L3 



At Scarborough wc observed several soft or glass oralis exposed for sale in a 

 fishmonger's shop, and five soft crabs in a basket on the quay. 



Mr. Sellers, fish merchant, Scarborough, stated: — "Many soft crabs are 

 " taken in the trawl nets from October to March, and in July and August. 

 " One out of four of these soft crabs are not saleable and not eatable. There is 

 w no difficulty in distinguishing between alight crab and a full crab even in 

 " the water. Is in favour of returning them to the water." 



A section of the claw of a soft glass or light crab will show that the meat has 

 shrunk away from the shell, whereas in the full crab the meat completely fills 

 up the shell of the claws. 



Mr. W. Paul stated in evidence, — " Crabs are not used as bait when they are Crabs used for 

 " in good order, they are too valuable. The claws of crabs in November are bait ' 

 " soft and watery. Thinks that the wanton destruction of crabs unfit for food 

 is the cause of scarcity. Even in October when crabs are in good condition, 

 " the claws are sent to market and the bodies used as bait. The body of the 

 " male crab is rarely sent to market, it is retained for bait, and the claws alone 

 ** are sent to market. Both the claws and body of the female crab are sent to 

 " market." 



At North Sunderland we heard from Mr. Robson : " The light crabs come 

 " in about November. Sometimes they are hove away, but sometimes they 

 " are so soft that they float, and cannot get to the bottom. Thinks it is a great 

 " waste to destroy the soft crabs." 



At Beadnell we heard: " In every day when he began fishing (in October) 

 " there were from 10 to 50 crabs in every net ; and in some nets all the crabs 

 " were bad ; the great majority were soft. Only got one barrel of crabs out 

 " of the whole take. This ought not to be allowed." 



Another fisherman stated that he " Gets a great many soft crabs. Thinks this 

 " a very great waste. lb would be a good thing to stop the waste." 



I consider that having ascertained that such vast numbers of these glass 

 crabs with brittle shells (which as we see from the above have many names) 

 are annually destroyed throughout the country, the Legislature should at 

 once put a stop to the practice. As the Salmon Fisheries have been greatly 

 benefited by preserving the kelfc or unclean salmon, so most assuredly would 

 the crab fisheries be benefited by preserving the glass or soft crabs from 

 wanton destruction. These crabs are of no use, except sometimes as bait to 

 the fishermen. They bring discredit on the wholesale and retail dealers, while 

 to the public they are worthless, if not unwholesome as food. My colleagues 

 and myself quite agree that these kind of crabs should be preserved. There 

 are, however, legal difficulties in the way which I trust may be overcome by 

 those whose special duty it is to frame the laws of England. By making it 

 illegal to kill glass or light crabs, in my opinion the crab fisheries of this 

 country would be more benefited than by any other enactment. 



As crabs and lobsters are only caught in pots, their stomachs are in con- Food of crabs, 

 sequence full of the bait which is used to entice them into these pots. They 

 are in their habits almost purely fish eaters. This is proved by the readi- 

 ness with which they go into the pots to get at the bait. They may also 

 eat mussels and limpets, cracking them with their pincher-like claw. The 

 following fish are used for bait : skate, cod, codlings, whiting flounders, 

 gurnards, bibs, rays, wrasse, plaice, soles, gurnet, sharks, dog-fish, spider crabs, 

 or corwicks, haddock's heads, and cuttle fish. The head of the fish is generally 

 put into the pots ; the eye of a dead fish is said to attract the crabs. 



The fishermen break up crabs to catch wrasse, but not to catch crabs, though Bait for crabs 

 crabs are probably cannibals. In some places the crab is called the king of andl obsters. 

 the sea. 



The strongest smelling baits and the highest coloured baits have the 

 preference. The whitehound, on account of its scent, is preferred by the 

 fishermen. 



It is a strange thing that lobsters seem to be attracted by colour. Richard 

 Little, East Looe, stated, "that he generally keeps gurnards pickled in brine. 

 " It is necessary to keep the colours bright, because lobsters seem attracted by 

 " colour." 



Neither crabs nor lobsters will go into the pots unless there is some scent in 

 the fish bait. The crabs are very particular as to diet, they will not eat stale 

 fish. Lobsters will eat any kind of bait, even dried fish or stock fish; they 



