The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-04-02
When 1t Sheds It's sheII-Protsctive Pres
ence of Friend Food.

ence OF q Erie nd-EOOds
Frank wIkeson in New York Sun
When a crab sheds its she'll, which it
does once a month throughout the
warm season, it is probably the most
helpless creature in existence. 1t is
merely lump of delicate, soft flesh,
with soft, homeless legs attached. 1t is
as defenseless as a naked oyster would
be. Any fish could eat it. Any sea-
spider or sea-fea could kill it. 1t can
not move, as its sheathless legs are I'M
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 of
food, it is surprising that crabs are not
exterminated. They would be if it
were not for a 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
ems crab life, the first hardshell crab
that sees the plight that his brother is
in hastens to him.
Reassured by the protective presence
of his relative, the crab that has out
grown bis clothes cunningly shucks
himself out of them: This operation is
watched with great interest and consid-
cradle excitement by the hard-shelled
or. When completed so that the crab
lies unclad and helpless before him, he
does not eat him, as one would expect
such q cFossgrained and selfish creature
to do. He waits until the soft crab has
tucked his unprotected legs under MN
and folded his claws, as though prayer
FULLY beseeching Divine protection, apd
then he gently gets on top OF his oe-
fenceless relative. He carefully places
his long legs under him, and hugs MN
lightly and lovingly to his breast.
The hardshelled crab stands, or rather
I;es ON his post of duty stanchly. When
On guard. he will resolutely face any
thing that swimSbEin the water, ana
fioht with reckless courage. Eels, nsh,
ANYTHING and everything that sWoops
around the softshell crab VIII be nerceIy
attacked by the pOp-eyed, oad-temPereu
sentinel that is on duty. IL Is selooh
that he will desert his post IN the pres
ence of man. When a soItsnelleu craO
is taken in net, his protector Is gen
nan thew do not leave their helpless
comrade until his shell IS suthclently
hard TO enable him to protect himself,
which is generally in from three to four
davs hen he walks off sideways,
with his ewes sticking out anu ms claws
waving. as much as to say, II you ,I
Iook crooked at me, my little boy, III
come back and pinch you. ,.d f.
He knows that he has rendered
great service to one of his kind, and az
confidentially expects some other Graz
to render him the same invaluable serV
ice in his hour of need but he wants ~
tenderness, no loving thanks; he G1'
it through his stern sense OF duty; ~
knows his kind, and knows that an.
aTran0er crab he meets during his travel
will answer his purpose as Wen as u,
one he has befriended. SO he suliehl.
retires to the shade afforded by DlI 0
seaweed and there devotes his attentlo
to catching something to eat.
fAt,rabs have the peculiar property g
ba;&ng able to shed, or throw on, thel
IS at will. They can, if it IS ne ce$
ILL ~ TO their safety, drop any or a.
Shc Hir legs, or either or both OF thel
Ch Tvs. The mutilation is of but sllgf
cl% ,seouence, as new legs or CLAW
sedily grow. 1t is no wondt
sbsAt they fight tiercely, since ' a;
law that the loss OF hmDs WIZ no e;. u
aplsssll crabs firmly held by a claw or Il
smaa aa rQer ones. After struggling to tr'
Dy hseIves a minute, they would tnro
taen ne limb by which they were heI
on a AN away. Where many craps d
aanlT01erpsed in box or basket, large nuI
49, # them will drop one or 6oth cav
before $they have been confined an h0u
Re their Nlegs and claws are tested Wh'
nav > ~ first caught, it will be toul
49, Lo are firmly attached q
Sodvf ~ the crab. Pull on the legs, Q
~ o AMI it will be seen that any l
"a Siciently strong to hold up I
~ $50 IF the crab. Take hold OF one
tba strong fiippers, the one you j.
hwafer There. he has thrown OH
Sdipper, and has fallen into the "a0
u What h do crabs eat? Everything Il
4bav come across that they can en-
s from. Dead fish, dc
aO;maIs bits of meat or bread, vei
sabias and some kinds Of poorly P
.teoted shell fish They have int
0ence. and can and do dIg claIns cams,
food The soft-shelled or long necf
oIems burrow into the mud that lies
tha bottom of the bays to the depth
- - four inches to one foot.
obs know that soft-shelled clans
ct gre sbut their shells tightly, and I
MoS can can eat them. They find the cl
he'd and, if the CLAIMS are not Gee l5,
buried. they dig them up and ear Tut