The statistics show that the general manner of fishing is much 
the same* at all the stations, but there are' more crabs caught towards 
the end of the year in the northern division, and more lobsters in 
the southern. ; . 
The season as a whole is an early one for crabs, but it is in 
April that it attains its highest degree of success. This is more 
than probable, from the analysis we have already made, not 
altogether because the crabs are to be caught in April in larger 
quantities per pot, but to the habits of the fishermen. A great 
deal of line fishing is still indulged in during the early months of 
the year, and in certain parts of the district the access to the 
markets allows of the fish being sold to better advantage than by 
using them to bait the creels. Crab fishing is much more 
vigorously pursued in the northern division, and as is apparent an 
^ earlier start is made. After April there is a considerable decline in 
the catches, but this is also true if less intense of the southern 
district. This is due to the natural decline pointed out before, but 
also to the fishermen at a time when the crab fishing is at a low 
ebb turning with advantage to the herring or the trout and salmon 
fishing. 
It is evident, moreover, that the two divisions of the County 
differ in a remarkable manner as to the relative quantities of crabs 
and lobsters caught. (Charts V. VI. and VII.) At all times of the 
year more crabs are captured in the northern division, but particu- 
larly at the beginning and at the end of the year. On the other 
hand the catches of lobsters, are very much the same for the two 
districts. In other words there are more lobsters caught in the 
southern part of Northumberland in comparison with crabs than in 
the northern. I have already referred to this"'', and gave then the 
proportions for the years 1895-1900. For the succeeding years the 
proportions of lobsters to crabs are : — Northern District — 1901, 
.1/70; 1902,1/90; 1903,1/46; 1904,1/33. Southern District- 
1901, 1/30 ; 1902, 1/33; 1903, 1/20; 1904, 1/13. The first two 
years of the period now given are not very different from the pre- 
ceding six years in the case of the northern district^ but for the 
same years the proportion is decidedly less for lobsters in the 
southern, and the last two years show that a noteworthy change 
has occurred coincident with the general increase in the catches of 
lobsters. 
* E.ep. Northumberland Sea Fisheries Committee for 1900, p. 46. 
