Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 September 1894 — Crabs That Reap and Mow. [ARTICLE]

Crabs That Reap and Mow.

One kind of crab has been found in great numbers on tablelands 4,OCX) feet above the sea level, and many miles away from any considerable body .of water. This strange crab is a native of Hindoostan, where, in one province at least, and perhaps in others, the young grass fairly swarms with them. They can run with considerable swiftness, even when carrying in the long claw’s, which serve for both arms and hands, a bundle of grass or young rice stalks as big, and sometimes even bigger than themselves. Nature is very generous with all her children, giving to each one just the powers and faculties which it needs to enable it to provide for all its wants. So this humble inhabitant of the tablelands of India is provided with a capital mowing machine in the shape of a pair of remarkably sharp and strong pincers. To harvest his abundant crops, the comicallooking creature assumes a sort of sitting posture, so that he can use his pincers to advantage. He works very rapidly, using one pair es claws to cut and another to bind his sheaves at the same time. As soon as he has gathered all he can carry, he scuttles off with it in a funny sioe-wise fashion, and with an air of solemn importance that is a very amusing contrast to his clumsy motion and queer shape. But the human inhabitants of the district preferred by this queer little mower and reaper do not find him at all amusing. They say that one of these crabs will destroy an amount of young grass aud rice in one year, which, if allowed to reach perfection, would keep a laboring man in health and strength during that time. — [Denver Republican.