The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-05-24

soon as they touch they adhere firmly by means
of a sort of hydraulic cement. With one or two
hundred eggs the mother retires behind peb-
bic and remains until the young leave their
baby prison. When the tiny things tear away
the covering they are
NEARLY ALL HEAD AND CLAWS.
Some strange instinct leads them to remain
with their mother for a few days before Ventur-
ing into the world to take care Of themselves.
In day or two the little creatures venture
an inch or two from their parent, but on the
least sign OF danger they fly precipitately back
TO their mother. Gradually they ven ture far
Their, until at last they leave their birth place
forever to seek their fortune in the small
stream-their world. / have often seen craw-
fishes devour the young that come within their
reach and have wondered if these cannibal
mothers eat the very ones that they so care
fully protected, or if by some instinct they can
tell their own offspring The lower animals
have strange instincts and powers that we can
not understand and it would be no stranger
than many other animal habits if these crea-
lures went by families and kius, in which the
children and grandchildren, nephews and
nieces were exempt from their larger and more
powerful cannibal relatives.
One day while crossing meadow near Wash
ington my attention was attracted by numer-
Gus mounds or chimneys which covered holes
III the ground Upon exploring these burrows
! found them inhabited by a species Of craw-
fish which naturalists call Cambarus diogenes.
These interesting crustaceans live at the bot
tom OF bOttle-shaped cavity all the way from
foot to two or three feet in depth. As the
Summer drOuths come on they dig deeper and
deeper always keeping about pint of water in
the burrow. As they burrow they carry the
pellets Of mud up the steep, smooth sides and
form a sort Of chimney over the mouth.
was very curious to know what the creature
could live upon in the bottom Of the burrow,
and how it could find enough oxygen to sup
port life IN pint Of muddy water two feet in
the earth. ! asked the planter who owned the
marsh what the animal ate, and he said it lived
on mud. He had never seen it out Of the bur-
row, and was certain that it
DID NOT EAT THE GRASS.
In order to find out more definitely I took one
from It's bnrrOw last November and at the time
oil writing have 1t in my room in tub of mud
with little water. For nearly three months
it has not eaten single thing to my knowl-
edge and is to-day as lively as when first got
1t. | believe it eats the mud just as earth
worms do, and digests the little animalcules
Often the water has nearly evaporated yet the
creature seemed to suffer no Inconvenience as
long as the gllls were under the water.
have been very much amused in watching
1t dig in the mud. 1t thrusts the two great
claws into the soft clay; then, upon withdraw
ing them, brings out load OF mud. lie backs
out OF the burrOw, turns around, and drops the
burden, and the pellet Of mud is carried, so to
speak, between the arms and the breast.
The craWish often left the water and came
out for promenade upon the mud and one
night placed boards SO that il could leave the
tub, and ia the morning found tracks of mud
ON the boards and on the floor; but when
looked, the wandercr was nestled unconcern-
eddy at the bottom Of the burroW This was
repeated nearly every night as long as the
board was left IN place, but the little fellow
never left the tub in the daytime. The very
next morning after / took the boards away
out. lie had built mound of mud where the
! board had been, and crawling over the side,
had not been able to return. Alter a diligent
search l found him ia a dark corner of the
room nearly dead. IL taught him a lesson, and
he never repeated 1t.
The fact of his being able to return TO his
home seems rather remarkable but it is shared
| by many animals. The bee can return to it's
hive after miles Of wandering; the SEAL after
going on a fishing trip of miles, returns always
TO her own hole in the ice although the ice NAV
have drifted miles and nic..,,s uat Ter baby seal
from thousands of other white-cOats; and even
this crawfsh, guided by what we call instinct,
cas:.s,' ivaye MS adopted home and return TO it
whenever he chose 10 do so. How they can do
this we do not know We simply know the fact
that they do so, aud apparently without trou-
BILE. Instinct Is a convenient way of explain
ing it; but the unanswered question arises,
What is instinct?