366 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
angle and is about 5 feet long, projecting about 1 foot over a support, as shown in the’. ’ 
figure. It is important that the pitch of the platform shall not be too great and that | ^ 
the floor shall not be too smooth, otlierwise the crabs can not or will not walk on it.| 
The floor of the bowl is made of cheap boards to prevent the crabs scratching he 
in the mud and loosening tbe poles. 
The cost of such a weir is from |12 to $20. The catch is about the same as in 
other form of apparatus. 
Such traps are mostly made by farmers who have woodland near the shore 
which to draw for poles, of which, as may be readily understood, a large numbe 
required. They are usually set in a cove on muddy bottom. One person in a boat< 
fish from two to four such weirs on one tide. When they are set on a sandy beach, 
is sometimes the case, they are fished with a horse and wagon, and one person can tl 
tend more than the number stated. The crabs are removed to the boats or wagont 
the manner already mentioned. 
The resemblance of the shape of this weir to the general outline of a king-cral 
worthy of mention. 
DECKEASE IN THE ABUNDANCE OF CRABS. 
In 1880 Mr. Richard Rathbun wrote as follows concerning king-crabs in Delaw 
Bay: 
They are very much less abundant now than formerly, on account of so many having been cau 
from year to year for use as a fertilizer. It would appear as though a few years more of indiscr: 
uate capture would result in their being entirely exterminated from the region.* 
This note of warning was well-timed, as shown by the greatly reduced catcl 
recent years, although more persons and larger quantities of apparatus have b^ 
employed. The yield in 1880, 4,300,000 crabs, was more than double that of eacl 
the years 1887, 1888, 1889, and 1890. 
The diminution in the abundance of the crabs is no doubt chiefly due to the un: 
tunate practice of capturing them during the spawning season, usually before the ei 
are deposited or impregnated. 
It seems probable that before long the decimation will become so pronounced t 
the profitable prosecution of the fishery will be impossible ; then it is hoped that 
employment of the destructive forms of apparatus will be discontinued and the cr 
given an opportunity to multiply unrestrictedly for a few years at least, althougl 
course it is expected that the farmers will continue to utilize such individuals as 
found on the beaches and cau be taken by hand. 
The actual extent of the diminution in numbers can perhaps be better apprecia 
by an appeal to figures. In 1887, in New Jersey, the total catch was 1,296,000 era 
in 1888 the yield was 1,502,000 crabs, whereas, other things being equal, theincreasi 
the apparatus should have resulted in a catch of about 2,275,000; in 1890 the num 
taken was 1,674,670, whereas, compared with 1888, it should have been about 3,415, ( 
Since much the larger part of the catch is made with the pound-nets and weirs 
seems legitimate to make these deductions. 
* The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of the United States, section i, vol. 1, p. 830. 
