How Sammy Went to Coral-Land | Page 7

crabs feed on sharks and whales. In
return fishes, sea-stars, sea-urchins and some shell-fish eat the young
crustaceans, and even attack the larger ones.
In the sand of the seashore the mother crab, or lobster, lays her eggs,
and there she leaves them to be hatched by the sun. Several thousand
eggs are laid at a time, but as many of the water animals feed on the
eggs and young, of course all the members of this large family do not
come to mature crabhood.
Lobsters like best to live along rocky shores, where the water is clear
and deep, and there they are caught in small wicker baskets, or nets.
As for the crab, he loves to hide in the mud, and he can live longer than
the lobster when taken out of the water, by reason of the different
formation of his gills.

The Hermit-Crab seemed particularly proud of some of his relations
who live on land, and told Sammy marvelous tales of their strange
habits. Some of these land-crabs will suffocate if dipped in the water.
They live in the shades of the deep forest, often a long way from the
sea, but come to the seashore at certain seasons to lay their eggs in the
sand. When once they have started on their march to the sea nothing
can turn them aside from the path in which they are traveling.
Another cousin of the Hermit lives in the East and West Indies. It is
called the "Calling Crab," because it has a very large claw which it
holds above its head when running, and this gives it the appearance of
beckoning to some one. This Calling Crab makes its home in holes, or
burrows on land.
[Illustration: CALLING CRAB.]
Still another land relation is the East India Cocoa-Nut Crab, which lives
upon the cocoanuts that fall from the trees. With its large, heavy claws
it tears the husk from the cocoanut, and makes a hole in the nut, and
takes out the meat. These crabs also make their homes in deep burrows,
which they line with the husks and fibres from the cocoanuts. Though a
land crab the Cocoa-Nut cousin is fond of the sea, and takes a bath in it
every night. These crabs grow to a very large size.
Crabs, and all crustaceans multiply enormously, and are of all sizes
from very tiny ones to one respectable Japan crab which covers
twenty-five feet of ground. In the tropics they grow very large, and are
of many different varieties.
Some crabs live in fresh water rivers and streams, some of the lower
forms of the family in the extreme North, and others in dark,
under-ground caves.
Like almost all of the crustaceans, the crabs and lobsters cast their
shells every year. Besides indulging in this habit himself, the
Hermit-Crab had once witnessed the toilet of a large lobster, and he
gave Sammy a graphic description of the operation.

It seems that some days before it was time for him to get his new suit,
Mr. Lobster retired to a quiet place, gave up all society, and fasted
rigorously. Of course this severe treatment soon caused him to lose
flesh; he became thinner and thinner and the shell grew looser and
looser. After awhile he grew restless. Evidently his peace of mind and
body was much disturbed, for he rolled about, scratched himself, and
crawled here and there as if distracted. Soon after this his shell split
clear up the back, and then such a wriggling, and tugging and
squirming as there was until finally the whole outside shell of the
lobster, legs, claws, and everything else was forced through the narrow
slit in his back!
When the old shell was gotten off it looked exactly like the living
lobster; and as for Mr. Lobster himself, lo! he was clothed in a bran
new suit of clothes. But although undoubtedly proud of his fine apparel,
he was too cautious to show it off as yet. He knew full well that his
new shell was very soft and tender, and that his enemies liked him best
in this condition, and that, alas! even his own family would not hesitate,
if they discovered him, to have a feast at his expense. So, knowing his
danger, and being pretty well tired after his struggle with his toilet, Mr.
Lobster prudently retired from the gaze of the outside world, until his
new shell hardened.
But, when that was accomplished and he sallied forth, courageous and
very hungry, you may be sure that an unhappy fate awaited the weak
and tender member of fishland that fell in his path!
Surely the life of a fish must be far from monotonous, since he has
always the excitement of hunting his own meals, and keeping