THE BEAUTY OF THE NIGHT 363 



other is dwarfed, and the great one may be either 

 right or left. If molested they usually try to 

 escape but when once cornered they pinch severely 

 with the large claw. While the victim is writhing 

 in pain the crab wrenches his whole arm loose and 

 escapes. Sometimes when suddenly surprised 

 they seem to become dazed and lose all power of 

 offense or of retreat. At such times I have seen 

 them stop short, apparently helpless, and allow 

 themselves to be picked up even though within 

 a few inches of a hole or other good place of con- 

 cealment. It has been asserted that when the 

 great arm is lost the small one begins to increase 

 and eventually becomes the large one, but I doubt 

 this. A minute claw grows from the socket of the 

 great arm as soon as it is torn off, and it probably 

 continues to increase to full size while the other 

 remains as before. On summer nights their rust- 

 ling and clattering is always to be heard in the 

 hammocks and lowland and if one will watch 

 quietly he will likely see a raccoon glide across 

 some open space with one of them in his mouth, for 

 "Brer Coon" is their mortal enemy, catching them 

 in great numbers and cleaning out the last morsel 

 of flesh from their carapaces. 



