﻿78 
  REPOET 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  Many 
  points 
  were 
  visited 
  and 
  observations 
  made 
  in 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  bay, 
  

   and 
  considerable 
  new 
  light 
  was 
  thrown 
  on 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  this 
  crab. 
  The 
  

   information 
  thus 
  collected 
  will 
  be 
  of 
  value 
  should 
  it 
  become 
  necessary 
  

   to 
  enact 
  measures 
  for 
  protecting- 
  the 
  species. 
  Among 
  the 
  interesting 
  

   facts 
  apparently 
  established 
  are: 
  (1) 
  that 
  in 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay 
  the 
  blue 
  

   crab 
  seldom 
  or 
  never 
  produces 
  eggs 
  at 
  any 
  great 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  

   ocean, 
  and 
  therefore 
  that 
  the 
  myriads 
  of 
  adult 
  crabs 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  

   upper 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  bay 
  represent 
  young 
  crabs 
  which 
  have 
  migrated 
  

   thither 
  from 
  the 
  denser 
  waters 
  near 
  the 
  Virginia 
  capes; 
  (2) 
  that 
  the 
  

   crab 
  produces 
  eggs 
  only 
  once, 
  and 
  dies 
  shortly 
  after 
  spawning; 
  and 
  

   (3) 
  that 
  the 
  males 
  undoubtedly 
  live 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  females, 
  great 
  

   numbers 
  of 
  large 
  adults 
  surviving 
  the 
  winter 
  by 
  burying 
  themselves 
  

   in 
  the 
  mud 
  in 
  the 
  deeper 
  channels. 
  

  

  DIAMOND-BACK 
  TERRAPIN. 
  

  

  The 
  growing 
  scarcity 
  of 
  the 
  diamond-back 
  terrapin 
  in 
  Chesapeake 
  

   Bay, 
  which 
  has 
  for 
  years 
  been 
  the 
  most 
  productive 
  region, 
  has 
  led 
  to 
  

   the 
  belief 
  that 
  the 
  species 
  may 
  eventually 
  become 
  almost 
  exterminated 
  

   if 
  the 
  present 
  methods 
  of 
  the 
  industry 
  continue, 
  or 
  if 
  no 
  steps 
  are 
  

   taken 
  to 
  arrest 
  the 
  decline 
  by 
  cultivation. 
  The 
  reported 
  catch 
  of 
  

   terrapins 
  in 
  Maryland 
  in 
  1901 
  was 
  only 
  one-sixtieth 
  of 
  the 
  -quantity 
  

   and 
  one-twentieth 
  of 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  that 
  in 
  1891; 
  and 
  in 
  Virginia 
  the 
  

   output 
  in 
  1901 
  was 
  one-tenth 
  the 
  quantity 
  and 
  one-thirteenth 
  the 
  value 
  

   of 
  that 
  for 
  1891. 
  The 
  decrease 
  in 
  the 
  local 
  output 
  has 
  in 
  part 
  been 
  

   made 
  good 
  by 
  the 
  importation 
  by 
  the 
  dealers 
  of 
  terrapins 
  from 
  the 
  

   South 
  Atlantic 
  and 
  Gulf 
  States 
  — 
  these 
  southern 
  terrapins 
  being 
  kept 
  

   for 
  a 
  while 
  in 
  pounds 
  and 
  then 
  shipped 
  to 
  market. 
  There 
  have 
  been 
  

   many 
  requests 
  for 
  data 
  regarding 
  the 
  growth, 
  food, 
  breeding, 
  etc., 
  of 
  

   the 
  terrapin, 
  but 
  the 
  only 
  report 
  on 
  the 
  subject, 
  published 
  many 
  years 
  

   ago, 
  is 
  out 
  of 
  print 
  and 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  information 
  therein 
  contained 
  is 
  

   obsolete 
  and 
  incomplete. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  summer 
  of 
  1902 
  a 
  complete 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  diamond-back 
  

   terrapin 
  of 
  the 
  Chesapeake 
  Bay 
  region 
  was 
  undertaken 
  by 
  the 
  division, 
  

   Prof. 
  W. 
  P. 
  Hay 
  being 
  placed 
  in 
  charge. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  natural 
  

   history 
  of 
  the 
  species, 
  there 
  were 
  considered 
  the 
  extent 
  and 
  causes 
  of 
  

   the 
  decrease, 
  the 
  laws 
  regulating 
  the 
  terrapin 
  fishery, 
  terrapin 
  pounds 
  

   and 
  their 
  management, 
  the 
  trade, 
  markets, 
  prices, 
  etc. 
  Special 
  atten- 
  

   was 
  given 
  those 
  points 
  in 
  the 
  natural 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  which 
  bear 
  

   on 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  artificial 
  rearing, 
  and 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  experiments 
  was 
  

   inaugurated 
  addressed 
  to 
  this 
  phase 
  of 
  the 
  subject. 
  Supplemental 
  to 
  

   this 
  inquir}', 
  an 
  experimental 
  pound 
  was 
  established 
  at 
  a 
  favorable 
  

   locality 
  on 
  the 
  Choptank 
  River, 
  Maryland, 
  and 
  another 
  at 
  the 
  labora- 
  

   tory 
  at 
  Beaufort, 
  N. 
  C. 
  , 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  keeping 
  terrapin 
  under 
  

   observation 
  and 
  noting 
  their 
  growth, 
  breeding 
  habits, 
  etc. 
  

  

  