228 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



ed 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 seeking 

 to reach the sea ; but during their wanderings they fall an easy prey to 

 large numbers of crows hovering round, which take them in their claws, 

 fly high up, and let the unfortunate lobster drop down on the rocks, 

 where their shells are broken, so that the crows can eat them in comfort. 

 The crows are not easily scared away, but show a remarkable degree of 

 sense, only flying away when any one approaches with fire-arms, and 

 later they carry on their depredations in the early morning, when they 

 have less to fear. 



IMPLEMENTS FOR CATCHING THE LOBSTERS, METHODS OF CATCHING 

 THEM, AND THE MANNER OF SHIPPING THEM. 



Formerly, the lobster was caught on our sea-coasts exclusively with 

 tongs. These tongs were made of wood, and had about the same shape as 

 the common oyster-poles, being only somewhat longer, generally two 

 fathoms. Such an implement was exhibited at the Bergen Exposition 

 of 1865, and an illustration of it is given in the report. As these tongs 

 were not very long, lobsters could not be caught at any great depth — 

 only at a depth of little more than a fathom — and this sort of fishing 

 was carried on during the early morning hours. But as lobsters taken 

 with these tongs often got hurt, and died two to three days afterward, 

 because they cannot stand any pressure, this implement was not suited 

 for those that were to be exported ; and the Dutch, after the peace of 

 Westphalia, when the lobster- fisheries began to assume larger dimen- 

 sions, endeavored to induce the fishermeu to use other and better im- 

 plements. Although baskets, through the influence of the Dutch, had 

 thus become common in the neighborhood of Stavanger since 1717, 

 tongs have been frequently used even in our century, and are perhaps 

 in some places used to this day. Kryger, in his report on Ous, in the 

 "BudsUkken ?; (a periodical) for 1820, mentions that lobsters were caught 

 there with tongs for home-consumption. Farther north, tongs seem 

 to have been the common implements for catchiug lobsters at a much 

 later period ; for, in the quinquennial report of the governor of the Borns- 

 dal district for 1840-'44, it is said that "lobsters are taken with tongs, 

 baskets not being thought to auswer the purpose." Lobsters were 

 caught with tongs by small boys from ten to fourteen years of age, 

 early in the morning, in calm weather, and, if successful, one night might 

 yield an income of $2.25. Another very simple implement for catching 

 lobsters is spoken of in the " Bndstilxken" by Strom, who says that 

 lobsters are taken with a hook fastened to a pole, which hook is in- 

 serted in the belly, the softest part of the lobster. With this instiu- 

 ment, it cannot be taken at any great depth, and only when the sea is 

 calm so that the bottom can be seen. Lobsters caught in this manner 

 cannot be exported, as they could not stand the journey. The imple- 



