Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-05-12

apart. \ funuel-shaped m0uth, VI
pointed slatS or nettel cord, i made -
one end, laroc enough for the lngre>~ 81
q lobster, and just within and immedl-
ately in front of the nouth the Fl, herman
hangs his bait, the head OF a cod or blue
fish, or part of the body Of some other
fish of smaller value The lobster eX-
amine- the bait and explores the OPEN
ing with an excess oi caution that
should. but does no.. proven. his enter
ing. Bat he soon feels entirely satisfied
that all is right, when he turns and
backs in. He appears 10 realize Al once
that he is caught, and en'leivors II %
out: but, strange Is Il may seem, al
though he examines the opening again
and arain, it never seems to enter his
mind to turn and back ont Is he came
/ in. Captivity seems 10 rob linn Of APP
petite, for it is seldom that he will touch
the bait which led him in, and which is
now within his reach. Confinement
seems to rob him Of any power Of
speech which he may possess, or per-
haps, like some human being, he takes
q malicious pleasure in seeing others
share his misfortune; for he will give no
warning when another, lurcd by the bait,
investigates the opening, AMI sometimes
a dozen or more will be taken by the
same trap. Not unfrequently, however,
they will 50 far forget their anxiety to
escape as to fight most Justify with their
strong claws, which are sometimes
wrenched from their bodies, but this
does not cripple them permanently, for
it is not long before another claw grows
just rs good as that lost, except that it
is Il little smaller
a lobster is supposed to retain his
shell until the latter part of his iifsh
summer, when another shell forms with
in, cracking and gradually crowdin- off
the old covering. Until this change oc-
ours 4 lobster is not considered suitable
food, and any one can Judge by the
length of the fish whether he has
moulted or not, the change never being
made before the animal is nearly or
quite ten inches in length. After this,
the shell changes yearly. In accord
ance with this fact, a stringent law has
been passed for the protection of the
public, forbidding any fisherman to sell or
expose for sale any lobster less than ten
inches in length, exclusive of the claws.
The law is generally Obeyed to the letter
by fishermen who sell their catches in
the shell, but a great many Holsters
below the lawful size are carried away
by smacks in their salt water wells,
where they can be kept alive for long
time, and sold to canning establish
ments, whose goods are TOO much broken
: up in canning for measurements to be
applied with much certainty. LobsterS
generally pass the winter in deep water,
coming in with the approach of warm
weather, the larger, rs rule, appear
ing first. Early in the season the catch
is mainly of large fish, which are SC
sharply pursued that toward the latter
7 part of July, and later, their numbers
are diminished to such an extent that
there is great temptation to the fisher.
man to retain those which the law d.
reefs him to return TO the ocean.
Many fishes hold Holsters eggs il
, high esteem, but the mother lobster
r will defend them savagely with hel
g powerful claws, and for better protec
-, ton attaches them to her abdomen, Il,
I many as 10000 having been counted
;. upon single fish. When Matched
: however, thousands of defenselesS lob
r sters are devoured by their enemies
: and if man, also, is to be permitted tc
r prey upon them before they are five
@ years old, we can hardly hope that the
e supply will long remain as abundant as
e in the paSt.-Protidence Journal.