Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-12
NxN. 10

dously powerful-looking creature, SO big that
1t nils, when tightly folded up, a four-gallon
glass jar. This is the crab that climbs the
cocoanut tree and. after plucking the fruit,
tears OF the outer husk with its mighty claws
and then knocks in the shell at one of the
eyes, afterxard drinking the milk and SCOOP
ing out the meat 1t is equipped with a long
and narrow pair of pinchers, evidently provided
Tor the purpose Darwin. who studied the ami
nal attentively, remarked this as an astonish-
ing instance of adaptation of structure between
Two objects apparently so remote as a crab and
cocoanut. The cocoanut crab inhabits the
islands OF the Indian ocean. 1t accumulates
surprising quantities of the picked fibers of
the cocoanut, which it uses for a bed; the flesh
is very good to eat. and under its tail is a mass
OF TAT which sometimes yields as much as
quart Of limpid oil.
SMALLER VARIETY.
Among other strange crabs in the Smith
sonian collection is a smaller variety of this
same species which lives in a burroy at the
roots of a fruit tree and climbs the tree
TO procure its food Then there is a painted
crab" OF the West Indies, which is a land animal.
IL used to exist there in countless numbers and
lndulged annually in a migration to the sea
coast, moving always in a compact army. Dur
ing such migrations they were caught in great
numbers and so have become almost extinct.
crab from the Barbados is remarkable for
the fact of Its swiftness in running, which has
given II the name of the ''horseman crab "
The "dorippe" is q species of crab quite plenti-
ful on the shores of the Adratic, which has
two legs on its back-a great convenience.
since, II turned bottom side up, it can run Just
as well that way.
REMARKABLR SPECIMENS.
To attempt to give list Of all the queer
crabs to be found in the world would be absurd.
however. One remarkable specimen In the
smithsonian collection is entirely covered with
what looks like whitish moss. but is in reality
something between the vegetable and the
animal All crabs of that variety have a coat
OF tins sortto render them MISUNDERSTANDING by
their enemies and unacceptable by their
prey. Another kind Of crab is always covered
entirely with growing sponge, save only his
eyes. sntenna and the tips of his claws. He
hides IN crevlces where sponge grows among
the rocks and becomes as much like them aS
he knows how. A crab from the Pacific coast
Is invariably found with sea anemones growing
ali over his back and legs. Another. from the
SINE region has large tubes. with which it
sucks water into its lungs by way Of breathing.
sun another California crab has a yery neatly
made snun box underneath its body for holdins
eggs, which closes with a snap, fastening lust
hhe real snnn box crab with long be *
and legs that look like straws is also from the
Pacific.
One Of the fercest crabs known is plentiful
on the coast OF South America. 1t is called
the rock crab and hides in creyices among
stones. ft is captured usually by dropninp q
hook on the end Of a string into It's lair when
il will seize the hook in anger and permit it,
self to be hauled out by its own grip, which is
strong that the claw will still bite DO werfully
after it has been pulled of from the animal.
A funny crab is the ''messmate," which one
hnds in oysters. 1t does not harm the biyalye,
but merely lives in the shell with 1t and feeds
upon whatever the oyster gets to eat There
are good many very surprising crabs already
on exhibition in the Smithsonian; some of then
are sufficiently big and horrible Of aspect to
repay a visit.
Az INTERESTING STUDY.
The crab is q very interesting animal to
study. He wears his skeleton on the outside OF
his flesh, and he has ten legs, eight pairs OF
jaws, teeth in his stomach, and heart in the
middle Of the back. II - admitted that he