Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-06-28
The P. opagation Of lobssers.

The T. S. Fisheries Commission
schooner Grampus. Captain +. e. Hahn.
arrived in this harbor, Tuesday. from
Gloucester Mass. on her way eastward
TO secure egg Holsters for use at the L. s.
hatchery at Gloucester. She brought
atout 100000 young lobster fry. which
WAS distributed. some four of five miles
off shore. between Cape Elizabeth and
Mcnhegan. The employees of the commits
sion buy the seed Holsters of the fisher
men and dealers all along the New Eng
lard coast. paying a little more than the
market price. so IL is made an object to
save them: they have been paving Is
cents apiece for them. The holsters are
taken TO the hatchery at Gloucester
where they are stript Of their eggs The
mother icpsters are then returned to the
water as good as new. and each is free
to affiliate with her kindred till she is
once mere loaded up with eggs, when
EoTerrme nj again attends TO her case,
The eggs are carefully Matched. and the
fry are returned to the same locality
no. done especially for the purpose of re-
uniting the families: sentimental ccnsid-
erations OF that Kind probably % FRO;
co8nt much with Holsters. and certainly
not with the fish commission. But the
fishermen object. with good reason. 10
n wing the eggs carried away and not
Drought back. as II would tend TO make
IL distinctly understood that he will re-
turn the fry to the same locality where
ne takes the maternal Holsters. III, has
lust distributed lot Of fry where he
got the Holsters, as above stated. an,,
the next lot viii be distributed cas-, Of
MonheSan.
The fry. when first Matched. is lite
GUS ABOUT as big as a sea-iiea, and looks
much h'.e one. Under a magnifying
glass. ore can see his legs and body. but
his most prominent feature is his eyes
which are as big as all of the rest of him.
IEe claws do not appear urtil later. For
q time. the fry float upon the surface a,
me water, where they are the prey OF
hsh that swim rear the surface For
this reason, the commission deposHs them
several miles from the land. where most
OF the iish swim al great depth and will
not bother the Holsters. The fry float and
swim about on the surface for season.
uufing which they are growing and de-
Weeping. and then sink to the bottom
where they reside permanently mi
caught. About this time their shell is
lormed, thin anu transparent at FIRST. and
growing iirmer ard heavier as the lob
ster grows older and changes his clothes
from time TO time. Then his claws an
ptnr. and are no doubt regarded by tho
interest and swelling pride as the hoy
looks upon his budding moustache. The
iclster is then able to care for himsajf
ard he will fight ANYTHING that he can
cneW IN with the formidable pinchers
with which he Is endowed: and IL he
comes across anything he can't lick. he
hiaes under rock at the bottom of the
set.
All this. and lots more of useful inror-
nation. was given us by Captain Hahn.
re says that the work of the commission
i coming TO be appreciated by most of
the fishermen. though for a long time the
mere conservative ones were mistrustful !
ara could not seem to understand the
merits of II. When seed HOLSTERS are
taken II they are not handed over to the /
commission. they are stripped of their |
eHgs and sold for food. There Is n law
against selling seed Holsters. hut they
may be sold after the eggs are taken OH. |
But IN doing this. the eggs are DESTROYED
and 50 Is the mother lobster No wonder |
Holsters are becoming scarce. Now a /
paternal government steps in. saves the
mother and matches the eggs. and re
stores the fry to the place where Il orig
mated. surely the fishermen should en-.
courage the work. which Is wholly for
their advantage. and government NAYS;
them for the seed Holsters more than they
Gould get in the market after destroying
The eggs.-Rockland Opinion.