Nature.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2050, 1 April 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

Nature.

Soft Shells Protected by Hard Shells. When a crab sheds its shell, which it does once a month throughout the warm season, it is probably the most helpless creature in existence. It is merely a lump of delicate, soft flesh, with boneless legs attached. It is as clefencless as a naked oyster would be. Any fish could eat it. Any seaspidor or seaflea could kill it. It cannot move, as its sheathlcss legs are unable to support its weight. Where the water teems with lishes eager to devour one another, and where eels, bloody-minded and ever hungry, ceaselessly beat their feeding ground in search of food, it is surprising that the crabs arc not exterminated. They would be if it were not for a most marvellous provision of nature. lam told by truthful men that when a crab finds its shell too small for him though usually the most unsociable and irritable of creatures, ho makes signals of distress. True to the unwritten law that governs crab life, the first hardshell crab that secs the plight that his brother is in hastens to him. Reassured by the protective presence of his relative, the crab that has outgrown his clothes cunningly shucks himself out of them.

This operation is watched with great interest and considerable excitement by the hardshell crab. When completed so that the crab lies helpless before him, he docs not cat it, as one would expect such a gross-grained and selfish creature to do. He waits until the soft crab has tucked bis unprotected legs under him and folded his claws, as though prayerfully beseeching the Divine protection, and then he gently gets on top of his defenceless relative. He carefully places his long legs under him.and hugs him lightly and lovingly to his breast. The hardshell crab stands, or rather lies, on his post of duty staunchly. When on guard, he will resolutely face anything that swims in the water, and tight with reckless courage. Eds, fish, anything and everything that swoops around the soft-shelled crab will be fiercely attacked by the pop eyed, badtempered sentinel that is on duty. It is seldom that lie will desert bis post in the presence of man. When a softshellcd crab is taken in the net, his protector is generally secured alio. If undisturbed by man they do wA leave, tUck helpless comrade until his shell is sulliciently hard to enable him to protect himself, which is generally in from three to four days.

A {tcmarkable Animal.

The iaraa will bear neither beating nor illtreatment. They go in troops, an Indian walking a long distance ahead as a guide. If the lamas arc tired they Hop. and the Indian stops also. If the delay be too great, the Indian, becoming uneasy toward sunset,after all dno precaution, resolves on supplicating the beasts to resume their journey. He stands about fifty or sixty paces off, in an attitude of humility, waving Ids hand coaxingly toward them, looks at them with tcmlcrne s, and at the same time, in the softest tones, reiterates, — “Ic, ic, ic!” It the lamas arc disposed to resume their journey, they follow the Indian in good order and at a regular pace, but very fast, for their legs are very long ; but when they are in ill humor they do not even turn toward tho speaker, but remain motionless, huddled up together, standing or lying down, and gazing on heaven with a look so tender and melancholy that wc might ho led (o imagine that these very singular and interesting animals had the consciousness of another life or a happier state of existence. The straight neck, and its gentle maieMy of bearing, the long down of their always clean and glossy skin, their supple and timid motion, all give them an aii at once sensitive ami noble. The lama is the only creature employed by man that he dare notstriko. If it happens (which is very seldom the case) that an Indian wishes to obtain, either by force, or even by threats, what the lama will nor willingly perform, the instant the animal finds itself affronted by words or gesture be rai-ea his head with dignity, and without making any attempt to escape ill-treatment by flight, lie lies down, turning ins look toward Heaven; largo tears flow freely from bis beautiful ryes, sighs issue from his bosom, and in half or three ouartors of an hour at most he expires.

Tin- respect shown these animals by the IVniviau Indian amounts absolutely to superstitious reverence. When the Indian loads them, two approach and caress the animal, hiilim,' Ids head, that he may not sec the load on his back. It is the same in union line. The Indians of the Cordilleras alone have sufficient patience and gentleness to manau’c the lama.

The Century Plant.

The century plant is the American aloe. Its botanical name is A;/nri‘ Amrrivana , and it b called the maguey in South America, and in Mexico the mezeal. It is a plant of the cactus kind, having a short stem, which terminates in a circular cluster of fleshy, sharp-pointed, bluish green leaves, covered with spines. Kach of those lives for many years, so that but few have withered when the plant has reached its maturity. It is a popular error that this only occurs once in a hundred years, wherefore the name “ century plant” is used. The period of maturity of the plant varies generally, according to climate, from ten to seventy years. In tropical count rics it rapidly at tains its perfect state, but in colder climates, where it is cultivated ns an exotic, it often requires a full century to reach its maturity. As soon as it does so it sends up a stem, which grows to a height of forty feet, and sends out numerous branches, forming a perfect cylindrical pyramid, and each is crowned with a cluster of greenish yellow flowers, which continue in perfect bloom for several months. This blossoming is never repeated ; as soon as the flowers fall the plant withers and dies. The plant grows through all the central part of the American continent, from Mexico to Chili, flourishing alike in sandy plains at the level of the sea and mountain plateaus ton thousand feet above. Various parts of the plant are put to different uses. From its sap, drawn from deep incisions in its stem, is made pulque (pool-ka). a fermented liquor with very slight intoxicating qualities, and from this is obtained, by distillation the vino-mezeal, a drink pleasant to the taste, but a powerful intoxicant, and otherwise injurious to those using it. From the leaf fibres a coarse flax is made. The dried flower stem make a thatch which is perfectly impervious to rain, Soap-balls are made from an extract of the leaves, and from the centre of the stem, split longitudinally, a substitute is obtained for a hone or razor strop, which owing, to fine particles of silica contained in it, has the property of putting a very line edge upon steel. °

Mosquitoes m Cold Climates-" On coasting trips to tbe North Cape,” says W. Mattieu Williams, “ ships arc frequently invaded by sw arms of mosquitoes at every port. In Alaska they form clouds so dense that it is impossible for sportsmen to aim at objects beyond. Native dogs are sometimes killed by them and even the grizzly bear is occasional'v blinded by their attacks.