The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-06-25
TALES FROM NATURE
Modest Observer JUtS Down
Few Veridical Notes.
FEAST FOR LOVERS OF TRUTH
Shrinks from Fierce
Discussion with SLeptical High
Grateful Fireny, and the Ambi-
tiOus Adiutant Bird of India.

Lovers Of nature and nature stories
should find much that is interesting and
instructive in the following account OF
unusual manifestations Of almost human
Intelligence on the part Of certain isolated
subjects of the animal kingdom. They
were related 10 a yeraciOus Washington
Herald representative by one Of Washing
tons best animal investigators. but the
natural historian. fearing 10 bring upon his
head ceusure from skeptical high sources,
declined To allow his name 20 be used al
this juncture, He agreed. however, that
any one believing the stories and desiring
to make HIS acquaintance on their ac-
count should be given his name and ad-
dress upon application AZ The Washing
ton Herald Office.
The naturalist first related the story Of
the sensitive soft-shelled crab
1.-The Protesting Crab.
Several summers ago. % lac began. Il was
with "a party Of friends on fishing trip
to Analostan Island White perch and
cat FISH were our prospective prey To
tempt the palates Of the pisces We had
provided ourselves with bait Of an kinds
in bottles. baskets. and cans. In the lot
was basket Of live soft-shelled crabs
which. when cut into small pieces, make
most attractive bait We had been fish
ing several hours with Indifferent success,
and had consumed most Of the bottled
bait and worms. Deciding 20 try crab
meat reached into the basket and drew
forth fine. active male specimen
laid it upon a thwart and was about
90 cut il in half with my knife when "a
peculiar glitter in its eyes halted me
"Wlshing 20 experiment ! slowly waved
the blade Of the knife ia It's face. To
my utmost surprise the crab shuddered
j tried IL again; again the shudder, more
pronounced and accompanied 10y a facial
expression of extreme fear and pecu-
liar gasp!uR noise. barely audible Is
leaned over the boat seat. ] touched the
back Of the crustaC,8n with the point
1f the blade 10 screamed a Grabbed
scream Of terror and. reaching with one
claw, underworld 20 brush away the
threatening steel. These manifestations
of constituencies were quite astonishing u
me. as an the other crabs We had used
suffered themselves 10 be dismembered
and made into bait without protest, al
though they did not appear somewhat cut
up Not desiring 20 KIN so sensitive a
creature IN so cruel q manner ! took 10
home alive. and my kind-Hearte5 wife
etherized it before dropping Il into the
pan II boiling fat
1.-THE Grateful FireHy.
After lighting his pipe the naturalist
proceeded with the story Of the grateful
FREELY
zone evening last summer, while seated
on my porch 7 observed "a freely that flut-
tered against the wall Of the house and
ZEN into the web OF a small black spider
in the corner Of the wall and porch rail
The spider rushed out 10 secure its vic
tim. but became affrighteI when &,
glowed and retired 90 its lair Several
times it sailed forth to the attack. but
on each occasion the flash Of the little
beetle frightened q back. Feeling that il
were cruel Co leave the pretty creature
to die a slow death ia the meshes of the
web I removed il with n broom straw.
and. taking IT. in the house, carefully
picked from its wings and limbs the
cl.nging particles Of webbing
u released the fy and /, Circled away.
flashing It's beacon necessarily as though
trying 10 express its JOY Of freedom in the
Morse code. II few but a little way over
The garden and then returned 10 whore