BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMxMISSION. 319 



ius: them at iiigbt, until after three or four days they are ready for ex- 

 portation to European markets. If intended for transportation to trans- 

 atlantic countries, they must be dried better, about two weeks being 

 sufficient. When half the drying process has been accomplished, the 

 tongues should be pressed without interruption for three or four days. 



In case of unfavorable weather the tongues are simply left in press, 

 as they do not easily sour. They should, of course, not be exposed to 

 rain, and when the weather looks threatening they should be taken in 

 in time. They should also be taken in before the sun goes down, eren 

 if the air seem s dry. The greatest trouble during drying is caused by 

 the fog, which gives to the tongues a gray appearance, which should be 

 avoided. They should, therefore, never be laid out in foggy weather, 

 or whenever it looks as if there might befog. Those tongues which 

 are dried under shelter should under such circumstances be covered 

 with tarpaulin. 



The principal European market for salted and dried tongues is Spain. 

 The Spaniards would rather have them a little soft thau too hard. 

 They are packed in wooden boxes of 3 kilograms (Of pounds) or more. 

 For the transatlantic market they are ])acked in tin boxes. 



TiiANSPORTiNG LOBSTERS IN NORWAY.*— The fast sailing vessels, 

 with tanks, which formerly were used for transporting lobsters, have 

 gradually been superseded by steamers, and lobsters are now almost 

 exclusively trans])orted in boxes placed on board the steamers. The 

 boxes generally used for the puri)ose in Norway have the following out- 

 side dimensions : Length, 39 inches; breadth, 19 inches; and height, 15 

 inches. If ice is used they are made 4 inches lower. Each box contains 

 from 100 to 120 lobsters. Sometimes smaller boxes are used, with the 

 following dimensions: Length, 24 inches; breadth, 19; height, 13. Be- 

 tween the boards there should be suitable openings to admit fresh air. 



In summer there is placed at the bottom of the box a layer of ice two 

 or three inches thick, and on this a frame, so that the lobsters are not dis- 

 turbed in their position even if the ice melts. On this frame there is 

 first spread a thin layer of fresh heather (long, thin grass) or straw, on 

 which the lobsters are laid carefully, back downward, the tail being bent 

 forward and across the box, so the claws turn inside towards the center. 

 When the box is full some heather or straw is s])read over the lob- 

 sters and the box is closed. Heather is preferable to straw, as thj^ 

 easily spoils on account of the moisture caused by the ice, and the lob- 

 sters cannot well endure any bad odor.t For this reason it is not advis- 

 able to use dry sea-weeds, which formerly were often employed. Old 

 sail-cloth dipped in sea- water forms an excellent cover, as it keeps moist 



* "Forsendelse af Hummer." From the jS'or8kFibk€riUdend4i, Bergeu, Norway, October, 

 1886. Transluted from the Dauish by Herman Jacobsox. 



tAs the boxes are generally, on board the steamers, piled one on the top of another, 

 the layer of straw or heather should not be too thin, for the object of the covering 

 is partly to absorb the ice-water from the upper boxes, so that it does not reach the 

 lobsters. 



