AND HOW TO CATCH THEM. 83 



raising the back, that, unless piece by piece is with- 

 drawn, it is next to impossible to bring him to light. 

 Some instances are related of persons in pursuit of 

 crabs being seized by the hand and retained, much to 

 their alarm and danger, from the rising tide, until 

 released by the efforts of their companions. The 

 large crabs and lobsters, such as are usually sold by 



fishmongers, are caught either in trunk-nets or pots 

 (vide cuts), which are constructed much on the 

 principle of the eel-baskets or common wire mouse- 

 traps, and, like many positions into which frail 

 humanity but too often falls, are particularly easy to 

 get into, and just as difficult to get out of. These are 

 baited with fish offal, and sunk with heavy stones on 

 such ground as crabs and lobsters frequent, leaving a 

 buoy-line to point out their position and enable the 



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