406 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 
similar condition of affairs has been reported by Paulmier to obtain at 
the Long Island fisheries. He says: 
The investigations of the writer, finally, failed to show any in the shallow waters 
of the bays and rivers. It thus seems certain that the crabs in berry do not come 
into the shallow water at any season in the north. 
During the latter part of June, however, a few specimens were taken while cling- 
ing to a pound net near Fire Island inlet in about 20 feet of water. For the next 
three weeks none were seen, while small males were quite common. Then the 
females suddenly appeared in great numbers on the nets, but, as mentioned, none 
were seen on the shore. : 
The eggs of the crab are very minute, about 74> of an inch in 
diameter, and they are very numerous, it having been estimated that 
a single female may produce as many as 3,000,000. As soon as the 
egos are laid they adhere to the fringes of hairs on the swimmerets 
and form a mass which is nearly a third as large as the female’s body. 
They are carried about thus until they hatch, when the young, after 
clinging to the mother for a short time, loosen their hold and begin a 
free existence. 
The eggs are probably produced soon after copulation, consequently 
among the great mass of crabs there are to be found some ‘* blooming 
females” throughout the summer wherever conditions are fayorable 
for egg laying. The majority spawn in the fall or early spring. In 
his article on the blue crab (Fisheries and Fishery Industries, p. 642, 
1880) Mr. Richard Rathbun states that at Hampton, Va., in 1880, the 
first crabs with eggs were taken on the first of March, but they do not 
appear usually until April. The height of the spawning season is 
from May to August, though many egg-laden crabs are seen until 
November. At Charleston, S. C., in March of the same year, Mr. 
R. E. Earl! reported that at least two-thirds of the catch were females, 
laden with eggs which from their immature condition would probably 
not hatch before April or May. In this connection is quoted the 
following letter from Mr. 8. L. Addison, of McMenamin & Co., crab 
packers at Hampton, Va.: 
The proportion of the male and female crabs varies considerably during the year, 
but the average is about two males to twelve females. Egg-bearing females are most 
abundant during the hottest part of the season. As to what time the eggs hatch and 
how soon after laying, we have no means of ascertaining, and exactly what becomes 
of the young is a hard question to answer, although the very small crabs are found 
at all times of the year. Very many of the small crabs are devoured by fish and 
oysters. We haye no reason to believe that the female dies after she spawns. On 
the contrary, we are satisfied that she does not, as her appearance gives every evi- 
dence of it. Weare not able to state how long it takes a crab to grow from the egg 
to maturity, and, in fact, do not know at what age it is mature. 
Our oldest crabber, who has been in the business for about twenty years, says posi- 
tively that every crab sheds its shell once every three months during the whole year, 
both winter and summer. 
Very many egg-bearing female crabs are caught for market and canning purposes, 
and we see no way to prevent this, as they do not all spawn at the same time, but 
