With Fish-Lines and Nets 107 



A friend of mine insists that in order to eat 

 a crab with any comfort it is necessary to have 

 at hand, besides the crab, a bowie-knife, a 

 hammer, and a bucket of water. Others, 

 equally ignorant, insist that there is nothing to 

 eat in a crab. As a matter of fact, the opening 

 of a crab can be made a pleasure, and there is 

 really a great deal of delicious eating to be 

 found. To begin with, the outfit for crab- 

 eating should consist of nut-picks, nut-crackers, 

 finger-bowls, and napkins. The big claws are 

 easily broken open with the nut-crackers. The 

 legs can be thrown away in times of plenty. 

 To get at the inside of a crab with neatness 

 and despatch, turn up the under breastplate 

 and break it off. Then the whole back can be 

 lifted off, exposing a good deal of a yellow, 

 greenish substance, which is the fat of the crab 

 and its best relish. Having the crab divested 

 of underplate and back-shell, break it in two, 

 and the white meat will be readily extracted 

 with a nut-pick. The muscles which operate 

 the crab's claws and legs constitute the meat. 

 A little practice will convince any one that 

 crabs are not to be despised. Their flavor is 



