The record-union., 1893-09-02

idea OF descending from monkey, he
can 90 lower III the scale, and still have
an ancestor that knows enough not to eat
Shell when the meat Is gone. But prob
ably he prefers the monkey. And they
descend from the trees. so that is why
sometimes green is inherent.
But to return TO fish. Shell fish are
found here i'll great variety, from the tiny
shrimp you first behead and then detach
the morsel by suction. There is the lob
ster and crab, who is very numerous in
size and OF infinite variety, from the tiny
green crab that scuttles quickly over the
sands leaving print behind, like hero
glyphics. to the large, hard shell one COW
cred with barnacles, and whose huge
claws have grip more powerful than
Mason of the highest degree.
None but an old fisherman can make
the crab let go when he holds fast to all
within his reach. He simply presses
hard on little horny knob in the center
OF the crau4 presses the button," and
the crab opens his claws. Crab traps are
SIMPLY boxes; some square, some oblOng,
made with Stats, larger at one end, baited
with stale meat or fish, buoyed up with
noats OF cork or wood, cask shaped.
When the teluccas pass out from the
pier at dawn they sail straight Tor these
buoys, and then the crew haul up the
traps and empty their contents into boxes
with slat covers. When they return to
the pier and no marketman is ready they
lower the boxes with rope into the water
10 keep the crabs alive and fresh for
salads or soups. Salad days" continue
all ones life now if the menu at hotels is
authority, and are not over when school
days are.
A walk around the tall, brown, sea-
marked cliffs at low tide reveals every
Granny, every crevice occupied by crabs
OF all ages and sizes. Like Raphaers
a. he fl,aV- ,s,,1 IA
pose, and rest their heads on folded arms
claws III this case. They peer out with
Dulglng eyes, impish-looklng little COB
Inns, provoking many a poke from the
/ casual stroller, just to see what crabs will
DO. he fights and grasps the stick, and
VIII hoId on till dragged out, then, If al
! 4oWed, he scampers OIL sideways, as If
chassezlng at a contra dance.
Inc natural aquarium at Santa Cruz is
an e&panse OF shelving rock, filled with
| holes of various sizes. When the tide is
low these holes are filed with water
| clear as crystal. Here one may observe
the home life of many crustacea The
water magnifies their size as a fine glass
would. one day we saw a large crab sit
ting comfortably against the side of one
OF these holes. In one claw he held a
mussel, with the other claw he opened it
ana picked out pieces Of the flesh, pass
| ing 1t as daIntlly 10 his mouth as an epi-
OuiO' W IN 6NluGlI relish, MS pIOnll-
nent eyes rolling in a very ecstacy OF en-
Joyment one could well imagine him
saying yum, yum"
The California oyster is very small and
not as finely Favored as the Eastern.
CLAIMS are tOund-lOng- -necked, short
necked and the quahog variety-but it
takes an Alaska indian to enjoy them.
he smokes them and stcings them for
winter use. The abalone has a handsome
shell, but the flesh is toUgh and in many
cases has rank 1iavor, requires pound
ing, and served in a batter as tripe is
cooked many like it, but tastes differ.
Ihe date fish or rock oyster is a feature
| OF Santa Cruz cliffs. This animal evi-
/ IDENTIFY burrows III the soft sandstone
when he IS young, leaving his mouth on
4the water front. He gets his provisions
1t high tide. When the tide is low only
the small oritices that denote the home Of
the date fish is seen. The enthusiastic
! Santa Cruzan who dotes on date nsh with
a case-knlte, a hatchet or a cleaVer tooth
or nail, digs them out one at time.
sometimes he is so pulveriZed that MS
remains cannot be recognized. Some
times he is taken alive and splitting He
| IS considered a delicacy (faugh, When?
/ Heaven save the mark. 'Date tish"-a
! long time after date describes his flavor.
! Then tastes differ. AT any rate CaIifor-
| mans have such a variety of fish to
| choose from they need not eat the date
| tish or the abalone.
How to catch fish will furnish material
| for another article; also, what bait to use,
! but skill and luck cannot be furnished,
| for, like Simple Simon, who went whale
/ fishing in tub, you will have his luck,
II you don't have water and fish plenty.
LEN