838 Crustacea. 



present, but in any previous age. The extreme difficulty of preserving 

 these little animals alive, and ensuring them a supply of their proper 

 food, has prevented the observations of their subsequent growth from 

 being so satisfactorily carried out as could have been wished ; but the 

 doctrine thus established has been confirmed in so many instances by 

 observations on other species of Crustacea, that the metamorphosis 

 of these animals may now be considered as a fixed and incontro- 

 vertible truth. The fishery for these crabs constitutes an important 

 trade on many parts of the coast. The numbers which are annually 

 taken are immense ; and as the occupation of procuring them is 

 principally carried on by persons who are past the more laborious 

 and dangerous pursuits of general fishing, it affords a means of sub- 

 sistence to many a poor man who, from age or infirmity, would be 

 unable, without it, to keep himself and his family from the workhouse. 

 They are taken in what are termed " crab-pots," a sort of wicker 

 trap, made, by preference, of the twigs of the golden willow [Salix 

 vitelline/,) , at least, in many parts of the coast, on account, as they 

 say, of its great durability and toughness. These pots are formed on 

 the principle of a common wire mouse-trap, but with the entrance at 

 the top ; they are baited with pieces of fish, generally of some other- 

 wise useless kind, and these are fixed into the pots by means of a 

 skewer. The pots are sunk by stones attached to the bottom, and 

 the situation where they are dropped is indicated, and the means 

 of raising them provided, by a long line fixed to the creel, or pot, 

 having a piece of cork attached to the free end of the line; these float 

 the line, and at the same time serve to designate the owners of the 

 different pots; one perhaps having three corks near together, towards 

 the extremity of the line, and two distant ones ; another may have 

 one cork fastened crosswise ; another, two fastened together, and so 

 on. It is, of course, for their mutual security, that the fishermen 

 abstain from any poaching on their neighbour's property ; and hence 

 we find, that stealing from each other's pots is a crime almost wholly 

 unknown amongst them. * * * Mr. Richard Couch 



informs me, that on the coast of Cornwall, c most of these crabs are 

 sold to the lobster smacks ; but, that when brought on shore for sale, 

 those measuring six inches across the carapace are sold for two-pence 

 each ; those of eight or ten inches, three-pence ; and the largest, from 

 six-pence to eight-pence !' If the crabs are not immediately wanted 

 on being taken out of the pots, they are placed in store pots, which 

 are of the same form and materials as the others, but considerably 

 larger. They are conveyed to great distances, as far, for instance, as 



