Of the crustaceans, shrimps and prawns, and various species of crabs are used as bait. Shrimps and prawns are used whole for catching flat-fish, but small pieces are better when fishing for smelt and other small species of fish that swim close to shore. Little pieces of the flesh of the crab are also well adapted for baiting hooks of small size, and will prove very attractive to almost all kinds of fish. Small crabs, however, may be used whole, but are of little use except when soft--that is, just after the shedding of their shells, and before the new skin has had time to harden. Such crabs may be found under stones and in other hiding-places at low tide, for at such times they keep well secluded from their numerous enemies by whom they are greedily devoured while in this helpless and unprotected condition. The hermit-crab, which selects the empty shell of a whelk or winkle for its home, is probably well known to our readers. The protection afforded by such a home is absolutely necessary to its existence, since its abdomen has no other covering than a soft, membranous skin. This soft abdomen is frequently used as a bait with great success, as well as the flesh of the larger claws. If the shell from which the hermit-crab is taken be broken, a worm, something of the nature of the common ragworm, will almost always be found, and this also is very serviceable as bait. In addition to all the baits previously named there are several other good ones, many of which are to be obtained almost everywhere. Among these may be mentioned strips cut from the mackerel, herring, or pilchard, preferably with a portion of the silvery skin attached; also thin strips of tripe. Sand-eels, which may be dug out of the sand near the water’s edge, are very useful, and may be cut into pieces for baiting small hooks. Further, a large number of artificial baits are employed in various kinds of sea fishing, but as these are not essential for the work we have in hand we do not propose describing them in detail.