Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-02-17
CLANS THAT CRAWL.
sHsL LF,sH MErAMoaprosen sy a
FREAK or MATURE.

"a. u.a Reclaimed and Planted ~""
wh~as--Be wants Ga sell oat-
A gentleman. who lives near Lemoore'
Tulare county. was In Fresno yesterday.
and In conversation with reporter ne
gave the following account OF Hos'
peculiar nuisance that is greatly annoy
ing farmers in that locality. Inc gen.
fieman, whose name Is ID. Ennis. says
Lake Tulare has fallen about four
feat. This means, OF course, thai nearly
a mile of low, nearly level land thai
borders the lake has been rendered airy
and cultiyable. There are large numbers
on shellfish. such As CLANS and musseis,
In the lake. and the receding water ieit
some Of them high and dry on the Land.
Vast quantities OF them have oeen
nlowed under, and the moist. warm
ground preserved them and maintained
life.
.But the most remarkable thing u
that they have sndergone metamor-
phosis, or have been evolutionized. mas
much ma the CLANS and mussels that
were deposited on dry land have grown
well defined legs or claws from the I'M
der part uf the shells. or rather thar part
of the shell which lay underneath when
the clam was in repose. !,
any eldest daughter Kate first noticed
this abnormal growth during ramDie
around the place. She gathered rev
OF the mussels in her apron and brought
them mp and showed them to her mother
and 10 me. We did not inspect them
closely. but saw that three distinct little
protrusions. in triangular shape. marked
the bleached side Of the shells On one
Of them, which seemed larger or further
evolutionized than the rest, we saw tiny
legs or feelers wiggling about. As
have inst said, we didn't pay much at
tention at that time TO the shells Kate
brought in.
However, had occasion to go down
over NV land, where wheat had been
sown. II was coming mp nicely and
was from one to three or four inches
high In the most favorable portions OF
the field. noticed many mussel shells
living around. Some of the shells were
split and broken. while others were in
tact.
"On the part Of the land that had
been reclaimed | observed that the
wheat was nibbled off. and that little
masses of half masticated sprouts wert
lying around pretty thickly. was will
ing TO attribute the nibbling to the
water fowl and jack rabbits. but wal
for time at complete loss to account
for the chewed up masses OF tender
shoots that dotted the ground In all di
rections.
IL stopped and began TO think. soor
| noticed that the clam shells were quit
plentiful where stood. A sudder
movement near my feet caused me Il
stocp and investigate. Here ! saw thu
most surprising thing that ever came q
my notice.
"The moving object was nothing NOR
nor iess than an eyolutionized clam o.
mussel. walking on its three legs, Will
with the sharp edges of its shell it wa
biting Off and chewing the young ant
tender grain. | was simply amazed. bu
soon recalled the apronful of mussel
which my daughter Kate had gathered
II stopped down and tried to pick N
the clam, bat il ran away at a tolerabl
rate and was compelled to knock
over with singletree which was car
rying. gathered II up and II snappe'
viciously at my fingers and tried TO wig
gle away.
ION examination | saw that II
mouth. or rather the mussel portion q
the creature. was full OF young wheat
aud that a green saliva was preseu
where colorless juices exist in the waite
living animals.
"Now, my theory of this transforms
ton Ia that nature has determined nc
10 let this helpless creation starve. an
with that end in view has endowed til
stranded animals with means OF locs
motion on land. and further given thei
a faculty for existing ON the food ths
has hitherto been foreign to their taste.
AS you know. the wheat sprouts 81
exceedingly tender and full of nourisl
ing juices. The clam with its three les
walks about and nibbles a mouthf,
Of sprouts: then he begins TO masticai
IT. When the juices are extracted
, retains the fluid and expels the fibror
!. portion Of the plant. and by virtue ,
his reorganized nature be is nourishe
! and grows fat in his new line of living
E ''of course am greatly interested
!. the evolutionired clam or inussel as
: exists ON the reclaimed lands of I.al
Tulare, but ] am out nearly nine acr,
! OF rs promising grain as ever grew I
!. reason OF their depredations We fart
|, ers don't have much time to study Nc
ence. and | don't know what may ext
; In other parts Of the world. but mu
e say that nothing similar 10 this disco
; cry has ever been mentioned In al
= books or papers have read
THE CLAIMS seem 10 have lost all a
! sire for water. am preparing to gual
against future encroachmenfs, and w
3 hire enough men to chase them OF Il
a place. after which will build clan
II proof fence around my ranch or else &c
Is out cheap to some one who hoots at I'll
9 statement Of what IL Gospel truth Al
= = can be proved by dozen of my neig
: bors, who have lost more or less whe
1 and alfalfa in the same way Pres,
!. Call Expositor.
I