PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECOND ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 157 
be poor in fat at that season. One method of securing the crab is to 
thrust the arm into the hole ; and the Burman does this with dexterity 
born of habit, so that he can haul out his quarry without even a scratch 
from its formidable pincers. Another ingenious method is to force 
down the soil near the mouth of the burrow, thus literally squeezing 
the crab out. Of course this operation is only feasible when the soil 
is soft. The cultivatar’s method is to bury in the irrigating channels, 
earthen pots with their edges well above the water. These pots are 
baited with bran or oil cake. Smelling the bait, and trying to get at it, 
the crabs tumble headlong into the pot and find themselves securely im- 
prisoned, as climbing out is impossible. In some places the bait used 
is a roasted bean kneaded into balls with kangyi (boiled rice water), 
The fishermen of the British Isles are said to bait their pots with stinking 
fish. When the water is too deep to have the edge of the pot showing 
over the surface, the pots are buried on the sides of the Kazins. In the 
dry season a little water is poured into the hole and a wisp of twisted 
and sodden straw is wormed into the hole and out comes the crab. In 
most places the children combine business with fun at ploughing time 
by hunting for crabs in the fields. Although comparatively large 
numbers of this pest are thus annually collected and destroyed, these 
simple methods do not prove efficient for two evident reasons, namely, 
the prolific breeding of the pest and the isolated and irregular efforts 
on the part of the cultivators. Such random attempts towards the 
suppression of the pest can hardly be expected to affect its numbers 
appreciably. It is evident from an experiment recently conducted on 
the Mandalay Government Farm that by taking timely action incessantly 
for a certain period, a good deal of damage can be prevented. The 
following is a summary of the results of the experiment. 
74,179 crabs were collected between 14th May and 30th June 1915 
at a cost of Rs. 136-12-0 from an area of 130 acres. The approximate 
charges for catching 100 crabs was annas three or Rs. 1-0-9 per acre. 
An excess yield of 650 baskets was obtained from the 130 acres by crab- 
catching that is, five baskets per acre better yield than would have 
been obtained without crab catching or Rs. 5 per aere profit due to 
crab-catching. The area over which crabs were caught did not require 
to be replanted and the probable saving on this head is estimated at 
Rs. 1-8-0 per acre. Thus the total profit by crab catching on one acre 
is estimated at Rs. 6-8-0. From this must be deducted the actual 
cost of catching the crabs, viz., Rs. 1-0-9, so that the net profit per acre 
amounts to Rs. 5-7-3. 
Without putting themselves to any extra expense, the cultivators 
could secure the help of their womenfolk and children by getting them 
