, 1889-01-31
Propagation and CultiYa lion of
Lobsters-
Lay LANES q. SWAN.I

In the Fisheries and Fishery In
dustries of the United States, pre-
pared by Professor q. Browne Good,
for the tenth census report and pub
lished in 1854, is an article on the
American lobster. HOmdTiS Amer@
icdnHs. by Professor Milne Edwards;
from which [ make the following
extracts:
The lobster belongs to the high
est group of crustacea, the sO-called
Decop0du, or two-footed crustaceans.
Their nearest allies are the common
freshwater craw fish of our rivers
and small streams. with which they
agree structurally in most particu-s >
lars. Lobsters occur of all sizes up
to forty pounds weight, but owing to
the avaTicious fishing which is con-
stantIy carried on along almost the
entire extent of their range on the
Atlantic coast nearly all the larger
ones have been caught and reduced
the bulk of those suitable for mar
ket to nearly the minimum pre-
scribed by law, which in the New
England states is six inches, although
the average of those offered for sale
Is about ten and one-half inches, the
smaller ones beng used by Gamer
les. 1t Is believed that from the uni
form temperature of Fuca Straits and
the sadness Of the sea water, with
the great abundance of food, that
Holsters will attain a greater aiZe
than On the Atlantic coast
The American lobster ranges along
the Eastern coast from Delaware to
Labrador and has even been found
as far south as the northeastern cor
ner of Virginia. They are caught
ia the vicinity Of Delaware break
water, but are not plentiful.
After passing the New Jersey
coast the HOLSTERS are more continu-
ously abundant At one time they
were common in New York Bay, but
the water being contaminated by the
large factories OF noxious smelling
articles has exterminated them.
they become more plentiful in the
neighborhood of Fishers Island,
Block Island. Montauk Point. ETC.,
and in favorable localities along the
Massachusetts coast, particularly at
Cape Cod, until over fishing at Prov
incetown has nearly cleaned them
ont in that locality
The Maine coast exeels all others
Of the States in the abundance of
Holsters, and the Nova Scotian coast
is still more prolific III Holsters than
Maine.
The Holsters range in depth from
about low water mark to at least
eighty fathoms, to which depth they
return in winter. During the sum-
mer at Eastport and elsewhere on
the Maine coast, they are occasion
ally left on shore by the receding
| tide, either concealed among stones
and seaweeds or partly buried in the
sand. During the same season they
may be frequently seen about the
wharyes of some of the Maine sea.
coast towns, attracted there by the
refuse thrown over fromthe canneries.
Lobsters Will not live in fresh or
brackish water. They are caught at
the mouths os large rivers where the
water is brackish on top, but when
| placed in surface cars at the same
localities they quickly perish, indi-
| eating that the water must be more
salt at the bottom This is explain
ed by the well knowE fact that fresh
water is much lighter than sea water
and always floats on the surface.
Lobsters prefer rocky, gravelly and
-sandy bottoms and in shoal waters
they prefer those more or less cover
ed over with sea weeds, kelp. eel
grass, etc. Vegetation is not, how
ever, essential to their growth for
they live on the barren sands, as at
Provincetown, Cape Cod, and on
rocky, stony and hard bottoms wher-
ever they can find food.
Lobsters migrate from place to
place in search of food, and at times
will school or congregate in larger or
smaller bodies. but when they find
plenty of food they usually remain in
or near the locality where they were
born. They hold quite closely to the
bottom and seldom leave it unless to
escape an enemy. They are very vo-
racious and eat anything that comes
in their way. They are very prolific
and each female will have from H.
600 to $4,000 eggs. These at first
are attached to the mother on the
swimmerets or short legs, and when
matured drop off and develop in the
water. AT first these embryo swim
on the surface, which in some places
they cover as with scum. This is
carried about by the strong currents
of the tides and is thus distributed
over large areas. These little lob.
sters swim freely and rapidly until
they have attained about an inch in
length, when they settle to the bot
tom where they remain, having lost
their swimming faculties in a meas-
ure. From the larvae state they shed
their skins four times, and change in
each stage till at last they assume
the form of the true lobster. AS it
increases in age and size, it sheds it,
skin or shell less frequently, and at
sdch times seeks the protection OF
rocks from its enemies.
Persons from the coast of Maino
and Nova Scotia assert that HOLSTERS
only live among rocks and kelp. The
residents of Cape Cod are equally
sure that they live on sand. The
fact is that they live ard thrive any,
where along the coast where the tenn
! perature is suitable and food is plen-
ty; but from all the evidences ad-
| duced, i GppeE-'s that the latis Jude Of
Maine and Labrador is the best suit
ed for their growth, and experts are
of the opinion thet Puget Sound Of
fers peculiar advantages favorable to
their development.
Ii takes from four to five years for
lobster to attain an edible size.
which should be over six inches, and
the Holsters recently planted here
should be protected that length Of
time. If they are SO protected, the
waters of Puget Sound will be we'll
stocked and the lobster business be
great industry OF the future.
Opinions differ as to the propriety
of repeating the law passed several
years ago FOR the purpose of giving
the Chinese pheasants a chance. The
testimony is confiicting-some farms
ers asserting that the birds destroy
,,I afh hnra