ABOUT LOBSTERS 23 



The muscular masses of the powerful claws are 

 drawn through the small openings at the base of the 

 claw as a wire is pulled through the holes of a draw 

 plate. What this implies can be best appreciated when 

 it is realized that the cross section of the biggest part 

 of the big claw is more than four times greater than at 

 its narrowest point. 



The newly molted lobster has a very sleek and 

 fresh appearance and its colors were never brighter or 

 more attractive. Try to take it up in the hand, after 

 some time has elapsed, and it feels as limp as wet paper, 

 and rubbery. Every part of the old shell down to micro- 

 scopic hair has been reproduced in the new one, but the 

 new shell is so soft that it can be cut with a fingernail. 

 The large claws are considerably distorted, as well as 

 some other parts, being compressed and drawn out to 

 an unnatural length. 8 



In this condition, the newly molted lobster is lean and 

 miserable. It is helpless to protect itself, and is eagerly at- 

 tacked by cod and by hard-shelled lobsters. It is very likely 

 to be injured and will die if handled at all at this time. 



It is interesting that the flesh of soft-shelled lobsters is 

 considered unpalatable, while the edible crab is most de- 

 lectable just after shedding, i.e., the soft-shelled crab. 



Figure I shows a photograph of the cast-off shell of a 

 lobster. It is complete in all details, even the globular sur- 

 face of the eyeballs; only the split down the shell tells that 

 it has been shed. 



The female lobster often has empty egg cases clinging 

 to her abdomen after they have hatched. Molting is the 

 only way she can get rid of these encumbrances. 



Breeding Habits 



Sex differences. The differences between a male and a 

 female lobster are difficult to see in lobsters viewed from 



Francis H. Herrick, " The Natural History of the American Lobster," Bul- 

 letin of the Bureau of Fisheries, Document 747 (July 13, 1911)- 



