to the
tail. and as far as could see maintained