21 
THE CRAB AND LOBSTER FISHERIES OF 
NORTHUMBERLAND. 
By a. meek, M.Sc. 
CONTENTS. 
PAGE. 
Introduction ... ... ... ... ... 21 
1. Proportional Numbers of Hard, Soft .\nd Berried ... 28 
2. Catch per 100 Pots ... ... ... ... ... 30 
3. Proportional Numbers of Sexes ... ... ... 31 
4. Statistical Account — 
1. Sea Houses and Beadnell ... ... ... ... 44 
2. Northumberland ... ... ... ... ... 47 
5. Geological Considerations ... ... ... ... 50 
6. Life Histories — 
1. Number of Ova Borne by the Pemale ... ... ... 51 
2. Spawning Season ... ... ... ... ... 51 
3. Hatching Season ... ... ... ... ... 52 
4. Young Stages ... ... ... ... ... 52 
5. Growth ... ... ... ... ... ... 52 
6. Migrations ... ... ... ... ... ... 57 
7. Population — 
1. Lobsters ..; ... ... ... ... ... 57 
2. Crabs ... ... ... ... ... ... 58 
8. Regulation and Improvement ... ... ... ... 60 
Under the heading “Crabs and Lobsters,” I have published in 
previous reports details of the catches of crabs and lobsters made 
by Mr. J. Douglas, Beadnell, and Mr. G. Fawcus, Sea Houses. 
These two fishermen have taken great pains to furnish a faithful 
record of the nature of their captures, and as this has been done 
each year since 1899, we have for a period of six years a unique 
and interesting assemblage of figures bearing on the most import- 
ant of our in-shore fisheries, and therefore deserving careful study 
and analysis. 
This I have attempted in the following paper, and I take the 
opportunity to make a more complete statement with regard to 
these fisheries than has hitherto been possible. 
Tables I. and II. set forth the information furnished by Mr. 
Douglas and by Mr. Fawcus for 1904. 
