FISHING FOR CRABS. 87 



specimen, it was handed over to his companion, who 

 quickly tied it to a string which he held in his hand. 



I had seen many a rope of onions, but this was 

 the first time I had seen a rope of crabs. On in- 

 quiry, I learned that the boys had taken two dozen 

 animals in about two hours. When any of the 

 green-bellied crabs happened to be poked out, they 

 were allowed to escape back again as quickly as 

 they pleased. 



With poor Cancer pagurus the case was different, 

 every specimen, as soon as caught, being strung up, 

 and doomed to ' death in the pot/ 



The above, I need scarcely state, is not the usual 

 manner of fishing for crabs, the approved plan being 

 to take them in what are termed crab-pots, ' a sort 

 of wicker-trap made, by preference, of the twigs of 

 the golden willow (salex vitellina), at least in many 

 parts of the coast, on account, as they say, of its 

 great durability and toughness. These pots are 

 formed on the principle of a common wire mouse- 

 trap, but with the entrance at the top ; they are 

 baited with pieces of fish, generally of some other- 

 wise useless kind, and these are fixed into the pots 

 by means of a skewer. The pots are sunk by stones 

 attached to the bottom, and the situation where 

 they are dropped is indicated, and the means of raising 

 them provided, by a long line fixed to the creel, 

 or pot, having a piece of cork attached to the free 

 end of the line ; these float the line, and at the same 



