diameter at the neck, the widest part of the body. From 2000 to 3000 fish are sufficient to pay the whole of the expenses of a season. The average yield is for 1000 fish to produce 120 barrels of "scabeccio."

In 1871, 3200 barrels of "scabeccio" were made, and sold at more than £6 10s. the 100 kilogrammes; and 90,000 kilogrammes of tunny were put up in tin cans, which realized more than £8 the 100 kilogrammes. Eight thousand barrels of salted fish were sold at about £1 4s. per barrel; and 40,000 kilogrammes of oil (65,460 imperial gallons) produced more than £40 the 1000 kilogrammes. Two thousand "metals" (about 10,250 imperial gallons) of the best olive oil were expended in the preservation of the above quantities of fish.

Very few of the fish are sent in a fresh state to the Tunis market; about 50 only are presented by the proprietor to the Bey, local and foreign authorities, and other Tunisian officials. The roes, milts, hearts, sounds, and all other coarse parts of the fish are the perquisites of the fishermen, and are preserved and sold on their own account. The roes are chiefly sent to Italy, and are there sold at from 2s. 6d. to 4s. the pair. Upwards of 200 barrels of inferior parts of tunny were salted on account of the men in 1871.

It appears, moreover, that the demand for preserved tunny is at present limited to the countries bordering on the Mediteranean, and the ten tonnaras in Sicily, one in Calabria, six in Sardinia, and one or two in France, Spain, and other parts of Italy, produce sufficient for actual requirements. In Germany tunny is beginning to be known and called for, but it took six months last year to dispose of 200 tin boxes that were sent to England as a commercial experiment. Nevertheless the best qualities

of tunny only require to be better known in England to be highly appreciated. 1870 and 1871 proved disastrous seasons for the Italian tonnaras, the tunny fish having, unaccountably, almost entirely failed to make their accustomed appearance, and the two most famed tonnaras of Trapani only secured 2000 fish each in 1871, whilst others were forced to break up their establishments from want of success, before the season was half over.

Tunny fish preserved in oil ("scabeccio ") is much used; the price is about £3 5s. the cwt., and the produce of the fishing in 1871 was

The export of tunny fish from Tunis in 1873 was:

This fishery might be profitably carried on in Algeria. Arzeu has one small madrague, where on some days as many as 300 tunny fish have been taken. 400 or 500 persons could be profitably occupied in this fishing. A madrague established at Sidi Feruch, or at Cape Matefou, would give during the season, at each lift of the nets (an operation which might be renewed several times during the week), 300 or 400 tunny fish, weighing from 60 lbs. to 600 lbs. It might be salted or marinated, and as this fish will keep fresh for a week, it might be shipped to supply the Marseilles market. It could only be carried on during the months of March to June.

CHAPTER VIII.

CRUSTACEA.

Useful or food-supplying crustacea-The lobster-The British fishery-Size to which lobsters grow-Technical names by which they are sold in Billingsgate-Supply of crabs-Crab-pots-Lobster fishery in America-Change of colour in boiling-Statistics of the trade in canning lobsters, etc.— The Norway lobster fishery.

AMONG the crustacea we have the useful or foodsupplying kinds, such as the boiled lobster and the canned or tinned lobster; the edible crabs of the market, used for food, and the king-crab for manure; large prawns, used in place of the lobster on the west coast of America; those sold in the markets of Europe, at New York, and the east and south coasts of America; the smaller shrimps and prawns, held in esteem by various nations, and many of which serve for bait. The liquid fat of the hermit-crab (Pagurus sp.), under the name of "manteca de ladron," is used in Venezuela to cure laxations of the bowels.

The shell of the king-crab (Limulus polyphemus) is used on the American coasts as a boat-bailer.

Of the crustaceans, the lobster is that which is most in demand, although the more common crab is, of the two, most digestible and nourishing. But the lobster has always been held in estimation as a food delicacy, and from being so sought for, leads to a very extensive commerce. Besides

the British supplies-of which we have no very reliable returns the bulk of our imports come from Norway and Sweden, and it may be interesting to glance at the statistics of the trade generally.

The British Fishery.-Lobsters are brought to Greenock in large numbers from the western islands, chiefly from Skye, in boxes containing from four to five dozen, and are there transferred, for facility and economy of carriage by rail, to tea chests, into each of which from 50 to 100 fish, according to size, are carefully packed, and forwarded regularly and in large quantities in this way to Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, in each of which towns is located a branch of a great firm-originally of Aberdeen-to whom are continually consigned enormous quantities of fish from all parts of the coast. Much more might be done on the coasts of the British Islands in the matter of lobsters, especially in Ireland. In a report on the Irish Fisheries, it was stated that "Lobsters may be taken in any quantity; 20,000 or 30,000 a week might be easily captured on about 20 miles of the coast of Clifden, Buffen Island, and Bunown, but the people have no means of taking them. They only fish close to the shore, and large lobsters cannot go into the pots used. Those of five or six pounds or eight or nine pounds weight are only taken by clinging to the sides of the pots; and if the fishermen had boats sufficient to go out to the rocks seven or eight miles off, they, with proper gear, would take the finest fish in the world, and in the greatest quantities. They may be had in season every day in the year that men could venture out to set the pots, but they never do so in the winter." The size and age to which lobsters sometimes attain was evidenced by one caught a few years ago in Plymouth Sound in a trawl net, which was reported in the Field of June 2nd. Its length was, from the

tip of the claws to end of tail, 3 ft. 2 in.; weight, 15 lbs. 2 oz. Several small oysters, mussels, and barnacles were adhering to the shell, and it was supposed to be 100 years old, although what grounds there were for the assumption were not stated.

Crabs and lobsters are supplied to the London market from the east, south, and west coasts of England, from Cornwall and the Channel Islands. The crayfish nearly all come from Sennen Cove, near the Land's End, and the greater part of these are sent to France. The crabs received from Dunbar are very small, some of them not more than three inches across; they are called in the market "Dunbar bugs." Very small crabs are also received from Scarborough; one dealer in the season receives about 20 barrels per day, each barrel containing 200. After paying expenses and carriage, it is calculated that the fishermen can only realize 4s. for 200 crabs, and 20s. for 100 lobsters. Crabs are much wanted for the seaside markets in August and September.

Lobsters are sold in Billingsgate by curious ancient terms, viz., a "worst Nancy," which equals 40 small lobsters; a "best Nancy," which is 40 lobsters of a larger size. According to sizes above this, lobsters are sold by a "best Double," a Score, and a Ten.

The supply of crabs to London has diminished more than half, both in size and number. Many crabs come from the West of England, Cornwall, and Devon. The price has gone up fully 30 per cent.; a crab eight or ten years ago worth 2s. is now worth 3s. 6d. The sale for crabs begins to fall off in October, and does not begin again till March. The chief time for the sale of crabs and lobsters is May, June, July, and August. In winter the crabs are watery. Crabs and lobsters are in best condition in warm weather.