weeds.

THE CRAB.

The following incident is from a late English journal: "In the year
1812, a sailor, in company with several persons, at Sunderland,
perceived a crab which had wandered to the distance of about three
yards from the water-side. An old rat, on the look-out for food, sprang
from his lurking-place, and seized the crab, who, in return, raised his
forcep-claws, and laid fast hold of the assailant's nose, who hastily
retired, squeaking a doleful chant, and much surprised, no doubt, at
the reception he had met with.

"The crab retreated as fast as he could towards his own element; but
after a short space, the rat renewed the contest, and experienced a
second rude embrace from his antagonist. The rat again retreated, but
returned again to the attack. After the contest had lasted half an
hour, the crab, though much exhausted, had nearly reached the sea, when
the rat made a sudden spring, and capsized his antagonist; then, taking
advantage of this manoeuvre, like a successful general, seized the
crab by his hind leg. The crab, however, again made his escape in a
most mutilated condition; the rat, however, closely pursuing him, soon
dragged him back to his den, where he doubtless regaled his wife and
family with his hard-earned prey.

"In the year 1833, as a lady in England was in the act of dressing a
crab, she found in its stomach a half guinea, of the reign of George
III., worn very thin; but some of the letters were so entire as to
enable the reign to be traced."

THE SPIDER.

The celebrated Lewenhoek found by microscopic observation that the
threads of the minutest spiders, some of which are not larger than a
grain of sand, are so fine that it would take four millions of them to
make a thread as thick as a hair of his beard. In the early part of the
last century, M. Bon, of Languedoc, fabricated a pair of stockings and
a pair of gloves from the threads of spiders. They were nearly as
strong as silk, and of a beautiful gray color.

The animal ferocity of spiders makes it impossible to keep them
together. M. Bon distributed 4 or 5000 spiders into different cells,
putting in each cell about 200, and fed them with flies; but the large
ones soon devoured the small ones, and in a short time there were only
one or two large ones left in each cell.

To test the ingenuity of the spider, a gentleman frequently placed one
on a small upright stick, and surrounded the base with water. After
having reconnoit