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nimble-witted and betray remarkable superiority 

 over their companions, both in the manner of mask- 

 ing and in whatever requires a conscious effort of 

 a mind. Sometimes in a collection will occur an 

 actual genius, one so far above the others that it 

 would appear to be endowed almost with human- 

 like individuality — certainly with mental quali- 

 ties more akin to those of higher animals, such as 

 pet birds or puppies, than those we should expect 

 to find in a lowly crab. Such mental qualities our 

 Little Lena proved to possess. 



It was not, however, until after she had cast her 

 seventh molt — nearly three months after hatching 

 — that any unusual divergence was manifest in her 

 deportment. Prior to this event she was, in com- 

 mon with her companions, shy, secretive, and ap- 

 prehensive of human approach. Only by stealth or 

 stratagem could her actions be observed; upon any 

 incautious movement on the part of the watcher 

 she would take alarm, slinking precipitately away 

 into the obscurity of a clump of seaweeds or the 

 remotest corner of the tank. Shortly after the 

 period to which I refer, came a noticeable change. 

 Gradually she began to grow accustomed to my 

 presence, and finally by the time of her next molt 



[264] 



