New-York tribune., 1906-12-23

is another crab or some other animal They
also. undoubtedly. little susceptible TO pain
A striking instance of this is mentioned by
Figuier in his Ocean World On one occasion
six crabs of different sizes were introduced into
aquarium. One of them. ventuTing toward
the middle of the reservoir Immediately
accosted by another little larger which took
il with its claws as it might have taken a
biscuit. ard set about breaking it's shell. and
found w:y TO its flesh. IL dug its crooked
claws Into this with enjoyment. appearing to
pay attention to the anger and jealousy OF
another Of its companions, which. still stronger
md as cruel. was advancing upon it. The fero-
cious crustacean quietly continued its repsst
wnen its companion seized IL it had seized
its prey, broke and tore il in the same fashion.
penetrating 10 its middle, and tearing out its
flesh I'm the same savage manner. In the mean
time the victim. singularly enough. did not dis
turn ltSeli Tor an instant, but continued to eat
the first crab bit by hit. until it itself en-
tirely torn TO pieces by its own executioner-a
remarkable instance of insensibility TO pain.
A French naturalist surprised q shoal OF
crabs feeding on the beach They in rows.
every head turned to the same side. and nearly
on end on their eight feet. They seized the
small objects on the shore which they carried
10 their mouths, each hand i'm its turn in regular
order; when the right hand reached the mouth
the left was on the ground. The uniformity
OF movement was most TemarkP1le
The hermit, or soldier, crab IS perhaps the
oddest or the crustaceanS. J'e differs from the
other crabs in that only his head and the upper
Pan of his body are protected ny calcare0uS ar
NOR while the rest OF the body is invested in
SOFT, yielding skin As this portion is considered
by its enemies excellent and desirable tidbit.
the crab seeks 10 protect il by borrowing shell
that has been discarded by its original owner.
II is great iun 10 extract three more hermit
crabs from their shells. set them naked in
bowl of water with only one she'll in il, and
watch them maneuVre for IT. They will fight
ferociously If 1t comes to the point. but pre-
liminarily they will resort TO all sorts of wiles
10 first secure the shield that renders the sue
cessful one a giant against pygmies. 1t is
II as many unarmed men were contending for
loaded revolver.
The hermit crab grows like any other cruSta-
cehn, and. just other crabs cast their coats
quarters that he finds too small for his COM
Portable accommodation. moving at proper inter-
walls into. more Commodious rooms. Thus Mr.
Hermit Crab may rent as his tenement from
birth Ia old age, dozen or more empty shells
Of increasing sizes. Necessarily, he may not
always find that suits him perfectly when
he CesiTes to move, just like people, but he must
for the fact that may often discover such
individual dragging about establishment en-
tirely too big for him, or. what is worse, with
insufficient roof over him.
''It is amusing to witness his hunt for new
she'll When the tide retires number Of empty
may then he seen examining. turning and
turning and trying a new dOmicile He glides
slowly along on his large abdomen. sometimes in
one shell. sometimes in another, looking deflantly
all around him. and returning quickly to his
older lodging If the one does not turn out
10 be perfectly comfortable, often trying great
number, a man might try many suits OF
clothes before fitting himself. l captured one
once in Florida which was making its home in
the bowl of an old clay pipe.