The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-07-03
60 RNiNG CRABS

F.l.a f,.c -.t- 1saeisc1 ChraricIe.
Crabs can see bUt cannot hear; crans
can remember and can communicates;
crabs are sensitive to any vibration Of
the ground; crabs are inquiSitive; crabs
are docile aud crabs can smell.
Eight months Of constant association
with crabs, eight months in which
many leisure and lonely hours were oc-
cupied in watching and ssGdyiag crabs.
gave ave men who lived ON Chipperton-
Island for that peri0d Of time the OPP
portUnity TO get on friendly. even IA
miliar. relations with the red crabs
that infest by millions that strange
equatorial coral isle. They were the
employees of a phosphate company. and
were preparing the cargo of q schooner
in which thev returned recently from
the island. They made the following
observations: The Srss can see, but he
is near-Sighted- AT a distance Of
twenty-five feet he can observe q man
walking along the beach, but at that
distance he cannot see distinctly, for he
aGbles after the man TO satisfy his
enormous curiosity. He cannot hear.
Shouts or other noises, even close by
the crab. have not the slightest effecs
upon him He pursues his even side-
way. ineOnsiderate alike cf the harsh
guifaw or the rich song Of the mans
voice. Yet of movement OF foot on
the sand. Of the mereSt touch on tho
ground, he has knowledge Immediately
and proceeds 20 explore the cause Of
the vibration Of his territory. A httle
water poured from n bucket upon tho
sand is sufficient TO call n convention Of
crabs from Il circuit Of many feet The
explanation is that the crab is exceed
ingly sensitive 10 the mersst vibration
Of the ground from unaecastoned
cause.
The crab is more curious than any
woman. One Of the men stuck a stsAs
upright on the beach. at least one OF
every twelve Of the crabs which passed
that way laboriOusly climbed that stake
TO the top and then aw 1wardly wri2glsd
down the other side. When the men
lumber they carried thither by schooner,
the crabs craYled up the sides ia such
numbers that they had 20 be swept
away SO that ths men could work A
derrick t'venty-six feet high was erected
for use in the occupation in whish tho
men were engaged. The morning after
il was raised. the men found four IN
quisitIve crabs on the top bar seeing
what they could see.
Crabs can smell A piece Of meat was
placed on the ground. The crabs on
the leeward side for a long distance
gathered 10 feast. while the crabs,
even those close 10 the meat. on the
wiudward side, gave nosttention TO tho
banquet and continued their march in
uninterrupted solemnIty.
The cr0wu<ng achievement IN tho
course of observation Of crab life in =
crab dominion - tho discovery THAI
crabs remember and communicate.
These conclusions came from the exper-
fences OF the nen in keeping the crabs
FROM intrsdiug upon the privacy OF tha
dwellings they built upon the fat and
t-celeSs plain. When they began their
work they were harsssed almost 20 death
by the inquisitivs shelldsh. After tho
CT bins were finished the crabs, unin-
vited, came in toinspect what was done.
To keep them out. the doors were
kept constantly closed, aud sheets Of
tin We're nailed along the threshold.
Then a system Of regular instruction q
the crab in the way he should 90 bs-
gan. boards wers placed sroand ths
houses and every time crab set claw
in "A board ne was swept OF by broom.
Ia this education a broom wac worn
out. bat the crabs were taught AFTER
daily, hourly. tnSnateIv EwespinR &c
crabs from the boards. the crab. erased
altogether their inourslouk upon tbs
planlIs. II q board we're laid down 90
the sand. no crab would even touch IL.
the men a. - the eFabs can
remember. Therefore they say that
crabs can connmanicate. IL - a physl-
cal impOssiDiIity that every crab on tbs
island should have been swept Of those
boards. vet no crab wiggled as Way on
them after the system - brvere sduca-
ton was fully accomplished. Therefore
the swept crabs must have Informed
the unswspt crabs that boards sTsrs
not heaithfui p.ze-s for them % visit
How rise could they know that toAros
were not fsr tnear prgI2euadsf-
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