29 
would not be in a position to spawn until at least the following 
November to January. We can therefore say that it is more than 
likely that the adult female crab casts and hatches in alternate 
years. 
The period of casting given above agrees with the observations 
made by fishermen along the coast. The small crabs cast first, and 
during the latter part of August, and especially in September, the 
great majority are soft. During the winter months then, an 
immense number of the crabs which are caught are casters. The 
minority, less than 20 %, includes evidently females which have 
not yet spawned or those which have just become hard. The 
“berried hens” avoid the pots. 
With regard to the proportion of the sexes caught at different 
seasons I have again to thank Mr. Douglas, Beadnell, for the 
following reply to an enquiry I sent him. There is a majority of 
male crabs early in the year, but “this majority is small, and 
continues so up to the end of April; in July and August the 
majority of females is very great, and this is the case until the end 
of September, when the male leaves the female.” 
Fishing for crabs during the winter months is, without doubt, 
very destructive. Mr. Douglas says that he traces the falling off in 
the crab fishery of the district to the time (about 1870) when the 
fishermen commenced to fish during the winter. As may be seen 
from the operations of the fishermen, the crabs go into deeper water 
during these months for protection, and return again in the spring. 
To give actual figures, I quote again from Mr. Douglas. “ In 
October the usual depth is about 18 fathoms ; if fishing were carried 
on during November and December, the depth would be about 20 
fathoms. Fishing in February would be in about 18 fathoms, and 
in July from 6 to 10 fathoms. In the case of a mild winter the 
migration shorewards commences earlier.” 
For the most part, then, crabs remain within the limits, and 
should not therefore be liable to much destruction from the trawler. 
It is during the winter that the fishermen complain of a great deal 
of poaching, and if this occurs to the extent stated there is little 
doubt it will be a factor in destruction. Severe storms must be 
considered likewise as contributing to some extent to the number of 
losses. But the ordinary fishing, when carried on during this 
period, must be far more destructive than either of these. The 
statistics which have been gathered at various times by the Com- 
