SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 



481 



to believe that they are merely crabs ready for 

 casting.* 



Mr. T. N. Cregeen, of the Biological Station, Port 

 Erin, kindly examined and measured for me a number of 

 crabs during the summer of 1907. The table inserted 

 below gives a summary of the results obtained. 



One thousand and ninety-four crabs were examined, 

 and of this number 318 were males and the remainder 

 females. Of the 776 females, 112 were " grannies/' It 

 will be observed that there are no male " grannies " in the 

 list, and that practically the whole of the female 

 " grannies " are six inches or more in width. General 

 information from Port Erin bears this out. Male 

 :f grannies" and small female "grannies" are almost 

 unknown. 



Crabs obtained between the Calf of Man and Bradcla 

 Head, Port Erin, during the summer (July to September) 

 of 1907. 



Greatest breadth 

 of Carapace 



Males. 



Females. 



Total. 



(in inches). 



Normal. " Granny." 





31—4 

 4-4J 



27 



2 

 16 



— 



2 

 43 



41—5 



63 



31 



— 



94 



5-51 



67 



90 



— 



157 



51—6 

 6 -6i 



54 



38 



153 



164 



3 



18 



210 

 220 



64—7 



23 



100 



36 



159 



7 -71 



16 



58 



31 



105 



71—8 



8 — Si 



15 

 13 



30 

 14 



19 

 4 



64 

 31 



8i— 9 

 9 —9J 



1 

 1 



6 



1 



8 



1 



Totals 



318 



1 



664 



112 



1,094 



-.■■ i n < ' granny ' ' crabs that I have examined there has been a well- 

 defined cuticle beneath the hard exoskeleton. This condition is 

 found in crabs preparing for ecdysis. 



