The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-08-15
MATCHING HOLSTERS.
An Interesting Experiment Under the
Auspices of the Fish Commission.

The Cannabalistic Tendencies on the Partof
the Little Fellows Present the Greatest
Difficulty.
CThe Evening Star.
The stocking of the Atlantic coast
waters with artificially Matched Holsters
is the most interesting experiment. that
now engages the attention of the United
States fish commission. Scarcely more
than a beginning has been made in the
work, this being only the second season
during which it has been carried on. The
enterprise is being conducted at Wood S
Holl, Mass, where, during the present
summer, the enormous number of 81, SUI,
900 lobster eggs have been taken ana
subjected to the incubator process. VI
these II, 900, 900 were actually Matched,
writes Rev. Batch to the Westbrook Star
To suppose that the artificial Matching
of Holsters is attended with any special
difficulty would be mistake. That IS
not where the knotty part of the problem
lies, as will be explained presently. The
fe..maleIobsters in spawn are obtained from
|
tail while the egg masses are removed by
gently scraping with dull wooden
knife The eggs are attached to the
swimmerets of the animal. A mother
lobster carries from 5000 to 5000 eggs,
the latter being reasonable allowance
for an individual measuring sixteen
inches in length. They are olive green
in color, and as the time of Matching APP
proaches the shells become so translucent
that the little creatures may be seen
coiled up inside of them.
To hatch them is the simplest matter
in the world. They are put into an ordi-
nary glass jar, such as is employed for
Matching the eggs of shad and other kinds
of fishes The jar is so contriyed that a
continuous stream of fresh water flows
through it, keeping the eggs agitated
After a few days the young Holsters
emerge from the shells shrimp-like and
almost transparent. They look not in the
least like adults of their species. Now
comes the dangerous part of their exist
ence. By the time they are forty-eight
hours old they have begun to prey upon
each other. They are yeritable cannibals,
those little Holsters, and no matter how
much food is given them they let no OPP
portunity slip to gobble their compan-
ions. Their pugnacity is remarkable, and
owing to this wicked disposition it is out
of the question to keep number of them
together in a tank.
THEY MUST TAKE THE CHANGES.
This is where the trouble occurs in the
artificial propagation of Holsters If it
were only practicable to keep them for a
few weeks, until the danger period
should be passed. they might be put into
the sea full fedged, SO to speak, and able
to take care of themselves. But this
could not be accomplished except by pro-
yiding a separate compartment for each
tiny crustacean, in order that he might
not get at his fellows or be eaten by
them. Such plan could scarcely be
carried out. Accordingly the experts of
| the fish commission are obliged to take
the infant Holsters when they are only
about day old and dump them into the
ocean to take their chances. The lil1eli
hood of the survival of any individual
among them is very small. as may be
judged from the following facts:
Baby Holsters, like juvenile oysters,
are free-swimming animals. During the
early part of their lives they float about
at or near the surface of the sea, prey
to all sorts of fishes and numerous other
enemies. From life insurance point of
view they are extremely bad risks. Not
one in a good many thousands ever grows
up. Besides they change their shells at
short intervals, that being the only,,way in
which they can grow bigger, and this
process is accomplished with much dan
ger; many of them die moulting. At
the age of about seven weeks the young
lobster undergoes its fourth mott, and
thereupon it assumes the shape of an
adult, leaving the surface for good and
descending to the bottom, where it
spends the rest of it's lifetime in walking
about or hiding in holes among the
rocks.
Baby Holsters are about one-third of an
inch long when newly Matched. They
WILL edb dllllosU any Unlng, ana powdered
CLAIMS and crabmeat are suitable food for
them. But the most wholesome provender
is obtained by towing nets of fine gauze
along the surface of the sea. Thus are
collected quantities Of little shrimp-like
animals and other almost microscopic
creatures, with which the surface water
fairly swarms. When they are day old
the young Holsters are put into twelve
gallon milk cans, one of which serves to
hold 200, 900 of the infant crustaceans.
They are taken in boat to suitable To-
calities in Buzzard's bay or VINEYARD
sound, where they are let loose in the
water. Thence forward they must take
their chances. 1t is hoped that one out
of 1000 of them lives to grow up. If so
many should survive the Atlantic coast
waters of the United States would soon
be repopulated with Holsters Unhappjly
the estimate is in all probabil ity too flat
tering
STILL A DOUBTFUL PROBLEM