THE COAST FfSHEKIEtt OF TEXAS. 



385 



cues use a table fork witlioiit the extra stick, merely gra«piiig' it by the 

 handle. The catch, which is usually .sold by the street ixMldlers, was 

 reported to have been 07,000 pouuds iu ISOO. This was proportioned 

 among the various iishing' localities, as follows: 



Localities. 



(ialveston Bay 



Aransas Bay 



Corpua Christi Bay 



Total 



Pouuds. 



27, 000 



36, 000 



4,000 



67, 000 



Valuo. 



$1,000 



1,440 



100 



THE CIJAB FISHERY. 



The taking of crabs on the coast of Texas scarcely amounts to the 

 imjiortance of a commercial 'lishery, yet about 31i,000 dozen are caught 

 and marketed each year by boys and other persons employed arouiul 

 the wharves. These are taken by means of short hand lines and roughly 

 made trap nets. The catch is usually peddled about the cities, being 

 sold at the rate of 15 to '20 cents per dozen. The quantity of crabs 

 taken in Galveston Bay is about live-sixths of the catch of the entire 

 State. The number taken in the waters of Texas depends entirely on 

 the small local demand, and there seems to be no limit to the quantity 

 that might be obtained if they could be marketed. The seine hsher- 

 men take large quantities, but do not save them. 



The following table shows the number and value of the crabs re- 

 ported as taken at the various fishing localities iu 1800: 



Localities. 



Galveston Bay 



Aransas Bay '. 



Corims Christi Bay 

 Lag una Madre 



Total 



l^umljLT. 



325, 000 



20, 400 



23, COO 



6, COO 



381, COO 



Valuo. 



.$4, 201) 



410 



400 



55 



ALLiaATORS AND PORPOISES. 



While the capture of alligators is not a matter of commercial im- 

 portance in this State, yet they are somewhat ])leiitiful in the swamps 

 and river bottoms, and a number are killed every year by Si)ortsmen 

 and others. Several years ago, when their hides were not so eheaj) as 

 at present, the number taken was much greater than has been the case 

 during the past three or four years. Th<' hunting for them has some- 

 what reduced their abundance. 



Porpoises arc numerous on the Texas coast, and large schools of 

 them are often seen in the bays as Avell as outside along the coasts. 

 They are very frecpiently observed playing in the cutwater of vessels 

 sailing iu the Gulf of Mexico. It is reported, howev(;r, that they have 

 never yet been taken for commercial purposes. 

 H. Mis. 113 25 



