132 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



strong and bears no comparison with the aimless drifting movement 

 characteristic of larval stages. The lobsterlings dart hither and 

 thither in pursuit of food, and for the first time they show a decided 

 fear and strive to avoid capture. When left in the rearing cars, 

 which have a strong internal current of water, thousands of these 

 lobsters are often seen all swimming mightily in one direction against 

 the strong current for hours at a time ; but these same lobsters when 

 taken out of the car and put into another one provided with sand and 

 gravel will often take immediately to the bottom and behave as if 

 they had always lived in this habitat. 



- It is an interesting and important fact that the tendency to swim 

 decreases rapidly during their sojourn in the fourth stage and also 

 that they can be encouraged to live on the bottom by being brought 

 into contact with it. These facts have suggested two modifications 

 in the usual procedure in liberating lobsters — first, that of holding 

 the lobsterlings in special rearing cars for a few days after they reach 

 this stage, keeping up the current in order to keep the lobsters sepa- 

 rated and to keep their food in suspension, and, second, that of 

 liberating them in such a manner that they will immediately touch 

 the bottom, in which case they are not so apt to make swimming 

 excursions through the water. An ingenious device for the latter 

 purpose has been invented by Mr. Barnes. The young lobsters are 

 sunk in barrels which have the numerous holes for their exit so covered 

 up that while the lobster can get out predacious fishes can not get 

 in. 



It is comparatively easy to care for fourth-stage lobsters. Space 

 and plenty of food are about the only requisites. Like the fry, they 

 are cannibals in proportion as they are hungry and crowded together; 

 but unlike the fry, they control their own movements and go where 

 they please, whether swimming, or crawling, or burrowing, and they 

 have, moreover, a strong instinct of self-preservation. 



Fifth-stage lobsters. — There is much to be said in favor of rearing 

 lobsters to the fifth stage before liberating them, and this is not 

 difficult to do, but requires space. In some experiments conducted 



