Crustacea. 



6689 



Every one knows how the thrush carries the snail to a favourite stone 

 and smashes the shell, and what a charnel-house the spot looks like 

 with the remains all strewed about. But these may not be thought 

 to rank as cases analogous to the task which the lobster has before 

 him, to dine upon his marine neighbour; although they are each 

 respectively examples of instinct peculiarly apposite to the required 

 circumstances. But nearer the mark, and founded upon the autho- 

 rity of Carre ri Gamelli, we are informed that the orang-otang [Simia 

 Satyr us) feeds upon a large species of oyster, fresh taken from the 

 water; and that, fearful of inserting his paws into the shell, lest the 

 oyster should close and crush them, his custom is to insert a stone 

 between the valves as they are peacefully opened in the calm enjoy- 

 ment of the incoming tide. He then drags out his victim with 

 safety. Ever since the veritable history has been written and 

 painted of the selfish ape that used the cat to draw the burning 

 chesnut from the fire, few things have been thought beyond a mon- 

 key's wisdom, and some metaphysicians allow them a certain degree 

 of reason on account of the superiority of their instinct; and there- 

 fore it appears not strange or new. But few will perhaps be prepared 

 to learn that this is the plan the crab pursued. When he found that 

 the oyster was too wide awake, he watched in patience until his prey, 

 supposing all things to be safe, opened the valves again ; he then 

 quickly inserted a stone. Alas ! for the poor oyster ; it never closed 

 its valves again. 



But it is not always that the devourer comes off so successful as the 

 crab in this instance. My friend Mr. Bailee once dredged a mussel 

 holding tight the claw of a crab. I think the history is evident. The 

 crab, as in the former instance, wished to dine at the expense of his 

 neighbour, but was not experienced enough to get off scot free. The 

 mussel did not close the shell in time to keep out his claw. He 

 must have been a very young crab, without doubt a green one ; for 

 when he put in his claw the mussel closed, and held it tight. 

 Anchored to the spot by the byssus, the mussel grasped the arm of 

 the crab, and never let it go again. We can only judge the sorrow 

 of others by imagining ourselves in similar conditions. Fancy the 

 boy that is tempted to steal apples finding his arm caught in a trap ; 

 but how much worse if that trap should never let go again. Such 

 was the trap that caught the crab. What would the boy do ? Not 

 all man's boasted reason or grand philosophy could make him equal 

 the instinct and power of the crab. After every attempt to free it 

 from the shell had proved how useless was the effort, the crab went 

 away and left his arm behind— a capability lie has at will. 



XMI. 3 G 



