Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-06-01
LoBsTERs AND GRABS.

"Once upon time, = said an expert in |
matters crustacean, ssthere were crabs |
and Holsters in existence for which the |
modern fisherman would have gone q |
hunting with the most approved |
weapons and caution. For example,
In times antediluvian there was lob
ster which had body eight feet long
and could stretch twelve feet with its
formidable arms. Positive knowledge
of this giant of long ago is conveyed by
geological research. It must have con-
tanned meat enough to make salad for
regiment Of soldiers. In those days
of long ago everything grew to enormous
dimensions, whether animal or vege-
table. Frogs were big and active
enough to leap at one hop from the
treasury building to the capitol, and
other creatures, particularly those of q
destructive sort. were in proportion.
's0nly few little specimens are left
to illustrate the giant crustacean forms
of that ancient epoch. It is known how
crabs and, Holsters are Matched from
eggs, resembling upon birth nothing SO
much as the animalculB shown by the
microscope in a drop of ditch water.
They are as much unlike the shellhsh
they are to become in natural life as a
grub is unlike butterfly. In the case
of the crab the egg clusters are attached
beneath the animal after extrusion,
while with the lobster they become
fastened to the tail, which by its fam
ming motion increases the stream Of
oxygenated air through and among the
ova. -
"From the eggs of the lobster are
Matched, creatures not in the least re-
sembling their parents-little fellows
that swim with feather-like locomotive
organs near the surface of the wa
ter. At the end of six weeks
they develop legs (unless, as is
highly probable, they have previously
been devoured by fishes or other
enemies), becoming thereupon small
Holsters of familiar shape. Having
reached this stage of growth, the young
Holsters become walking animals, and
sinking to the bottom, Immediately
seek hiding places to protect them from
their foes.
1.-THE first experiments in the adapta.
ton of knowledge on this subject to the
artificial propagation of Holsters were
made simply in glass jars with sea
water that was changed daily. Even
under these primitive conditions the
newly-hatched fry thrived and grew to
be of some size and healthy. Anyone
who desires to rear Holsters by hand
can accomplish the purpose most quick.
ly by keeping the spawn-bearing fe,
males in suitable ponds or tanks until
| the young come out. In raising the
animals on a large scale, however,
it would be best to separate 1.-The
eggs from the lobster and spread them
upon trays, allowing the water to per,
colate among them, as is done with sal
mon eggs. By this method much
trouble would be avoided. as well as
the expense of feeding the adult her
| Holsters.
"There is no reason apparent where
fore the same success should not be OBJ
tanned with Holsters as has been
achieved with salmon, which have beer
made to swarm once more by myriad'
in streams depopulated by impruden
fishing. Already the Holsters on tn.
North Atlantic coast are rapidly vanish
ing, and, unless measures are sooI
taken for supplying their place by arti
fetal propagation, there will be nom
left. Apparently, however, It will b.
entirely practicable to turn out upor
the depleted grounds many millions O.
young Holsters yearly as soon q
proper plants for this objec
have been established, One thing il
favor Of lobster raising, as to cheap
ness, is that they prefer food that i
partially decomposed, and the vast
food of the towns, now thrown away
might be most usefully employed b.
the lobster hatcheries. Stale fish /
esteemed by Holsters an especial deli
cacy.
"For the purpose of a lobster farn
rocky ground should be chosen, becaus
that is their natural haunt, and Their
, they find suitable places to hide. In
asmuch as they do not walk abroa
: very much, but are addicted rather t
adopt a home and keep it except whel
. making excursions in search of food
the water farmer who sows the pastur
lands of the sea with crop of lobster
may reasonably hope in time to reap tn
result of his 1abors. There are no LOT
sters on the Pacific coast, and tn
: effects so far made to carry them acros
/ the continent for transp1antation hav
{ failed chiefly because the creature
: have died on the way.
"There are many curious points abor
crabs and Holsters. Everyone or e1the
genus is provided with big claw fo
crushing and small claw adapted b
j its shape for cutting as scissors d.
: With these two claws they tear th
3 food they capture into fragments an
> feed themselves literally from hand
mouth But there is every reason
suppose that the claws are intende
quite as much for fighting as for eatin
: purposes, inasmuch as such powerfl
: hands are not needed for devouring til
: soft food they prefer. Crabs partic1
!. larly are fighting animals, in fact. the
y will fight anything. I have seen a era
9 In conflict with a lobster catch the la
9 ter over the fore part of the hea,
) where the shell is hardest, and crush
In by one effort. And it rather bears OF
!. my idea that the claws of these creaturt
: are particularly weapons of war, thu
| kla yx,0,,,o,,f ono ~ fhaySo ,.aooSuo caIyo,