CHAPTER XX. 



THE CRAB AND THE LOBSTEE. 



The Ceab — Calinectus hastatus — (Ordway.) 



In the months of June, July, August and September, along the 

 Southern coast in early summer, later in the Delaware and on the 

 Jersey coast, and toward the close of summer in Long Island 

 Sound, in the upper bay and its estuaries, and along the New England 

 coast the crab advances from deep water in vast numbers. I do not 

 hesitate to assert that in the crab season there are three crabs caught 

 for every fish brought to market. In New Jersey, on the banks of 

 the Shrewsbury River, there is an immense crab farm whence thou- 

 sands are shipped to the markets of New York and Philadelphia. 

 The little creeks and streams that run in Lgng Island Sound make 

 the body of water a perfect paradise for the pugnacious crab. But 

 of all places to catch crabs the best is in the Harlem River, and in 

 New Jersey, Salem Creek. 



The reason why the crab is included in these essays is that every 

 salt-water angler goes crabbing, and if he goes once he will go 

 again. Even people who do not care for fishing proper will go 

 crabbing, probably because they think the yield is paying them for 

 their time. Yes, the crab is a game "fish," but, strange to say, his 

 fighting qualities do not assert themselves until he is in the basket, 

 or just before you put him in. In fact, he is so game that I have 

 seen a»blue crab seize a finger of some incautious angler and then 

 jump out into the water forty feet away. This occurrence, which 

 by the way is not very uncommon, took so little time that it is now 



