Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-29
web. Such a device would completely de-

web. Such a device would completely de-
ceive bird. r. JE
1 may not tnaptly refer to the mimicry
of the crabs. which, with the insects, con-
stitute a great branch of the animal king
dom and are, popularity speaking, the In
sects OF the sea. 1t is equally as essential
that they should be protected from the
various predatory fishes, and in almost
every instance they resemble to some ex-
tent their surroundings, and, in several In
stances. deliberately disguise themselves
On the coral keys Of the tropics have seen
crabs come out of their dens of sand and
eye me as 1 lay there watching them, but
these spectral fellows were almost IN
visible even few feet away, so white were
they, almost perfectly mimicking the SAND
In their absence of color Not fifty feet
away, where the shore line ended and the
sand was covered with a yellowiSh-gree
mating OF dead leaves of bay-cedar, lived
another crab, Gecarcinus, sturdy fellow
that climbed the cactus and 1t was a
brilliant purple, with greenish tints on Its
legs, and so perfectly secure amid It's sur
roundings that was almost bitten by one
prickly pear. on a leaf of which it hung.
The so-called stone crabs mimic their
sure findings and can hardly be distin-
guished; and the box crab, which folds it's
legs beneath its shell, shutting up like
turtle, would be passed by the hungriest
fish.
Stories About Crabs.
The most interesting mimics 1 have
seen in crab life are those which live in
the sargassum or gulfweed. l have spent
hours In drifting with these disconnected
Dts or the sargassum sea, on the edge of
the Gulf Stream, where 1t flows from the
tropics and here there is special pelagic
FAUNA, all of which are mimics 1t is al
most Impossible to distinguish the crabs
even when looking at them closely, as upon
their backs are reflected the exact tints OF
the weed-a remarkable phase in the strug
gle for existence
In this same locality, and / have also
observed 1T among northern crabs there
was one we called decorator In its nor
mai condition 1t resembIed a moss-covered
stone, ana was safe from many of its
enemies, but 1T was evidently not satisfied,
as upon its back was perfect forest of
seaWeed or VIrious kinds, which might
nave been considered accidental growths,
but such was not the case. AS a rule crabs
Oo)ect TO this invasion of their shell, but
our little mimic was an exception to il,
recognizing the fact that it could secure
perfect immunity from fishes by covering
It's back With weed, and forthwith doing so.
To test 1t. cleaned the back Of several
with brush, then released them in an
aquarium where there were some broken
pits or weed. Almost Immediately they be-
gan To place the weed upon their backs
Seizin5 bit in the big claw, they pressed
the broken end to the mouth, evidently at
taching some glutinous secretion, then
reached up and delibera tely fastened il to
the smell Ihis was repeated until in about
Two hours the back of the crab was well
planted, and resembled a miniature forest
thoroughly protecting the animal from the
observation of its many enemies.
Such are few instances of this remark
able feature in the struggle for life n fea-
ture that results in the preservation of
myrlads or animals that otherwise would
be wiped out of existence