416 COLONEL MONTAGU ON NEW AND RARE 



has been computed, that four boats emplayed in 

 crabbing, consume in one season twenty tons of 

 fish, principally Ray ; but it is probable, not less 

 than forty tons of Ray are brought on shore by 

 the fishermen of the small hamlet of Torcross on 

 the south coast of Devon in one season, besides 

 what are consigned to the deep immediately, as 

 useless. 



When other fish are scarce, very small Rays are 

 sometimes eaten by the families of fishermen, 

 but never offered for sale, being considered by all 

 classes in the neighbourhood as very inferior food ; 

 but dogs, pigs, and gulls, regale upon v/hat are 

 left to putrefy upon the shore. 



The reason of this vast consumption of coarse 

 fish in catching crabs, is, that they are extremely 

 nice in the choice of their food, and will not en- 

 ter the pots when the bait is the least tainted. In 

 this particular, the crab differs from the lobster, 

 which cannot be taken but by bait in a state of 

 putridity. 



Haia clamta. 



In search of both sexes of this species, I was 

 naturally led by the usually described essential 

 character, of the teeth being blunt, and I was 

 not a little surprised when, amongst several hun- 

 dreds examined, not one male coujd be found ; 



