Mr. Fletcher. 
Mr. Ramakrishna 
Ayyar. 
Mr. Fletcher. 
Mr. Shroff. 
156 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 
These fields in which you have been experimenting are*small plots: 
on the Paddy Breeding Station at Coimbatore, I think. If these are 
once freed, could they not be protected from reinfestation by surrounding 
them with a fencing of wire netting ? 
Protection with wire netting was tried but found ineffective, as the 
crabs crawled over the netting. 
Will you tell us about crabs in paddy-lands in Burma, Mr. Shroff ? 
Land crabs are common throughout Burma, and are believed to do 
a considerable amount of damage to the paddy crops. They do not 
appear to prove troublesome in all places, but in certain restricted 
localities their depredations are said to be serious. 
They are solitary in their habits. Two animals are rarely found in 
the same burrow except during the mating season or when the females 
carry their young. There is probably one breeding season and the eggs 
are produced and young are hatched in Kason and Nayon (Apri'-June). 
Hach female produces. from 250 to 350 eggs which she carries about 
with her tucked under her tail. The newly-hatched young also accom- 
pany the mother for some time, probably a week or two and then 
separate to feed for themselves. 
Nature of damage. These crabs burrow into the Kazins (bunds) and allow 
water to percolate through, thus causing paddy fields to dry up in some 
places. They also do some mischief by pinching off the stems of young 
paddy plants, chiefly of transplants, from Wagaung (July-Aueust) to 
Thadin-gyut (September-October). They are said to prove very des- 
tructive in flooded areas. According to the report from the Tharawaddy 
District, fifty crabs will destroy plants covering a mat-space (about 
120 square feet) of the field in one night. As they cause a good deal of 
damage in the agerevate it is impossible to estimate even approximately 
the destruction to an individual holding. 
Their natural enemies. The chief enemies of this pest are herons, 
Storks, cranes and other wading birds that visit paddy fields. These 
destroy the pest in large numbers, but on account of its prolific breeding, 
these feathered friends of the cultivator do not exercise any appreciable 
check on its increase. Besides, these birds sometimes favour some 
localities to the neglect of others. 
Local means of contro!. The cheapest and surest method of control- 
ling this pest, practicable in this country, is handpicking. Innumerable 
crabs are annually collected, partly (chiefly would be more correct) for 
human consumption and partly with the object of checking their depre- 
dations in paddy fields. The Burmese are very fond of this 
crustacean which they eat either fried or curried. Crabs collected in 
the rainy weather are not eaten by Burmans because they are said to 
