124 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



by 1st September, the majority depositing in October. A correspond- 

 ing variation is noticed in the lobster of the European coast. The 

 eggs of the lobster, when extruded, are coated with a viscous secre- 

 tion which thickens into threads, and causes the eggs to adhere to 

 each other and to the fine hairs with which the swimmerets of the ab- 

 domen are fringed. I took the pains to count the eggs of a medium- 

 sized lobster, and found the number to be over thirteen thousand. On 

 certain parts of our coast scarcely a male lobster is taken, the catch 

 being all females. I believe these to be the spawning grounds. In one 

 such place, on the inside of Shippegan Harbor, where there is shallow 

 water, and where only female lobsters are caught, no less than seven 

 lobster factories were in full operation last summer! In Nova Scotia 

 lobster fishing begins one month earlier than in New Brunswick. Last 

 year the proprietor of a factory in this province set his traps on the 

 20th of April, keeping them baited, but caught nothing until the night 

 of the 5th of May, when the lobsters suddenly lt struck in" as plentiful 

 as at any time of the season. With us lobsters become scarce about 

 the 20th of August. To this rule there are exceptions. 



As to whether the lobster beds are being depleted by the yearly in- 

 creasing fisheries I am not yet able to determine. • Certain localities 

 may give out by a constant drain. Muddy bottoms, I believe, are not 

 so well adapted for the breeding of the lobster as rocky coasts, the 

 spawn being more liable to destruction by other fishes. The fisheries 

 of Maine have failed, perhaps owing largely to this fact, though the 

 business was prosecuted too extravagantly for many years. The follow- 

 ing letter is from A. T. E. Freeman, a prominent dealer in Southwest 

 Harbor, Me., and dated November 29, 1884 : 



" Replying to your letter of inquiry, bearing date of the 17th instant, 

 I would say that the views of those interested in the lobster business 

 here are so varied that it is difficult to arrive at a correct conclusion as 

 to the cause of the decrease in lobsters. That they were becoming 

 scarce was certain until the last lobster law was passed, providing for 

 a close season between July 15 and November 1 — covering the spawn- 

 ing season — and prohibiting the catching of any less than inches in 

 length during the rest of the year. I think the protection during the 

 spawning season the most essential. Since the passing of this law, 

 lobsters are on the increase; our fishermen report them in abundance 

 again. It has been demonstrated that they are a school fish, similar in 

 this respect to the herring and mackerel. They are more plentiful some 

 seasons than at others." 



I cannot ascertain that any deterioration in size or numbers has .vet 

 been noticed in Nova Scotia. A prominent lobster packer, who has 

 fished lor many years on our own coast, assures me that '-lobsters are 

 as plentiful as ever, but arc much smaller than formerly." The supply 

 .of lobsters sent to market— chiefly to London— from the coasts of all 

 parts of Britain has of late years greatly fallen off from over-fishing. 



