Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-06-09
BOYS GAFFING HOLSTERS ON THE MANN
 COAST.

long, the stronger and wiser ones lead ing the way through the great wilder ness at the bottom of the sea, and mak- ing, with sure instinct, for that part of the coast where they spent the last summer. The army, as I have said, moves as great column, only that the head of the column is the narrowest part of it, for it widens out in the rear, somewhat more in proportion than the tail of comet. All the weaker ones are in the rear part, and many of these are females and old veterans who have been tossed about in so many storms that they arc now barely able to march, But am sure they march as no other armies march. They go back foremost, propelling themselves shoreward by a bend of the tail, their heads all looking out to sea. The armies, of course, are composed of Holsters.
 They are bound for the shadows found here and there along the coast to lay their eggs and hatch and rear their families. They are always very hun gry after the march, and woe to the mussel, clam or mollusk that happens to be in the way. I have often, lying in a boat in shallow water, peered down and watched the Holsters after their ar rival. They seem to be very ravenous, and move about with great speed in quest of their prey. They are exceed ingly quarrelsome at all times, es- pccially when they are crowded too thic1ly together and food is scarce, and maim one another very often in their conflicts. They can pinch very hard with the two jaws with which each claw is provided, and it is with these jaws that they seize and crush food and in- jure one another. There Is hardly a boy anywhere on the coasts who has gone lobster catching that some time or another hasn't had his toe or fln- ger bruised and cut. They hide in shallow water, among the bottle kelp, and boys wading about do not suspect the hidden enemy till an agonizing pain is felt in one of their toes. On pulling the foot up, frequently a lobster is seen dangling from the unfortunate toe. So it has come to pass now that all wise boys are careful when they go among the bottle l1elp to wear thick boots. The illustration in this article repre- sents a popular method of taking lob sters. Fronting thousands of farm houses are stretches of lobster beds, and numbers of boys, and even girls, set out with baskets and gaffs and wade over the shadows. They have to move very quietly, for the lobster has quick cars, and is easily frightened. When one is seen, the gaffer creeps along, poises his weapon, takes sure and steady aim, then thrusts through the water into the fish, lifting the prize out with jerk, and holding it up tri- umphantly. Sometimes spring prong is used instead of the single spear of a gaff. One boy, besides attending to small things about the farm, can keep the house in fresh lobster for several months.
 The lobster is greatly in dread of thunder, and when the peals are very loud numbers of them drop their claws and swim away for deeper water. Any great fright may also induce them to drop their claws. But new claws be- gin at once to grow, and in a short time are as large as the old ones, and cov- 1 cred with hard shells. The lobster often drops it's shell, when it hides un- til the new shell is hard enough to pro- tect it.-Edmund Collins, in Harper's | Young People.