Robin Stortz, age 10, of Harmpton, Virginia or his question:

Why does a hard shelled crab become soft shelled?

The living crab is inside the crusty shell which protects him from his hungry enemies. But as he grows bigger, his coat of armor does not grow with him. From time to time he needs a bigger shell. The new house begins to grow inside the old shell and at first it is a loose coat of skin. In time it grows thicker and tougher but it must remain soft and leathery because it is larger than the hard shell around it,

When all is ready, the crab sheds his old shell and stretches himself in his bigger home. But for a week or more, the new home is soft and the crab is a soft shelled crab. He tries to keep out of sight until his new home has hardened into a crusty coat of armor.