New-York tribune., 1909-03-07
HERMIT CRAB A HOST

Another hermit crab. which is found ~ d.
water Off the New England coast Is the host -
sea anemone- The latter. by budding pra5r.r
covers the entire shell Of the crab, and nor onr1
this but 1t possesses the power OF dissOlvins M.
crabs shell so that trace Of il can be found
As this polyp increases in size with the growtb a.
the crab there is no need OF change OF hons. ~,
the latter's part-his home grows as he does Eva7
more remarkable stIII is the case OF a Chua,.
hermit crab which always bears upon the o1tsIS
OF the large claw small anemone. which, vha,
the hermit retreats into hts she'll closes ,bs
aperture.
The hermit crab of our coast IS nearly aivsy.
associated with the cloak aneraone. and these txo
animals exhibit sympathies almost inexplIcabls
The anemone attaches itself almost always TO tn.
shell. which serves as the dwelling Of the crab
and II may be looked upon as certain that wher.
the hermit is there will the anerone be found
These two animals to have a mutual Affection
for each other When the crab outgrovs his tsr7
porary home he necessarily must seek a more com,
modious one, and after such has been found he IA.
taches in most deliberate fashion his compauon
the anemone. from the old shell. transports II with
every care and precaution and places II comfort
ably upon the new shell home. and then with ia
large pncers gives IT many little taps IN order to
attach It the more firmly. Sometimes the aneron.
does not Ike the new home. and then there Is 4
hurry and scurry on the part OF the crab TO obtain
shell which win satisfy its companion.
For years occasional specimens OF the beauti.1I
sponge called 'yenus's flower basket which con
tained a curious little shrimp were received rom
the Philippines and Japan. and Il was at first SUP
posed that these small cruStaceans had been n
serted in the sponge and the opening then closed
BY the ingenious and crafty people Of the East
Other and later observers believed that the sDongs
was wonderful siIiceous habitation CONSTRUCTED
by the shrimp Itself. AS one has yet been abs
TO discover the openings which would be necessary
were man TO insert the shrimp into the sponge
while every specimen thus imprisoned belongs to
the species-a fact which would hardly Ss
probable were we Indebted 20 for the arrange
ment-scientists are now agreed that the fTnurs-
ment OF the shrimp is voluntary on its part
"Among the mOuusca the genus RhizochiIus Is
noticeable from the fact that the young OF one
species has well formed shell. but as the adult
condition IS reached It cements TO the shell
length all means OF communication with the ex-
terror IS by means Of the sphOnaI canal alone the
aperture being completely closed What IS tbs
cause OF this peculiar self-iumurement no one has
yet been able TO decide Another interesting genus
IS Magus. the species OF which all belong 70 the
Eastern seas. and II Is excellent example OF that
ueseneracy which occurs IN certain moIusks Tbs
young Magilus begins life well behaved mol
lusk. with regular spiral shell. but shortly t
settles down some growing coral. and then s
race begins between the two slow growing forms.
II the mollusk kept quiet and grew no further .
short time would suffice to completely enveIop It IN
the stony coral; but he Is partly
cred the whOrls OF the shell leave their spiral
course. and grow Irregular tube Az
the coral grows. additions are made 70 the
she'll and the neck-and-neck race is kept up until
one the other dies After the tube becomes TOO
long for the mOlIusk he leaves the spiral portion
and comes out to live in the outer straight tube
filling up the deserted whorls with solid deposit
OF lime.