San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-09-25
SOME QUEER FLoRlDANs.
Animals which Have "a Curious In
tcrest for Man.

Animals Which Have Curious tn-
terest for Map.
On the borders of the Everglades you
often see a large yellow spider. He
swings strong web from two plant
twigs on each side of path or clear
space of ground and waits for his prey.
The web is in the shape of ham
mock, and tapers at each end to fine
point, though quite broad in the mid
die. The bright color of the owner
seems to mark him out for destruction
he is clearly defined against the white
sand or dead leaves, and you wonder
what he would do for defense in case
of attack. Approach quietly and he
watches you intently. Now raise your
hand suddenly, and he will disappear.
While you are wondering what became
of him, you see faint blur where he
had been, then several spiders, then you
catch sight again of the yellow ball
you noticed at first. Repeat the per-
Torrance, and the stage effect is re-
newed. The disappearance is absolute
there can be no doubt about it, and
the little magician trusts to it entirely
for his protection. How is it done?
AS soon as he is threatened he starts
the vibrations of his airy hammock;
these become too rapid for the eye to
follow, and he vanishes. AS these be-
come slower you see blur, and then
several spiders as the eye catches him
at different points of his swing, until
finally he rests before you.
Haunting the rookeries of the birds
in the southern part of the peninsula
is a large crab. He makes hole in
the ground, usually under log, and
when he hears noise elevates his head
and protrudes his eyes with startling
effect. He is able to take care of him
self, for his pincers are powerful, and
his shell is hard-he is often as large
as saucer. There is perpetual war
between him and the birds. He wan
ders among the nests at night and ap-
propriates the bits of fish left by the
nestlings, and the young themselves
If he can find mother off her guard.
But he has to be sly or he Is killed by
the stroke of a bayonet bill, and eaten
in his turn. When the plume hunters
have driven off or destroyed the par
ents of a rookery, these crabs swarm
out and devour the orphan young in
short order. But while the mothers are
allowed to do their duty the crabs are
ideal scavengers, and devour the refuse
as we'll as the insects that infest the
bird cities. Their bright colors, like
those of the tiger, make them less dan
gerous than their appetites would other
wise be.
There is little purple crab along the
coasts of southern Florida which seems
to feed almost entirely upon the fruit
of the cactus. This it so much resem-
bles that you are suddenly surprised
TO see one of the succulent little balls
move away from your fingers before
you are aware that it is alive. Step
back, and the crab will resume its place,
and seem to be as curious about you as
you are about him.
One of the most beautiful shells
found along our coast is that of a large
snail which climbs certain trees and
grows delicately fat on the young birds.
The shell is as thin as tissue paper, odd
ly carved and almost as transparent
as the finest glass. 1t belongs to the
family of edible snails so priced as a
delicacy on the coast of France, and if
prepared makes a delicious
dish. 1t is most abundant about New
River inlet, where the slight shake of
a tree about sunset will bring a shower
of them to the ground. The breakage
of shell seems to be of little trouble
to the snail-he repairs the damage and
moves on.-Jacksonville Citizen.