ABOUT LOBSTERS 61 



if his wholesaler demands banded lobsters. In ports where 

 dealers had to have banded lobsters, the fishermen seem to 

 have accepted the change with less opposition than was 

 expected. 



The rubber people claim there are approximately 800 

 regular y 2 " bands to one pound. 



Buoys 



The great majority of buoys are made of white cedar, 

 though white pine ones are occasionally seen. There is need 

 for a better buoy, since even any light wood becomes water- 

 logged before the season is finished, requiring drying out on 

 the beach. Unfortunately, they do not dry thoroughly, as 

 their paint prohibits exuding all the interior moisture. A 

 glass globe buoy such as is used on nets is a good example. 

 If a glass buoy has a tiny, invisible hole it will leak water 

 inside, yet if hung up indoors, it will retain this water for 

 years. 



The war surplus doughnuts of black floatation material 

 made good buoys, but they have all been bought up. Buoy- 

 ant materials of blown-up plastic are available and good, 

 but they are fragile and expensive. 



An ideal buoy 



1. has great buoyancy 



2. does not become waterlogged 



3. is tough 



4. cannot be punctured, as by gash from a vessel's 

 propeller 



5. takes paint readily 



The fluorescent paints, such as Day-glo, could be of 

 benefit to buoys. Buoys painted with Day-glo can be seen 

 much more readily in fog or overcast weather. It is the 

 paint often used on roadside billboards and the tops of fire 

 hydrants. Objections to it are that it is expensive, and it re- 

 quires a base coat of white paint, then two coats of color 

 and finally a coat of special varnish for protection. 



The use of toggles is more common in eastern Maine, 

 where tides run higher than they do to the westward. Tog- 



