386 CRAB-CATCIIIN<;. [CHAP. ix. 



marked with a peculiarly-cut piece of cork, so that each 

 fisherman may recognise his own lot. The knowing youngsters 

 of our fishing communities can also secure their prey by using 

 a long stick. Mr. Cancer Pagurus is watched as he bustles 

 out for his evening promenade, and, on being deftly pitched 

 upon his back by means of a pole, he indignantly seizes upon 

 it with all his might, and the stick being shaken a little 

 has the desirable effect of causing Mr. Crab to cling thereto 

 with great tenacity, which is, of course, the very thing desired 

 by the grinning "human" at the other end, as whenever he 

 feels his prey secure he dexterously hauls him on board, 

 unhooks the crusty gentleman with a jerk, and adds him to 

 the accumulating heap at the bottom of the old boat. The 

 monkeys in the West Indies are, however, still more ingenious 

 than the " fisher loons" of Arran or Skye. Those wise animals, 

 when they take a notion of dining on a crab, proceed to the 

 rocks, and slyly insinuating their tail into one of the holes 

 where the Crustacea take refuge, that appendage is at once 

 seized upon by the crab, who is thereby drawn from his 

 hiding-place, and, being speedily dashed to pieces on the hard 

 stone, affords a fine feast to his captor. On the granite-bound 

 coast of Scotland the sport of crab-hunting may be enjoyed to 

 perfection and the wonders of the deep be studied at the same 

 time. A long pole with a small crook at the end will be found 

 useful to draw the crab from his nest, or great fun may be 

 enjoyed by tying during low-water a piece of bait to a string 

 and attaching a stone to the other end of the cord. The crab 

 seizes upon this bait whenever the tide flows, and drags it to 

 its hole, so that when the ebb of the tide recurs the stone at 

 the end of the cord marks the hiding-place of the animal, who 

 thus falls an easy prey to his captor. The natives are the 

 best instructors in these arts, and seaside visitors cannot do 

 better than engage the services of some strong fisher youth to 

 act as guide in such perambulations as they may make on the 



