416 Fiddler- Crabs. [May 
roundings. A sharp, shrill whistle when he is out causes him to 
dart in like a flash, but repeat it several times and he gains cour- 
age and now exhibits his curiosity. His whole body becomes 
attention. He erects himself and elevates his stalked eyes,—a _ 
better picture of listening it would be difficult to find. 
It is the male fiddler that does the house-building. When 
-undisturbed he remains below from half a minute to two minutes, 
and then reappears with his large claw folded close against the 
body and on it an armful of sand. Reaching the door, he gives 
the arm a quick flirt and throws the sand with considerable accu- 
racy upon the heap. After discharging the load, the pert eyes 
are erected and Gelasimus looks about. If an animal’s actions 
express anything, he certainly listens at the same time, and, in 
my opinion, his interest centres in the stage of the tide. I have 
never seen a mention of this watchfulness, but hundreds of ob- 
servations have convinced me that the fiddler does keep watch 
of the tide. When the tide is well out he exhibits less concern, 
but makes his trips in and out of his hole as rapidly as possible ; 
but as the tide comes in his actions change: the watchfulness 
and the appearance of listening are more marked. When buta 
few minutes—it may be a quarter of an hour—remain before the 
incoming tide will cover his home, he stops digging and makes 
excursions for food, which he carries to his larder below. As 
the tide advances these excursions are shorter. He looks before 
each run, and seldom fails to bring in some toothsome morsel. 
In this connection I have noticed three points: he is never 
caught by a wave as it rolls up the beach, he never comes out | 
after a wave rolls over his dwelling, and he never stays in his 
: burrow a wave too soon. He does not close his door with his 
_ big claw, as sometimes said. He knows too well that this is not 
necessary, for the first wave that rolls over his home will fill- 
s up the hole with that very sand that he has so laboriously ex- 
“When the tide is well out the fiddler does not stop digging to 
collect food. His plan is to first build his house and then stock 
_ it with provisions. He will not, however, refuse to takeʻany food 
which comes in his way, even when most busily engaged in his 
excavations. When the proper time comes he finds his food in 
the line of foam and sea-weed left by the successive waves as they 
come up the beach. Here he finds a fine bill of fare,—flies, mos- 
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