THE CRAB FISHERIES. 641 



taken are eaten by the fishermen. Large numbers of hard crabs, however, obtained in the vicinity 

 are hawked through the village streets by the fishermen, who receive for them about 10 cents a 

 dozen. 



A comparatively small quantity of soft crabs is taken at Rehoboth by the fishermen of Lewes, 

 who dispose of them at the latter place. Lewes also receives a few soft crabs from Angola. 



Farther south, in the towns situated on Indian River, the crab fishery assumes greater impor- 

 tance. At Millsborough a few of the wealthy farmers and fishermen own each a number of crab- 

 skiffs and dip-nets, which are supplied to the men and boys whenever they desire to go crabbing, 

 with the agreement that they shall sell their catch to ttuTowner of the outfit at a fixed price, 

 which is usually 12 cents a dozen. The local dealer receives the crabs, packs them in boxes hold- 

 ing 10 or 20 pounds each, and ships them to New York and Philadelphia. About seven-eighths 

 of the shipments go to New York and cue-eighth to Philadelphia, as shown by the books of the 

 railroad agent at Millsborough. From the same source we learn that the season of 1880 began 

 May 4, when 1 box of crabs was shipped, and ended September 23, when 15 boxes (the catch 

 of several days) were sent to New York. The largest number of boxes shipped from Mills- 

 borough in one day was 108 on May 20, and the largest number for a given period was from May 

 18 to 28, during which time the average daily shipment was 85J boxes. 



The following tables give the monthly shipments of crabs from Millsborough and Dags- 

 borough : 



MILLSBOROUGH. 



May 1,340 boxes, averaging 20 pounds each. 



June 1,077 boxes, averaging 20 pounds each. 



July 703 boxes, averaging 20 pounds each. 



August 280 boxes, averaging 20 pounds each. 



September K> boxes, averaging 20 pounds each. 



Total, 3, 461 boxes, equaling 69,220 pounds, or about 138, 440 crabs by count. 



DAGSBOROUOH. 



May 1, 253 boxes, averaging 10 pounds each. 



June '. 1.044 boxes, averaging 10 pounds each. 



July 720 boxes, averaging 10 pounds each. 



August 257 boxes, averaging 10 pouuds each. 



September 122 boxes, averaging 10 pounds each. 



Total, 3,396 boxes, equaling 33,960 pounds, or about 67,920 crabs by count. 



A large quantity of soft crabs is eaten by the inhabitants along Indian River, and some are 

 sold to the summer visitors at Rehoboth Beach. Opinions differ in regard to the percentage of 

 crabs shipped from this section, but judging from the best information obtainable, it is, perhaps, 

 sale to estimate that from three-fourths to seven-eighths of the catch is sent to New York and 

 Philadelphia, while the remainder is disposed of locally. 



At Indian River the average daily catch per man is said to be about three dozen crabs, and 

 the average season's catch about two thousand crabs, worth to the fishermen about 1 cent each. 

 The prices received by the fishermen at Dover for soft crabs is 18 cents a dozen, and for hard 

 (Tabs 80 cents a hundred ; at Lewes the soft crabs bring 25 cents a dozen, and the hard crabs 10 

 cents a dozen. 



VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND. Blue crabs are very abundant on the coasts of Maryland and Vir- 

 ginia, and in Chesapeake Bay, where they are captured in large quantities to supply neighboring 

 and northern markets and the canneries at Hampton, Va., and Oxford, Md. During the summer 

 these crabs occur in all favorable shallow water localities, and are especially abundant in differ- 

 ent depths of water in Hampton Roads, In the winter they lie buried in the bottom, though not 

 SEC. v, VOL. ii 41 



