INTROD UGTI ON, 



The fisheries of the United States included in this section gave em- 

 ployment, in 1880, to over 6,000 fishermen, during a longer or shorter 

 season, yielding them a gross stock of more than $1,200,000. About 

 1,250 persons were employed in the canneries, and 500 were credited to 

 the wholesale markets, but this does not include a large number of 

 marketmen, who were also interested in other fisheries, from which 

 they could not be separated in the enumeration. The cash capital 

 invested, including the canning interests, was about $1,000,000. The 

 details of the several fisheries are given below in brief. 



CRUSTACEANS. 

 CRABS. 



Over twenty species of Crabs belonging to the coasts of the United 

 States are now regarded as of greater or less practical importance to 

 mankind. The most valuable of these are the Blue Crab {Callinectes 

 hastatus), Lady Crab (Platyonichus ocellatus), Stone Crab {Menippe mer- 

 cenarius), and Rock Crabs {Cancer irroratus and borealis), of the east 

 coast, and the Common Crab, Rock Crab, and Red Crab {Cancer mag- 

 ister,antennarius, productus), of the Pacific Coast. The remaining species 

 are utilized simply as bait, or to a slight extent only as food. 



The Blue Crab is the common edible Crab of the Atlantic Coast, and 

 ranges from Massachusetts Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. The season for 

 its fishery is of variable duration on different parts of the coast. At 

 [New York it lasts from May to October, while in Florida it begins as 

 early as March and continues until December, or, if the weather be mild, 

 through the entire winter. This Crab is eaten in both the hard and soft 

 shell condition, but is greatly preferred, and commands a much higher 

 price, when in the latter state. This is contrary to what holds true 

 with all of the other species of Crabs upon our coast, as well as the Lob- 

 ster, which are only eaten when hard-shell. However, Soft-shell Crabs 

 are seldom taken in marketable quantities excepting on the New Jersey 

 coast, whence New York derives the greater part of its supplies. The 

 Crab fishery for New Jersey alone amounted to over $100,000, in 1880. 

 The Blue Crab also forms an excellent bait. 



Several different appliances are used in the capture of Blue Crabs, 

 W 109 



