The midland journal., 1900-10-19
THE CURIOUS cRAwFIsH.
A nalicacy Amons the Germans and
French--rheiR Habits
and Enemies.

''The crawfish, which is considered 8
great delicaey among the German and
French residents Of this country, is In
many respects curious creature" re-
marked fish dealer to Washington
Star representative. 1T is so tardy
in reaching maturity that 1t requires
from IL to IS years to attain its growth
which is between three and five inches
The male crawish live in colonies in
holes in the river or creek banks, and
the female, especially while waiting
for her eggs to hatch, prefers to live
by herself. The crawfish hunts its
prey at night and begins the quest as
soon as dusk sets in. Crawfsh are
never found in any numbers and never
of mature size in water inhabited
by cells or pickerel The eel is its great
est enemy and destroyer. The crawfsh
sheds its shell every year, the male
in June and the female in July. They
are then the most tender and deli.
cate of creatures and especially priced
as bait for bass, as that fish will sci.
dom, If ever, take any other bait than
the soft crawfish. For other fish the
tail of the hard craw, with the shell
peeled of the hard, white, sweet flesh.
is very tempting bait, if the angler can
get it within reach of the fish he ID
hoping to catch before it Is seized by
some living crawfish.
saThe most prolific water for crawfish
is said to be in the Miami river in Ohio
When the fisherman is after the craw.
fish for bait in that or any other
stream, he has only to let down piece
of pork, or beef, or any other kind OF
flesh, or even piece of tomato or tnr~
nip, tied to string. In moment ev-
cry craw that can get hold of the bait
with its claws will quickly do so. Then
the string is pulled up slowly and
steadily not craw will let loose OF
the bait-until it is landed on the bank
or in the boat. The fisherman wrenches
the tail from the body and casts the
latter away. So tenacious of life are
crawfish that it is common sight
to see scores Of these mutilated bodies
crawling about the river banks and
returning to the water, where they will
live for hours. The craws that are cap
tured in this way are all hard shells.
ssThe soft shells are so delicate that it
would not be possible for them to cling
with their claws to line. They are
caught by turning over stones on the
bottom of the river, where they hide
during the season in which they are
shedders. Anglers, who want them for
bait or food, are not the only foes that
invade the hiding places of the soft.
shell crawfish. Bass constantly hunt
them, turning over the stones to nn.
cover them with as much skill as the
fisherman can. That such enormous
quantities of crawfish survive the
shedding season in the Miami river
is one of the wonders of Discatorial life.
although the crawtish will survive
for hours and sometimes day or more,
the mutilation to which fishermen sub
ject it, it will soon die If laid ON its back
and kept there, If placed in that posi-
tion it works violently with its rows
of feet and its claws, which seems to
soon exhaust 1t and cause its death
The crawfish will live for week OF
more out of water If kept in cool
place. Most people, and especially for
eigners, who consider this crustacean
a delicacy, have superstition that
they are not good to eat in the months
containing the letter ''R." unlike the
belief of the majority of Americans
that oysters are only good in such
months. 1t is declared to be fact by
growers and shippers Of crawfish that |
if thunderstorm arises while they are
in transit they will die instantly.