Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-05-27
AN IMPORTANT CRUSTA-
CEAN.
What an Expert Naturalist
Knows About the Lobster.

7. !. Bowdith i'm Troy ~ " Times
Ofall the cruStaceans, Holsters are the
most important and the most in demand.
Who does not like the flesh of the lob
stcr? Even the child knows the nur-
Serv 4riddle: BLACK in the kitchen,
red on the table, When alive its gem
eral color is a blush black, beautifully
variegated with paler spots and clouds.
Without any warmth in their bodies,
and even without red blood circulating
through their veins, they are wonder
fully vOraciOus. They even devour
each other, and may be said to eat them
selves, for, changing their shell and
stomach every year, these remains are
generally the first mOrsel to glut their
new system. They are always in har-
ness, heavily armed TO the teeth; seven
iointed is the cunningly forged mail OF
their back. Beneath tins protecting
roof move eight sprawling feet, four on
each side, pushing forward the un-
wieldly war engine, like the Roman
legion under the shelter OF the batterlng-
ram. The two great claws Ofthe lobster
form its instruments Of provision and
weapons OF defense, and by opening
N
great strength, and take a firm hold.
Between the two claws lies the animal 5
head, very small, with two eyes like two
black horny Specks on each side, which
are prOjeCtile or retracttie at Will. The
mouth, like that OfinSec.s, opens length
wise of the body, not crOsswise, as with
men and the higher races OF animals.
II has two teeth for the mastiCatiOn Of
its food, but three more in the stomach.
Before the pointed nose the long, wire
like feeders or horns are stretched out,
that seem % aid the dimness OF its sight.
The tail, a siN-jOiuted instrument, is the
great locomotive by which II Is raised
and propelled through the water. Be
meath this we see lodged the spawn IN
great abundance. When the young
lobster leaves its parent it seeks refuge
I'm small Cletts OF the rocks, or crevlces
at the bottom OF the sea, where 1t passes
the earliest days OF its existence ina yag-
abOnd state, of a period OF from thirty
10 FORTY davs. During this time it UNI
dergoes four different changes OF the
she'll but on the fourth it lOOses It's ma
tatorv organs, and Is, therefore, no
Ionger able 10 swim on the surface OF
the water. but falls 20 the bottom, lying
tprpid and mOtiOuleSS, where II remains
for the future: according, however, to
lis increase IN size it gains courage To
approach the shore, which II had LETT at
its birth. The number OF enemies
which asSail young embryOS IN the deep
son il enormous. Thousands OF all
kinds of fish, mollusks and CruStacea
ar, pursuing il continually to destroy
10. The very changing of the shell
causes great ravages at these periods, as
the young Holsters have TO undergo a
crisis which appears To be a necessary
condition 10 their rapid growth. In iact'
every young lobster loses and remaEeS
lis crusty shell from eight to ten times
the first wear, five 10 seven the second,
three To four the third, and from two to
three the fourth year. After the fifth
wear the change is only annual For
some DAYS before the change the animal
loses its usual strength and vigOr, lying
torpid and motiOnleSS; and just before
casting its shell, striking its claws against
each other. every limb seems to tremble
Then the body swellS in an unusual
manner. and the shell begins TO divide
III seems turned inside out, the stom-
ach coming away with It's shell. In Ike
mann er tie claws discharged, the
lobster casting them of much as a
person would kick Oft boot too big Tor
him. For several hours it now con-
Times cnieebled and mOtlOnleSS, but IN
TWO davs the new skin becomes harden
pI and within iOrty-eight hours the
she'll i perfectly formed and hard, like
the one east off. Below in his native
element the lobster reaches the age oil
twenty years. and loses a foot or claw
without feeling the loss, for he well
knows il will grow again. w hen
suddenly alarmed by peal OF thunder,
1r the report of a cannon, 1t shoots IT'S
claws Immediately. No part of the lob
ster Is poisonous. The so-Called lady
is simply the cartllaglnouS stomach, ana
would not bee good eating because 1t Is
rsush. The delicious "tom-ally Is the
/ liver. while the imPregnated eggs form
/ the coral and are considered a de-
| LEGACY. The lobster is often caught IN a
/ kind of trap or "lObster-pot, rs II Is
/ called. Ii Is made with narrow strips oil
| hoard or lath nailed upon strong hoops,
/ ~, 1. to give IL an oval form upon the
fnp. Inside are placed stones TO sink II
to n certain depth. At each end OF the
rpt is q network of cord fastened 10 a
/ small hoop i'm the center of the net.
Through this hoop, of six inches dla-
meter. perhaps the lobster struggles 10
/ oct the bait placed inside the cage. But
| when once i'm he finds himself aprIsoner,
I for he can't retreat at the same door by
/ which he entered. The situation OF the
rrap is marked by buoy, and Is visited
\ at intervals 70 remove the game ana
make room for others. They are some
| times caught with merely piece OF tSh
tiaI to the end of Il Strlng-the lobster
/ '..,,evs the bait TO his mouth with his
claws and will let you draw him To the
spriare if YOU DO il quietly, so as not to
alarm him. but il he is frightened In the
\ least ne is off like a flash. You must
\ grasp him the instant his horns are OUT
\ of the water. In this country the loO-
sfer i found from the coast OF New l OrE
/ northward the best are taken on the
rorLv shores of New England, north OF
/ Cane Cod. Fishermen at Marshheld
| and Plymouth, Mass, catch from %, UV
to 100 600 a year which are sold to Dos
/ tom dealers. Great numbers have been
mi no i'm cans and shipped abroad.
/ The hacking houses Of Portland, Me-,
send large quantities in tins to England
Drunken STUFF.
How many children and women are
slowly and surely dying, or rather being
| killed. bv excessive doctOrlng, or the