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 tOi low-water 

 mark or a little beyond. Avhich 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 8 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 bovvl 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 readil}^ crawl over this, and thus find themselves 

 entrapped as the tide retreats. The only opening into the outer 

 compartment is blocked b)'- 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 



