BREEDING HABITS. 800 



copulation takes place, the male Lobster placing its double male member into the outer genital 

 opening of the female; and the eggs are impregnated while they are yet in the ovary. This 

 pairing seems to take place from autumn to spring, or March and April, for it is higJily probable 

 that the roe is emitted from the ovaries immediately after copulation has taken place, just as with 

 other crustaceans ; and the emitted roe is found during the entire winter. After impregnation, 

 the eggs are emitted from the outer genital openings of the female, which are found at the bases 

 of the third pair of feet, but do not fall into the water, as they are held in a hollow which is 

 formed by the bent tail, which, both at the end and on the sides, has leaf-shaped fringes that 

 inclose the space formed by the bending of the tail. Under this tail there is fastened a double 

 row of the so-called tail-feet, to which the eggs are strung by strong, slimy strings. The embryo 

 now begins to develope in these eggs, which are quite numerous, two to three thousand in one 

 female, according to the size, and occasionally as many as ten to twelve thousand. The formation 

 of the embryo does not, however, seem to begin till the temperature of the water has become 

 milder in spring, even if the pairing should have taken place in autumn or winter ; for, although 

 loose roe is often found in winter, it is never seen in any degree developed into embryos. This 

 pairing and the development of the roe seem to take place at different times on different portions 

 of the coast ; for the fishermen themselves, who have such an excellent opportunity of observing 

 them, are not agreed as to the actual time. The development of the embryo seems to take at 

 least fourteen days from the time of commencement, and it can easily be observed till the young 

 break the shells of the eggs and begin to lead an independent life. When the young Lobster comes 

 out of the egg it measures only a few lines in length, and does not at all resemble the old Lobster, 

 but has a different structure. It does not leave the hollow under its mother's tail immediately after 

 being hatched, but lives there for some time, and later frequently returns to it. It is particularly 

 distinguished by a less complete development of its feelers and tail-feet, and by the feet being 

 exceedingly small but furnished with long, brush-like branches, with which it swims vigorously 

 on the surface of the water. After having spent some time in this state, it changes its skin several 

 times and assumes the shape of its mother, when it goes to the bottom. Its life from this moment 

 till it reaches a size of five to six inches is entirely unknown ; for no young Lobsters have been 

 caught, either by fishermen or scientists, the smallest having been found in ihe stomach of the 

 torsk, so that it is probable that they spend this portion of their life at a greater depth, and live 

 in a different manner and on other food than at a later period. There cannot, therefore, be any 

 artificial hatching of Lobsters in the sense of artificial fish-hatching, but all that can be done is 

 to keep the Lobster imprisoned during the development of the eggs, and thus protect it from the 

 dangers which threaten it and its young. It is impossible to do anything for the tender young, as 

 they die very soon when confined. I see, however, that several persons in France, and Mr. von 

 Eris, in the lagoons of Triest, near Grado, have hatched several millions of young by keeping 

 Lobsters with ripe roe at the bottom of the sea in perforated boxes. 



"The greatest enemy of the Lobster, and one who sensibly diminishes its numbers, is man. When 

 swimming near the surface during its youth, with a number of other small crustaceans, it becomes 

 a welcome prey to the herring and the mackerel. As the grown Lobster keeps at no great depth, 

 and where large fish of prey are not commonly found, it is not much exposed to them, but 

 occasionally, when lying near the surface, it is taken by large birds of prey. An interesting scene 

 may be witnessed near Bukkeno, north of Stavanger, where an Englishman has constructed a 

 large pond, between some small islands, for keeping live Lobsters. Whenever the pond becomes 

 too full of Lobsters, so that they do not find sufficient food, they leave the water and crawl about 



