Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1892-09-16
oURIo0s TAINes AaouT cRAes
How They Manage to Exist After she'd
ding Their Hard shelIs

r How They Manage to Exist After She'd
ding Their Hard sheiIs.
q Crabs are not always hard shelled, and
e one boy, only eleven years old. who lives in
, East Rockaway, Long Island, has not only
learned great deal about these curious
fish, but he has kept himself Ia pocket
! money and put considerable sum IN the
bank as result of the business he has
built up in catching and selling crabs.
Tie knowledge he has gained Is not very
scientific nor very complete, as may be
readily imagined, but it is good, practical
knowledge, and accurate MS far as it goes.
Moreover, bring practical knowledge,
which he has picked up by actually OBJ
serving and handling the crabs, it is par
| ticularly interesting. Any boy who wants
a more thorough knowledge can easily
find it in any good work oA natural his
| tory.
lie has learned that crabs slisd their
shells two or three times in season.. and
That each SINE they do it they pass throI n
some very interesting changes. What MS y
be called the natural, healthy condition
the crab is his hard shell state-tbat Il ~
Is hard shell crab most Of the time. for 4
the changes DC goes through in shedding /
are very rapid and within twelve hours al 4
the time he leaves his old she'll he Is nil I
home in another one, hall ass big again as /
the old, OF even more than that
Master Eddie the East Rockaway boy.
has learned how TO tell When these changes
are coming ON, though he finds it difficult
TO tel anybody else how he does it. The
outward signs are plain enough to the eve
and to the touch when they have been
learned, but they are not easily or we'll de-
seribed in words When the crab begins
to get ready to leave his old house he Is
called a Conner" probably because the
change is coming. II it is a male crab. he
gets yellow underneath. though his color
does not change greatly. II it IS a female.
certain fine lines on her apron" appear
and grow more distinct as the time OF shed.
ding gets nearer.
After "A few hours the conner becomes a
shedder. The changes in his appearance
are still palmer, aud it may be told by
handling him that his time is near His
shell becomes brittle and easily 70 be '
broken with the fingers, That piece Of his I
irmOr which is underneath and outside of
us legs-between his legs and the point OF {
us side-woFks loose from the rest of the s
.rmor. IL IS smooth plate, and il it be
dressed with the finger it Gun be pushed IN Il
N the sort body inside. Another sicsn is v
hat the she'll on his smallest feet can he
anched of with the thumb and forefinger.
Now the crab begins to grow, and pres
ntly be Is what is called a ''bust-top." Ii y
not scientific word. but it is very ex y
rossive. His body becomes in short time
DO large for his old shell to contain. and y
IS shell bursts, the top part being lifted ~
? from behind, like the lid Of a coffeepot. !"
living him the opening through witch he v
IA crawl out backward from his -ow use "a
IS house. This he leaves, an feeLlv ~
awling away to some place ms Yearly safe q
he can find he grows big at an amazing ~
te, and in a few hours more he is hard a.
gain. "a
During these few hours be is in extreme 3
ril, and it is hard 10 feel any sympathy IA
I'LL him, because when he is protected bv
$ hard shell he is a greedy, cruel fellow
no eats almost anything, alive or dead. -
the shape of meat or fish, which he can ue'
tch in his claws After he has become
shedder, however, he loses the strength toI
bis claws, and when lac is a soft crab lac Tor
q delicacy that is eagerly sought for and {
Zen, not only by men aud boys, but bv tn;
sorts Of fish, cells and other crabs. Tor
the soft crab, however, happens to be \
enlalc, she is likely to be protected in a tiv
Ger way, for some big. hard crab will MI
ne up 10 her and take care Of her ill
gets hard enough to take care Of her ~
L He will fight fercely for her at this ~
re, and she IL as safe as possible,-Har. WV
Is Young People. Il