THE EDIBLE CRAB. 655 



acute sense of smell, is sure to discover without delay auy substance 

 on which it can feed, and to make its way thereto without delay. 



The Squinado, together with other crabs, sets to work boldly ; with 

 one claw he holds tightly to the banquet, and with the other tears off 

 morsels and deftly feeds himself therewith, putting them into his com- 

 ical jaws with the regularity of clockwork, and with a rapidity that 

 reminds the observer of a Chinese flinging rice into his mouth with his 

 chopsticks. The strength and sharpness of the claws are such that the 

 toughest muscle cannot long withstand their power, and the flesh is torn 

 from the bones as perfectly as if scraped away by a knife. 



It is a curious fact that the back of this crab is generally a resting- 

 place for sundry zoophytes, which often grow in such profusion as to 

 hide the animal completely. 



The large family of the Canceridse now comes before us, and is 

 familiarly known through the medium of the common Edible 

 Crab. 



This is a very common species, being plentiful around our rocky 

 coasts, and generally remaining in the zone just under low-water mark. 



The fishermen catch it in various ways, but 

 the most usual method, and that by which 

 the greatest number of these crustaceans 

 are captured, is by means of certain bas- 

 kets, called crab-pots, cruives, or creels, ac- 

 cording to the locality. These baskets are 

 round and in shape something like a flat- 

 The Edible Crab {Cancer tened apple, and have an aperture at the 

 pagurus). ^^p through which the crab gains access to 



the interior. When once within the basket it cannot escape, because 

 the opening is guarded by an inverted cone of osiers, like the entrance 

 to a common wire mouse-trap, so that the elastic sticks yield to the ex- 

 pected prey while passing downward, but effectually prevent all upward 

 movement. 



Supplied with a number of these creels, a corresponding amount of 

 rope, floats, stones, and bait, the fisherman rows toward the best grounds, 

 which are always where the bed of the sea is rocky, and the depth from 

 three to twenty fathoms. The bait, consisting of haddock, skate, and 

 other fish, is placed in the basket, together with a few stones which 

 serve to sink it, a line is attached, and the creel lowered out of the 

 boat. A buoy is attached to the line and marked with the owner's 

 name, so as to avoid mistakes as to the proprietorship of the creel. 

 The fisherman then rows to a little distance, and sinks another baited 

 creel, taking the precaution to place them so far asunder that the lines 

 cannot be entangled in each other. 



Boys often employ their idle afternoons in crab-hunting, always going 



