GO 
many times a year, and tlie frequency of casting gradually slows 
down until it becomes annual. Tlie females, however, with the 
advent of maturity, and the conditions imposed by the hatching of 
ova are necessarily compelled to make the casting at least biennial. 
Very likely it is biennial to begin with, but as growth slows down, 
the period between successive castiugs becomes more and more 
extended in both sexes, until it practically ceases altogether. The 
later castings will in the large sized crabs be of much hygienic im- 
portance as well as providing for growth. It rids them of the many 
and varied animal forms which have become attached to the shell. 
I had hoped that I should shortly have been in a position to 
have put such general statements a little more definitely with the 
aid of the tank built among the rocks near low water mark at 
Cullercoats. But the builder has not seemed to realize the 
strength of the sea which had to be contended against, and we have 
been interrupted several times by accidents to the lid of the tank. 
On the last occasion, after the crabs had been under observation 
from the time some of them came into berry in December and 
January, until the ova were hatched in August, the lid was so 
damaged that all the crabs escaped. 
Lohsteks. — Referring to the table showing the catches made at 
Sea Houses and Beadnell, there is little to note with regard to the 
proportion in numbers of the sexes ; but the number of berried 
hens caught and returned is 
interesting 
in relation to 
Committee's bye-laws. 
1899. 
Beadnell. 
1899. 
Sea Houses. 
April 
22 
April 
5 
May 
82 
May 
27 
June 
56 
June 
30 
July 
7 
110 
60 
1‘JOO. 
Beadnell. 
1900. 
Sea Houses. 
April 
14 
April 
8 
May 
40 
May 
10 
June 
32 
86 
18 
