,m, A. E. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 



in the simpler New England lobster pots. A skillful person may 

 still obtain many lobsters by quietly rowing along the reefs and 

 rocky shores and spearing those that show themselves in front of 

 their holes or dens, which are under stones or in cavernous places in 

 the reefs. They rarely weigh more than l'o pounds, but most that 

 are taken for the market do not exceed 4 or 5 pounds. As they 

 have no large claws, the weight is much less, in proportion to the 

 size of the body, than in the American lobster. The flavor is equally 

 good, but perhaps rather sweeter. 



The colors, especially in the young, are bright and striking, the 

 back is greenish, specked with yellow; usually there is a row of two 

 or three large, round, pale, yellowish spots along each side of the 

 back of the abdomen ; the telson and caudal appendages are hand- 

 somely banded near the borders with black and white ; the legs are 

 light blue, whitish below. 



The decrease in the numbers of the large and voracious fishes, like 

 the groupers and rockfishes, would naturally have had a tendency to 

 cause an increase in the number of lobsters, for those fishes and 

 many others depended upon the lobsters for a part of their food. 

 This, in a measure, has counteracted the effects of the lobster fisher- 

 men. Owing to the absence of claws the Bermuda lobster is a very 

 helpless and timid creature, depending for safety upon quickly 

 retreating into its holes on the approach of an enemy. It has great 

 fear of the Octopus, which often captures it. 



d. — The Land Crabs. ( Gecarcinus lateralis Frem., etc.) 



Figure 57. 

 The Land Crabs were mentioned by Capt. John Smith as very 

 abundant and injurious, "As thick in their Burrows as conies in a 

 Warren and doe much hurt." 



Figure 57. — Laud Crab. {Gecarcinus lateralis.) 



Complaints were also made that persons in digging them for bait 

 trespassed on the lands of others and did much damage by digging 

 large holes, so that an early law was passed to prevent that evil. 



