50 
The hatching season may be said to be then March, April, and 
May, and the females are thus in “ berry ” for a period of at least 
1 months. In constructing the Chart I have assumed the rear 
of the crab’s free life to begin on 1st May, and each of the three 
years represented extends therefore from 1st May to 30th April. 
The growth of the crab proceeds by a number of ecdvses, which 
is more titan likely not absolutely constant, and at each “cast ” the 
crab makes a sudden increase in size and suffers at the same time a 
loss of weight representing at least the “ cast-shell.” 
From both the Table (Table I.) prepared from the measurement 
of Mr. Waddington’s specimens and the Chart it is clear in the 
first instance that in the young condition, the ecdyses occur more 
frequently, and that, therefore, growth is more rapid in the summer 
than in the winter. They show also that a gradual extension 
in the periods between the ecdvses, subject to this seasonal 
modification, takes place. Specimen A cast 8 times in a year 
TABLE I.— THE COMMON SHORE CRAB — Cardnus wma*. 
A. - B. C. 
Date. 
Intervals 
in 1 ayn. 
1 
- 
A 
o i 
o 5 
** 
=3 O 
© 
Date. 
Intervals | 
in Days. 
5 || 1 , 
! ij ja 
Date. 
i r. 
r 
. v- £ 
~ c i 
ZZ o 2 
? "c it 
Z — — 
h 
4> 
.5 ~ 
1896 
Vug. 19 
... '> 
mm. 
3 
— 
... 
1896 
Sept. 1*2 
... 
mm. 
m 
1897 
Feb. 23 
... 
mm. 
9 ... 
... 
„ 31 
1*2 
3* 
4 
... 
Oct. 25 
43 
16i 3 i T ... 
April 8 
44 
12 i 
... 
Oct. 14 
44 
4 
f 
•Oil 
May 30 
52 
14 4 
•038 
1897 
Ian. 8 
86 
3-i 
1 
5.7 
■017 
1897 
Jan. 14 
81 
21 ’056 
July 10 
41 
i»i s?i 
•11 
April 4 
86 
8 
i 
2.5 
•03 
April 11 
87 
294 -098 
Aug. 31 
52 
2*5 2 h 
■12 
May 2 
28 
10 
•07 
July 30 
no 
37 3 ‘068 
Oct. 19 
49 
33 
*16 
June 6 
86 
13 
3. St 
•086 
Oct. 7 
69 
46i 3 .V *138 
1898 
June 7 
231 
424 3?5 
*04 
July 1*2 
36 
17 
3?3 
•11 
Aug. 15 
34 
22 
3**T 
•12 
1K9S 
May 17 
222 
•58.1 3.V -054 
Oct. *2 
48 
28 
a Jr 
.0H3 
