APPENDIX 



TO 



REPORT ON THE CRAB AND LOBSTER 

 FISHERIES 



OF 



ENGLAND AND WALES. 



EVIDENCE. 



Independent School Room, Mevagissey, Friday, 

 15th September 1876. 



Present : 



Frank Buckland and Spencer Walpole, Esquires. 



Matthias Dunn (examined by Mr. Buckland). Is a fish buyer. Has lived CRABS. 

 45 years in Mevagissey, and has bought the produce of seven boats since 1874. — ■ 



The season for crabs began in February and ended in August. He agreed to Season for. 

 pay 26s. per " dozen " for crabs not less than 8 inches along the back ; a dozen 

 is 26 • paid the same price (26s.) for two " dozen " (52) crabs under 8 inches, Mode of count- 

 but not less than 5| inches. Crabs of less size than b\ inches to be sold as ing. 

 humps, pouchers, or shes at 2s. per short dozen (12). When humps are small 

 three are counted as two. A small hump would be aboiit 4 inches across the 

 back, but they are never measured. The question of size is left to the con- 

 science of buyer and seller. Three small male crabs could therefore be spid 

 occasionally for 4c/., and each of these would sometimes in a clear season, i.e., 

 say from February "to the summer of the following year, or 18 months, grow 

 into crabs worth Is. each. Believes that they might grow even more quickly 

 than this, if they happened to fall in with good feeding ground. Crabs are 

 exceedingly full of meat before casting then shell, and he believes that young Casting their 

 crabs will cast their shells as often as they can fill up. Never saw more shell. 

 than three she crabs carrying ova during the season. The ova is carried m a Spawning. 

 flap or pouch under the belly. On an average in 1874 there were three females, 

 to one male. The humps (small male crabs) were thrown in and sold with the 

 females (she crabs), and the small male crabs would be sometimes one sixth 

 of the whole. As the season advanced the male crabs would be even more 

 numerous. The average catch per day during the season for the seven boats 

 was about three large crabs, worth Is. each. 



These seven boats fish within 7 miles of Rame Head. The crab fishery 

 extends along the coast to a distance of 3 or 3| miles seawards. The Gorran 

 Haven fishermen fish eastwards of Fowey, and the Port Looe fishermen fish 



d 2 



