Four feet, wings, and fins . their they foight loike the nation, breaking offeach others claws in their fury. Isnt there a land-crab ? asked Grace. O yis, mum, theres the little fiddler—hes aland-crab. Does he fiddle ? asked Rose, opening her eyesvery wide. He makes a noise that sounds something like afiddle, Ive heard him mony a time to be sure. Theylook like a wather-crab only theyre not so large,thin they only hev one pincer. They burrow in thesand and live in families. But dont land-crabs breathe like fish, same aswater-crabs do ? asked Frank. Yes, they breathe by means of gi
Four feet, wings, and fins . their they foight loike the nation, breaking offeach others claws in their fury. Isnt there a land-crab ? asked Grace. O yis, mum, theres the little fiddler—hes aland-crab. Does he fiddle ? asked Rose, opening her eyesvery wide. He makes a noise that sounds something like afiddle, Ive heard him mony a time to be sure. Theylook like a wather-crab only theyre not so large,thin they only hev one pincer. They burrow in thesand and live in families. But dont land-crabs breathe like fish, same aswater-crabs do ? asked Frank. Yes, they breathe by means of gills, yet are notaquatic, said Grace. It is necessary, however, thattheir homes in the sand contain enough moisture toprevent their gills from becoming too dry. Thereare several species of crabs, one of which lives inhollow trees, clefts in rocks, and in holes which theydig for themselves in the sides of mountains. Butwhen it comes time for them to lay their eggs, theytravel by the million down to the sea-coast. This is 472. »-:^^^-_^^^^-~ PSEUDOCAKCINUS GiGAS. CATCHING LOBSTERS. during the months of April and May. The wholeground seems swarming with them, and if they meetany impediment in their way, so straight do theymarch that though it be the walls of a house theyattempt to scale it. They are, sometimes, threemonths or more in reaching the shore. Their eggsresemble the roe of a herring, and are about as largeas a hen s egg. They leave them near the edge ofthe water to be hatched by the heat of the more than one-third reach maturity. After theold ones have deposited their eggs they are feebleand stupid — so much so that they are obliged to digholes in the ground and remain there for sometimeto recuperate. During this time they shed theirshells, after which they become very fat. Then theymove slowly back to the mountains. Have crabs fins } asked Frank. Sure, and its paddles he has for his hoind legs,said Pat. They answer the same purpose as fins, saidGrace. They a
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1879
