OdT. 1899.] 
FOMKST AND STREAM, 
S87 
sel was condemned and torn into pieces. Keyser secured 
work in the sliipyard, and soon afterward got a couple of 
clerks to go his security for two casks of ale, with 
which he commenced business in a shanty standing on a 
corner of the lot, which was finally entirely covered by his 
establishment. The next day, meeting him at his door, 
dim recollections of Chanfrau, as Mose, "T kills for 
Keyser and fights for Liza," floated across my memory, 
and after dining I accompanied him to the race track 
just back of town, where they were preparing for their 
annual meet. There he explained to me a singular 
custom that was followed, different from any T ever 
•met, in my travels. The entire frontal of the outer side 
of the quarter tract is put up at auction at so much per 
foot, the highest bidder choosing his location, and the 
number of front feet he washes to occupj', and tlie next 
highest bidder following the first bidder, and so on imtil 
the whole frontal has been sold. On the different allot- 
ments were erected such tcmporarj^ accommodations as 
the lessee chose to build. Keyser's portion was one oi 
the largest, and situated just at the winning post._ A 
corps of carpenters were busy erecting quite a pretentious 
structure, which was intended to accommodate all of the 
owner's friends who might call on him during the races: 
and judging from its size, in comparison with the others, 
I concluded that he was one of the most popular citizen^ 
of Port Louis. 
A few days after, meeting the collector in the street, 
he said: "Mr. Thompson, I wish to ask a favor of you. 
My children never having seen a snake, haven't the slight- 
est idea of the appearance of one. Would it be asking 
too much if I were to request the privilege of taking them 
on board some day so that you could let them have a 
look at the reptiles?" I instantly assured him that noth- 
ing would give me more pleasure than to give an ex- 
hibition of snake charming for the special gratification 
of his progeny. I straightway bent my steps toward 
Keyser's hostelry, where I was so fortunate as to en- 
counter the skipper, who naturally saw a chance to please 
his friends, and therefore entered into the scheme, with 
the understanding that he should have the privilege of 
inviting his acquaintances. Keyser overheard the con- 
versation, and he also expressed a desire to enter into 
xhe transaction by furnishing a collation in the ship's 
cabin for the friends of the collector and the captain, pro- 
vided that the public generally should be allowed a view 
of the performance after the invited guests had finished 
their survey. The afifair was finally arranged by naming 
the time for the invited guests an hour ahead of the pub- 
lic exhibition, so that they would not be annoyed by the 
crowd. Keyser promised to have a notice in the daily 
liapers inviting the general public. 
The afifair was soon noised abroad, and I found myself 
I attracting close attention wherever I appeared. On the 
! morning of the date fixed, I found that the skipper had 
i cleared and scrubbed the decks, built a special ladder for 
' the convenience of the visitors, taken off the main hatch 
and built a temporary rail around its combing, and it only 
. remained for me to shift the cases containing the snakes 
' immediately under the hatchway, so that every one would 
" be able to get a fair view of them when taken out. So 
soon as the first boat load of invited guests arrived along- 
ule, I descended into the hold, drawing the ladder down 
after me to prevent any venturesome visitor from getting 
down beside me. On removing the lids of the cases, I 
found that I would have my hands full in order to prevent 
jn escape, as my pets had been closely confined for so 
long that they felt very much like slipping away when 
they were lifted up and allowed to coil around my body 
and limbs. No one except those who have undergone the 
(-■xperience can surmise what a dead, heavy weight there 
1? to all the larger species of boas, therefore I shall be 
forced to leave to the imagination of my readers the 
strain I had to undergo for several hours, confined in a 
very small space, where the heat was suffocating, wnth- 
nut the possibilty of getting a breath of fresh air. Al- 
most exhausted, I determined to ask for an intermission, 
and was stooping to close the lid of a case, in order to 
do so, when my nose came in contact with a pint bottle of 
' claret, suspended by a string. Instantly seizing it, I tln-ew 
my head back and commenced drinking down its content.-:, 
when I caught sight of the collector's smiling face at the 
upper end of the line. Waving my hand at liim in 
acknowledgment of his kindness. I emptied the bottle 
withont removing -my lips. Feeling much refreshed. I 
again opened the cases and continued the performance, 
until I was about completely exhausted, when I caught 
the sound of Keyser's voice, shouting, "Come! , Get a 
move on you, Passes. Hurry up. Hustle, Vite. Push on, 
or I'll git after vou wid a club." On glancing upward, I 
-.aw that the entire circumference of the hatchway was 
'jacked with the faces of a host of Chinese, Malagasys, 
1-Iindoos, Malays, Arabs, Singhalese, Kaffirs, etc. With the 
exception of Singapore, Port Louis has the most thor- 
r.ughly mixed population that I ever saw. This was more 
than I bargained for, and losing all patience, the boxes 
were suddenly closed, ladder placed against the combings 
and I mounted on deck, in order to give Keyser a "blow- 
ing up," but he did not give me the opportunity, for he 
dropped into one of the fleet of boats alongside, and as he 
\\'as being rapidly pulled away, called out, "Go down into 
the cabin. You's wanted there." I went down and found 
thar a special collation hkd been set aside for my especial 
sj-ratification. 
The next day was the beginning of the races, which 
lasted only two days, and I found that Keyser had fitted 
up a portion of his stand for my individual accommoda- 
tion, when T was expected to receive all who chose to call. 
Kevser was kept busy a greater portion of his time in- 
troducing me to a host of visitors, who appeared anxious 
to become acquainted with me, whom they seemed to think 
surpassed Van Amburgh in his palmiest days. On the 
second afternoon, at the close of the meet, Keyser came 
into my den with a bundle of newspapers and pointed out_ 
several articles describing my exploits with the pythons" 
in terms which would even put "yellow journalism" to the 
blush, and announcing that I would be happy to receive 
The public generally during the racing meet at Keyser's 
stand. A few days after the vessel finished taking in her 
cargo of crude sugar and was towed out of the harbor for a 
departure for Adelaide, South Australia. Of course, Keyser 
was on board to see us off. When the tug prepared to cast 
OS off. he wished me bon voyage, and I caught my last 
glimpse of Keyser standing on the paddle box of the fast 
receding steamer, hat in hand, waving adieux to his old 
brother "fire laddie." Frank J. Thompson. 
In a Seaside Pool. 
In a summer day's ramble on the Seashore we discover 
among the rocks and pebbles a number of pools which 
have been left by the outgoing tide. Most of these are 
of small size, and they gradually leach away as the water 
recedes; but others, larger and deeper, and inclosed by 
solid ledges, remain until the tide again ret-urns. Usually 
they are somewhat barren of animal or vegetable life, but 
often they teem with both, and thus furnish to the 
naturalist easily accessible and valuable facilities for ot?- 
servution and study. 
It was at the edge of one of these larger pools that I 
pau.sed in my stroll upon the strand and scrutinized 
the limpid water of the diminutive lakelet. The pool was 
perhaps 4 or 5yds. in width, and its greatest depth was 
not over ift. I had, therefore, a good opportunity to 
examine the water and the creatures it contained. 
Its rocky edges were covered with a growth of alga; 
of most beautiful forms and colors, their red, purple, 
golden and green giving it the semblance of a gay parterre 
of flowers to which the translucent water added a charm- 
ing effect. The bottom of the pool was covered with 
sand and small pebbles through which sprang up here 
and there a wavy mass of green and purple kelp and sea 
grass. 
It was a beautiful pool, a charming ocean geai pl- 
eased in its rocky setting, and I soon found that it 
furnished an attractive home for a variety of interesting 
creatures, for, as I scanned the quiet water, I discovered 
in a fissure of the rock a magnificent specimen of the rose 
sea anemone, one of the handsomest of the actince, 
which was unfolding and opening its tentacles like the 
petals of a huge flower in the sunshine. For a few mo- 
ments I stood and ga/.ed upon the beautiful sea flower 
and watched the movements of the tentacles until they 
were fully expanded, and then drawing close to the crea- 
ture, I seated myself on a nearby boulder and awaited 
developments. 
The ancnione was now ready for its lunch, which it 
receives with the tentacles I have mentioned; it is gifted 
with a most insatiable appetite, and in its gluttony it 
seizes every living thing that comes within its reach. 
The tentacles were alternately extended and contracted, 
then for a brief period they remained motionless, and 
then they were given a slight circular wave, which created 
a whirl in the water and sw^ept it toward the anemone's 
mouth. For a while T watched these, movements, but 
notliing approached the beautiful but treacherous creature. 
At length a number of minnows emerged from their 
lurking place in the algje and darted about in sportive 
pursuit of each other. Here and there they circled, some- 
times in a compact body, then in little detached groups. 
All over the pool they wandered in their erratic move- 
ments, until finally they approached the anemone, and 
soon were swimming above and around it. It w'as a 
dangerous proximity for them, and to one it proved to 
be fatal, for as the little fish darted in pursuit of tlie 
others it incautiously touched a quivering tentacle; the 
response was instantaneous, for like a flash the fish, was 
seized, the other tentacles were closed upon it and the 
unlucky minnow was engulfed. 
It was "a touch and a go" for the fish, for there is 
but Uttle chance for escape for any creature that the 
anemone can hold with its tentacles and swallow; it 
seems to possess the faculty of paralyzing its victims. 
Naturalists have released small fishes as soon as they 
were seized, but they had died a soon as they had come 
in contact with the detroyer. It has been proved that 
if the tentacles are touched in the water by the naked 
hand a liurning, stinging sensation is felt, and this -must 
have a powerful effect on small Creatures. 
Its diet is not limited to small fishes and custaceaas, for 
it devours every living thing that it can overcome, and 
an instance is on record of one of these large anemones 
having eaten in less than an hour a mussel and a good 
sized crab. Of course the .shells are not digested, but 
when the edible parts are assimilated the residue is 
ejected in a very simply way; the anemone turns its 
stomach inside out! 
For a while I sat watching the beautiful rose-colored 
creature, hoping that it would again expand its tentacles, 
but it remained motionless; it was evidently enjoying 
the lunch it had so successfully captured, and for a 
while its appetite would not. call for more. 
As I again examined the pool I noticed that a' Spray 
of kelp was vibrating, and in a few^ moments a large 
crab emerged from beneath the plant and began to move 
aliout over the sand and gravel, evidently in search of 
food. While thus engaged it did not discover the ap- 
proach of another of the same species which had left its 
lurking place beneath a bit of shale, and a challenge to 
fight was the first notice it received of the presence of 
the other. , 
The response'waS instantaneous, for no animal is more 
ready for a combat than one of these crustaceans. With 
pincer claws erect, they came together, and then en- 
sued a battle, which, although of the most savage char- 
acter, was ItKlicrous in no small degree to witness. 
Sidling around each other with astonishing celerity of 
movement and with pincers all the time open and ex- 
tended, they danced and fought all over the pool; they 
were pretty evenly matched, both in size and in dexterity 
of attack, and the victory to one or the other would de- 
pend, evidently, on chance. 
Back and forth they moved, then sideways, and then 
■ over each other they leaped in the vvater in their eflfort to 
Seize each other in their powerful jaws. Now and then 
they stood erect on their hinder feet, regarding each 
other with intense yet comical malice. 
It was a queer duel, but one of short duration, for with 
a sudden rush, one of the combatants penetrated the 
guard df the other and seized it by one of its legs, whicbi 
It tore from the body with a dexterous wrench. 
"To the victor belong the spoils," I thought as the 
crabs separated, the defeated one retiring to the further 
end of the pool, where it quickly buried itself in the 
sand, while the other returned to its lurking plac be- 
neath the kelp and feasted at its leisure on the prize 
it had won. 
I did not waste much sympathy on the cripple,, for I 
knew that its leg would soon be replaced, for like the 
lobsters, who also have their battles, the crabs have the 
faculty of growing a new member if one is lost by acci- 
dent. And this provision by nature is a wise one, for 
with their pugnacious habits these crustaceans would 
without such a means of replacing lost members soon be 
exterminated. They are always ready for battle, and 
no mercy is asked or given. It has been well said of 
them that "They are the marauders of the ocean com- 
munity, merciless brigands, ready to x3o anything to 
secure their prey.' They fight in deadly combat not 
only with their enemies or their prey, but with each 
other, and frequently without any pretext, save only for 
the love of battle." 
When they have shed their hard shells to acquire 
larger ones, however, they are helpless, and woe betide 
them if an enemy overtakes them in their soft and tender 
mantle. At this stage their pugnacity leaves them and 
they retire to as secure a hiding place as they can find, 
and there remain until their armor is replaced. 
The crabs in the pool before me were the species 
called the common rock crab, so termed because they 
seem to prefer a rocky shore; they do not limit their 
habitat to such localities, however, but are often found 
on sandy or gravelly bottoms. This species is found all 
along our coast, and is common even as far north as 
Labrador. Although it is sold in many of our markets, 
generally in a hard shell condition, it is not in great de- 
mand, the "blue sheddar" or soft shell crab being by far 
the greater favorite among epicures. That species is 
also found along our shore, from Massachusetts to Flori- 
da, but it is not at all common north of Cape Cod. 
The duel between the crabs had hardly ended when 
my attention was attracted to a large starfish, which, 
emerging from the weeds in the pool, crawled over the 
smooth rock before me. 
"'There is a variety of life here, surely," I thought, as 
I lifted the starfish from the water and laid it on its 
back beside me. "And here is another destroyer, al- 
though one would hardly imagine that such a creature 
coukl do much harm." 
It was a perfect specimen, and judging from its 
plumpness, it had recently made a hearty meal. The 
starfishes work terrible havoc among the oysters and 
other shell fish and mollusks, and by oystermen are 
regarded as the greatest of pests, the injury done by them 
aggregating millions of dollars annually. 
It seems almost incredible that a creature with a 
mouth no larger than that of the starfish can destroy a 
shell-encased oyster^ but that it does so is a fact too 
well established. 
On finding an oyster, the starfish coolly proceeds to 
embrace the unfortunate bivalve with its arms, fastening 
itself firinly to it with the little sucking disks - with 
which the underside of its body is covered ; it then, after 
the oyster is securely imprisoned, begins to turn its 
stomach inside out, and soon the victim is completely 
enveloped by the protruding stomach. It has been stated 
that a poisonous secretion now exudes from the pores of 
the membrane which causes the muscle of the oyster to 
relax and the shells or valves to open, and in a short 
time the flesh of the helpless creature is sucked out by 
the starfish. 
When the oyster is completely devoured, the stomach 
of the marauder is again swallowed, its arms relax from 
around the valves and the starfish proceeds on its way in 
search of other victims. If these rapacious creatures 
were few in numbers, the injury they do would be com- 
paratively insignificant, but unfortunately they are very 
abundant, and as before stated, they are among the wor.st 
pests oyster growers have to contend with. A dredging 
device for catching them has been invented, however, 
and it has proved a valuable implement for keeping their 
numbers reduced. One can form some idea of their 
abundance when 1 state that one dredging steamer, work- 
ing on beds near New Haven, Conn., and at Bayside, 
captured in eight weeks over S,ooo bushels. 
The mission of the starfishes is not entirely a destruc- 
tive one, however, for they are valuable animals in a cer- 
tain way; they are among the scavengers of the sea, and 
they feed on all kinds of dead fish and other small crea- 
tures. The good they do in keeping the water pure is 
not at all insignificant. Although they have five eyes — 
one on the end of each arm — it is believed that they 
discover their prey by the sense of smell rather than by 
that of vision. The havoc wrought by the starfishes on 
the oyster beds is in some localities equaled by the injury 
done by the "drill"; in fact, some oyster growers dread 
this pest as much as they do the starfish. There are a 
number of species, but the Urosalpinx cinerea is the 
worst of all. They belong to the snail family, but are 
in the various species of different forms and character- 
istics. When one of these pirates finds an oyster it 
fastens its foot or creeping pad, the fl.eshy disk we see 
in the opening of the shell, firmly upon its victim, and 
then the point of the tongue, called the lingual ribbon, 
which is armed with three rows of sharp teeth, is 
brought to bear on the valve or shell of its prey, and 
with this, which is rotated back and forth in nearly a 
circle, a hole is soon drilled through the hard substance 
and the body of the oyster is reached. The drill now 
withdraws its boring appaaratus, and inserts its sucking 
tube into the hole, and the luscious flesh of the un- 
fortunate bivalve is leisurely devoured. It does not 
limit its depredations to the oyster, but any shell fish, 
even its own species, is not unacceptable as a prey, 
specimens often being found with the tell-tale hole in 
their shells. It prefers the oyster, however, and so de- 
structive has it been that it has actually depopulated 
entire beds in some localities, or forced the owners of the 
beds to transplant them on bottoms which were free 
from the pests. There is another and larger sea snail, 
called the conch, which also preys on the oyster. It is 
not armed with the toothed tongue of the drill, and in 
fact such an accessory is unnecessary to this nlarauder, 
for it plants the concave mnderside of its foot fimifer on 
