TRANSPORTATION OF LOBSTERS TO CALIFORNIA. 2G3 



fresh air was secured, bat I suspect that other qualities iu the air coun- 

 terbalanced this, and did much harm. 



Tuesday, Juue 9, 1 took the straw from beneath every living lobster,, 

 and packed them all entirely with sponges. Tbe rate of mortality de- 

 creased decidedly, and I am inclined to believe that without this 

 change none would have lived to the end. The best way undoubtedly 

 to pack a lobster is with sponges above, around, and beneath it, and 

 also a small one directly under its nose. The straw is quite bad for 

 them to lie upon, because their claws become entangled in it, and it re- 

 strains them. This is very bad for a lobster. They should suffer no 

 pressure or restraint. For this reason we were afterward glad that no 

 straw had been used (by mistake as we thought) iu their trip from 

 Boston to Charlestown. I also tore out the partitions of several boxes, 

 and found it much better; they were more active when opened, and 

 appeared more healthy. Tbe partitions offer a restraint to them, and 

 are consequently injurious. When in an apartment with partitions, they 

 never staid in the middle, but worked themselves over to one side, and 

 struggled against the wooden partition ; in this way tiring themselves 

 out, which is of course an evil. A lobster needs room to stretch all its 

 limbs, if it wants to do so. For this reason they are better in boxes 

 without partitions, provided they are not near enough together to bite 

 each other. Eubber bands around the claws are an extreme case of 

 restraint, and are extremely pernicious. Treated in this way, the ani- 

 mals live only a few days. Struggling is very detrimental to the vigor 

 of a lobster; therefore they should not be restrained ; for as surely as 

 they are they will struggle against it, and not violently, but slowly, 

 almost imperceptibly. There is a reacting impulse in the lobster against 

 confinement. Though they do not move much, they need freedom to 

 move, or there is an incentive to struggle. Therefore it would seem, 

 as is truly the case, that, other things being equal, unrestrained lob- 

 sters have the best chances for life. 



Pressure is as injurious as restraint. Sponges exert but very little 

 pressure upon them, and they can easily move their claws among 

 them. Ice must not cause any pressure upon the animal, nor must 

 it freshen the water — another requirement met by a refrigerating ap- 

 paratus. To prevent this pressure on the trip, I laid the ice as much 

 as possible across the tops of the partitions and not above the lobsters. 

 Wednesday, June 10, at Ogden, Utah, we left one pair to be put into 

 Salt Lake. Two very healthy and active lobsters were chosen, to make 

 sure of this attempt, if possible. They were put into a box packed 

 entirely in sponges, and I gave instructions, and -some salt water, to 

 Mr. A. P. Eockwood, of Salt Lake City, Superintendent of Fisheries, 

 who was personally to take charge of them. When leaving Utah, 

 Wednesday night, we were reduced to eight lobsters and one pail- 

 ful of salt water. Extra salt water is needed, not only to prevent 

 the moisture in and around the sponges from becoming too fresh by 



