246 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Sars thought that a thorough investigation of the spawning-process of 

 the lobster would be the ouly safe basis for any law ; but this process 

 was still very much enveloped in obscurity. He supposed, however, 

 that fishing could be carried ou till the eggs came out of the ovary, aud 

 were fasteued under the tail, which took place in June, and fishing 

 should consequently be prohibited from June 1 till September 15. He 

 did not think that the number of lobsters had decreased, but that it only 

 seemed so, because nowadays more people were engaged in fishing, and 

 fewer lobsters consequently fell to the share of each fisherman. He 

 thought, however, that the lobsters had diminished in size. In a later 

 report, he expressed his opinion that lobster-fishing should be x>rohibited 

 from June till the middle of September. Prof. C. Boeck gave in his 

 report, in the first place, a description of the lobster's mode of life, aud 

 a criticism of the reports on the condition of the lobster-fisheries, sent 

 by the governor. He showed from statistics that a decrease in the num- 

 ber of lobsters was both possible and probable on account of the in- 

 creased fisheries during the past years. The lobster is a coast-animal, 

 and ouly stays where it can easily get a sufficient supply of food, there- 

 fore near the coast, and only as far from it as sea-weeds are found, 

 between which it finds the animals that constitute its food. Even if it 

 wanders about, it does not go far, going, e. g., in winter into a greater 

 depth, and during summer into the shallow' water near the coast. It 

 then swims about on the surface of the water, but never goes very far, 

 its structure not being adapted for longer journeys. The fact of the mat- 

 ter is, therefore, that a certain number of lobsters belong to a certain 

 extent of coast, which, by propagating freely, may increase if they have 

 sufficient food, or decrease from a natural mortality or too much fishing; 

 and in this latter case the losses cannot easily be made up by lobsters 

 coming in from the adjoining districts. There can, consequently, be no 

 doubt that the lobster can, on a given stretch of coast, be exterminated 

 by continued persecutions, or its number, at least, be diminished to 

 such a degree as to make lobster-fishing unprofitable. Such an event 

 would occur all the sooner if the coast in question be not favorable to 

 its increase. From the reports which had come in, it seemed that cer- 

 tain places were less favorable to their propagation, or possible immi- 

 gration from adjoining districts, than others, and from such districts the 

 complaints concerning the decrease in the number of lobsters had come. 

 In other places, the bottom of the sea along the coast was a couveuient 

 place of sojourn for the lobsters, aud the number caught was but a small 

 part of those that lived aud were born there. In such places, the fish- 

 eries would be productive and steady. But even there, continued ex- 

 haustive fishing would diminish their number, especially if there should 

 be an unfavorable year for the growth aud development of the lobster. 

 Prof. C. Boeck considered it, therefore, not only desirable, but even 

 necessary for the even maintenance of the fisheries, that there should 

 be certain limitations, so that lobsters should not be caught to such a 



