The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-30
Blue CRAB AND MINNoW.
When the Crab Gets tho Ninnow and when
the Minnow Gets the Crab.


Tho blue crab is a pretty fair hand at CATCH
ing fish. twill lie in shallow water motionless
with its pincer claws extended and pincers
open. waiting for a chance to nip a minpow.
IL one. coming swimming along through the
water, should happen to pass between those
open Jaws, suddenly the Jaws close and that is
the last OF the minnOw. But the blue crab can
do better than this sometimes it will hold
motlonless in one claw a shred OF something
on which It has been feeding as a
bait for minnows. holding at the same time its
other big claw. with the pnccr open, waiting
The minnows come up. charging for the food
held in tho closed claw; but there are likoly
to b" enough Of them to spread. and they may
comcfrom various directions. so that more than
likely one will come within the waiting pincers
OF tho opposite claw. and when one does the
proceedings are closed for the time being
hut sometimes the minnOws get the blue
crah' as they may do when tho crab Is she'd
ding. The crab knows when that time IA com.
ing. and then 1t makes for place where 1t can
shed its shell and stay in safety until it's new
sheI! Is sufficiently hard to protect it, The CRAB
comes in with the tide ami makes for soma
pace on tn" bottom, in shallow water perhaps
along tho edg" OF the eel grass or under soma
protecting patch of viva, and then prGcseTsto
u!s no." IN which II can stay after it has shed
its shell until i Is strong enough to 90 about.
IT. Digs the sand or mud up around from under
discarded shell. in a most lif"liko form. IN on
The sand on tn" edge Of the hole. in front ~ II
This shell would brighten away some small
iloh'h thdt ""ut'I not dare to tarkl" "A crab i'm
us ordinary condition, The discarded sLolI il
h'iI u Fishermen who are hunting erals. Io-
cause u shows whore crab may be found and
W"ukii~h. which com" in shore in shallow wnIrr
o. trSI hunt, ny soit crabs by searching The
he!Ehh"rhppi OF tho spot whore they lind "A
Sl;Ei,' Just hS n fisherman would do
Nh"n the crab first sheds lts shell n IL mar.
isciiy helpless. Its new shell IL a. vet 81 soft
mat u is n" br't' ''ion TO It and no support:
IN" "rhb cannot even stand M. The hell
nR d"nS rapidly. and II may he that lbs ina
UNI" o' the next ful tide the crab VIII pa nLIa
70 move about and defend itself; but for n time
after II sheds il Is holpIess ~
- Ih"n is when the minnow gets thu crab
me rrah may hay" been left hy the r,.,r.ifn;
td" hhuy" IL" "dg" OF the water vi ,Y, ~
Incoming tide has again covered the era AID
surrounded il with water to the druih Gt IN
men or TWO N" miunoHS may discDynr In All
iho( nH'nr swimming along through tn" shat
LOW wafer - attack IT, Sometimes a II sherman
discovers soft crab by the SplaShing that Iha
h'"n2W1 KICK NJ hruund 1t. fund !sturn"i
'h', H!IhhpwH swdrmiug around the hrIrlcsa
tihb III" II aud eat It, But sometimes auGthrr
t'l" GrAh VIII appear aud break IN tho Mn
lnW~ least. This j. n Due crab thnt has ~.
'hr,i - shell. tat has is urmor on II "l,,,',s
s,hlKlng IN among the m.nuows rerhnns III,
IhS "'- OF ''in ~ one % its Iiucrr ella Tvs gs H.
cones W. ana d|sr"t sing the rest -
II" hI,I' Irdl l. q caaribal: II will eat TIA
own Hind. II when this crab comes M bsro 10
any q tho soft crnn left, the uay"', rrr'S A
very IlS"ly eat thar irs'. with one claw Hnil','5
mean while n is other the wri.yl ,,,rt.S
which II hal seized at the outset keeninT ihnt
70 top on with. N''''us '"A'