= 
dance, but spawning was not so far advanced, only 8 out of 
194 females being in berry. 
On the following day (5th June) hauls were made in the 
Robben Island area, near Whale Rock, and from these it would 
appear that spawning is later in this region, no females in berry 
being found. Two localities were visited here, one half a mile 
west of Whale Rock and onea mile east of Whale Rock. No 
females were found and only 7 males at the former locality ; 
at the latter 88 males were found and 6 females, three of which 
were in soft new shell indicating the approach of the breeding 
season. 
The southern localities (Woodstock and Clifton) were again 
visited at a later date (14th), and, while at the former locality 
no advance towards the breeding season was observed, at 
the latter there was a marked advance, 40 out of 43 females 
captured being in berry. 
Reviewing the results as a whole it may be noted that 
there was no spawning or at least general spawning of craw- 
fish during the month of May. It is of interest also to note 
that spawning seems to commence somewhat earlier in the 
more southern regions of the Table Bay area. 
One somewhat remarkable fact is the apparent presence 
of males in hard new shell during these two months. This. 
might be explained by a mistaken identification of the hard 
new shell condition, but as confirmation of the fact that males. 
may shed their shell at this time we have the record of 1 male 
in soft new shell from Granger Bay on the 4th June and as. 
many as 8 from near Whale Rock on the 5th June. 
On the whole the results of these special hauls are con- 
firmatory of what has been found elsewhere regarding the 
breeding of the crawfish. 
The practical result of this special examination is to show 
that (in this year at least) spawning had not commenced in 
the latter half of May, that is there was no extrusion of the 
eggs though the ovaries were well advanced. Probably 
therefore many of these fish would be in the “ berried ” con- 
dition by the end of this temporary close season. It has 
been accepted that it is very necessary to protect the female 
in berry both in the case of the Cape Crawfish here and the 
lobster in other countries. It follows that a great deal of good 
would result from the further protection of females, which 
are about to extrude their eggs and assume the berried con- 
dition. 
I have drawn attention to the fact that there are some 
indications that the female crawfish does not spawn every 
year, but until this is definitely established it may be assumed 
that it does so, and, if this be the case, it will be obvious that 
non-berried females in May and the beginning of June require 
almost as much protection as those which have already become 
berried. A close season at this time would therefore seem 
