THE SPINY LOBSTER OE SOUTHERN FLORIDA. 287 



out of water the legs of the spiny lobster are not.strong enough to enable the animal to 

 walk to any appreciable extent. It is said that the spiny lobsters are caught in seines 

 more frequently off the coast of Cuba than off the coast of Florida. 



HOOKS AND ALL OTHER MEANS. 



On the southern coast of Florida, in the vicinity of Miami, a common way of catching 

 these lobsters is by "hooking" them. A large fishhook is tied to the end of a pole, and 

 in order to catch the lobster it is necessary to get the hook under it and then give the 

 pole a sudden j erk. Since the shell of the animal is hard, this device is not very success- 

 ful. A few spiny lobsters are caught by diving for them. It is common to observe 

 fishermen reaching under rocky ledges trying to catch any that may be hidden there. 



BOATS AND EQUIPMENT. 



The boats (Fig. 263, opp. p. 289) used in the spiny-lobster fishery are identical with 

 those used in the hook-and-line fishery. Cypress and yellow pine are the principal 

 woods used in their construction. All of them are of the sail type, and a few of them have 

 gasoline engines installed.^ The latter are the more profitable, since there is no delay 

 in waiting for favorable winds. A prolonged delay in getting the crawfish to market 

 often results in the loss of many. 



All boats are equipped with wells, located in the middle of the boat. The sides of the 

 well are made of double thickness matched cypress, and the bottom is perforated with 

 many i-inch holes. The depth of water in the well varies according to the load carried, 

 but it is never less than 1 foot. Spiny lobsters when placed in the well are brought to the 

 market alive. They are also held in these wells at the markets until the fisherman is 

 ready to sell his catch. The wells may be of any convenient size. Those of the smaller 

 boats are usually able to carry a few hundred spiny lobsters, while the wells of the larger 

 boats may hold as many as 1,000. 



A boat crew usually consists of two to four men. The sleeping quarters are in the 

 bow of the boat. In the cockpit, immediately back of the well, food, water, oil, lamps, 

 cooking utensils, and other paraphernalia are kept. The cooking is also done in the 

 cockpit. It is necessary to have considerable food on board the sail-type boats, since 

 storms often break without much warning, and it is often safer to anchor on the shoals 

 than to attempt to reach port. It is not practical to fish during stormy weather, and 

 often these fishermen remain anchored for more than a week without catching any spiny 

 lobsters. The power boats have the advantage in being able to make daily trips when 

 the weather is most favorable. 



Upon arriving at the fishing grounds the boat is anchored. One or more small boats 

 or skiffs can be seen riding at anchor, having been left by these same fishermen before 

 departing for the market on their previous trip. These skiffs are from 10 to 15 feet in 

 length and are not supplied with wells. Some of the fishermen always tow their skiffs, 

 as there are certain risks involved in leaving them at the fishing grounds. If the men 

 begin their operations during the day, it is often necessary to hold a water glass on the 

 surface of the ripple water, thus enabling the observer to see the bottom. The water 

 glass is merely a glass-bottomed wooden bucket. This is held in one hand and the bully 

 in the other. At night a lamp similar to a street lamp is fastened to the bow of the boat, 

 thus enabling the fisherman to examine the flats. 

 93434°— 22 2 



