314 Proceedings of Boy al Society of Edinburgh. [sess. 
serious danger of the destruction of the crab fishery at some parts 
of our coast, owing to the number that are allowed to breed being 
inadequate to keep up the species. 
Males are mature when much smaller. Most of those above 41- 
inches that I have examined have been ripe ; and several smaller 
than inches have proved to be adults. But even males, it seems 
to me, might with advantage be protected till they reach a higher 
limit than the legal 4 J inches ; for the low price brought by the 
small crabs is not the equivalent of the probable gain if they are 
returned to the sea. In one case a male of 4| inches measured 
inches immediately after casting. 
