Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-02-09
About HOLSTERS.

Many Holsters are taken from the
ocean in this vicinity, the business being
pursued in these waters both by island
erS and fishermen from neighboring
ports. Trays used here differ somewhat
in size and shape from those employed
on the neighboring grounds. A light
frame of pine, from three to four feet in
length and from one to two feet in width
and depth, is covered by laths or other
light Stats, placed about half an inch
apart. A funnel-shaped mouth. of
pointed Stats or netted cord, is made at
one end, large enough for the ingress of
a lobster, and just within and immedi-
ately in front of the mouth the fisherman
hangs his bait, the head of cod or blue
fish, or part of the body of some other
fish of smaller value. The lobster ex-
amines the bait and explores the open
ing with an excess of caution that
should. but does not, prevent his enter
ing. But he soon feels entirely satisfied
that all is right, when he turns and
backs in. He appears to realize at once
that he is caught, and endeavors to get
out; but, strange as it may seem, al
though he examines the opening again
and again, it never seems to enter his
mind to turn and back out as he came
in. Captivity seems to rob him 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, lured by the bait,
investigates the opening, and sometimes
s. dozen or more will be taken by the
same trap. Not unfrequently, however,
they will SO 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 as good rs that lost, except that it
is a little smaller.
\ lobster is supposed to retain his
shell until the latter part of his fifth
summer, when another shell forms with
the old covering. Until this change oc-
ours a 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. HOLSTERS
generally pass the winter in deep water,
coming in with the approach OF warm
weather, the larger, as a rule, appear
ing first. Early in the season the catch
is mainly of large fish, which are so
sharply pursued that toward the latter
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 di-
reefs him to return to the ocean.
Many fishes hold Holsters eggs in
high esteem, but the mother lobster
will defend them savagely with her
powerful claws, and for better protec-
ton attaches them to her abdomen, as
many as 10000 having been counted
upon a single fish. When Matched,
however, thousands of defenseless lob
sters are devoured by their enemies,
and if man, alsD, is to be permitted to
prey upon them before they are five
years old, we can hardly hope that the
supply will long remain as abundant as
in the past.-Pt0cidence Journal.