KING CRAB FISHERIES IN DELAWARE BAY. 117 
the female always reaching much larger dimensions. The male 
may easily be distinguished by the first pair of legs having the 
fingers bent over the thumb and swollen, and a longer spine 
proportionately. 
The bay shore all along Cape May county is admirably adapted 
for the erection of the long pounds one finds there. The low- 
water mark is far from that of high-water, leaving immense flats, 
all sandy, and in most places covered with muddy ooze. ‘These 
pounds as mentioned before extend out from shore to low-water 
mark or a little beyond, which in some cases is several hundred 
yards, or about 2,100 feet. They are placed according to prop- 
erty lines. They are formed of long poles made of small trees 
or saplings, and long enough to be well above water at high-tide. 
These poles are driven well down into the sand, and are exposed 
about 7 or & feet at low-water. According to the length of the 
pounds the bowls are arranged from a single terminal one with 
two or three more at equal distances. Each bowl has at least two 
compartments, the outer for the fish and the other for king 
crabs. On each side of these bowls are wings, producing a 
V-shaped appearance, the opening being at the apex. At this 
latter point all the animals pass into the bowl. ‘This is facilitated, 
in the case of the king crabs, usually by a short inclined board at 
the bottom of the entrance to the inner or first compartment. The 
king crabs readily crawl over this, and thus find themselves 
entrapped as the tide retreats. The only opening into the outer 
compartment is blocked by several stout wires, which while 
preventing them from getting into it, allow the fish to pass 
freely through. The object of this is to keep the fish from being 
constantly bruised by the ever restless crabs, should they happen 
to get in. Fish so found with the crabs were nearly always dead 
or dying, and in bad condition from their rough treatment. 
Ordinary galvanized poultry-yard wire is used as netting in 
these pounds, with about a 2-inch mesh. Formerly cotton-net- 
ting, similar to fish seines, was used. Sometimes they were made 
solid with gum poles. As the poultry-wire does not weather more 
than a season it is necessary to replenish it every year. The 
actual cost of a single pound-net varies, according to length, 
from $50 to $200. The fishermen or owners of these pounds 
